New Delhi: As Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs marks yet another“Kashmir Black Day” today, India observes Infantry Day – the anniversary of the first military operation of Independent India, when Indian soldiers were air-lifted to Srinagar on October 27, 1947 to defend Jammu and Kashmir from an armed invasion orchestrated by Pakistan.

The contrast could not be sharper. Pakistan claims moral authority over Kashmir; history records that its forces were the first to cross into the princely state, triggering the conflict that continues to shape the region.

The Invasion that Sparked a War

On October 22, 1947, thousands of Pashtun tribal raiders, backed and guided by the Pakistani Army, entered Jammu and Kashmir through Muzaffarabad. The invaders looted and burned villages, killing hundreds of civilians in Baramulla before advancing toward Srinagar.

Facing collapse, Maharaja Hari Singh, the state's ruler, formally requested military help from India. On October 26, 1947, he signed the Instrument of Accession, legally joining the Dominion of India. Governor-General Lord Mountbatten accepted it the next day, making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India.

At dawn on October 27, Dakota transport aircraft began landing at Srinagar airfield, carrying troops of the 1st Battalion, The Sikh Regiment (1 SIKH). Their immediate task: defend the city, secure the airstrip, and stop the advance of Pakistan-backed forces.

That morning marked the birth of the Indian Army's post-Independence combat history – and the salvation of Kashmir.

India's Defence, Pakistan's Aggression

The facts are unambiguous. The tribal invasion preceded India's troop deployment by five days. India entered the conflict only after the state had legally acceded to the Union and requested assistance.

Pakistan, meanwhile, violated international norms by sponsoring an irregular invasion of a neighbouring state. It continues to occupy parts of Jammu and Kashmir seized in that war, now called Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Infantry Day therefore commemorates not conquest but defence – the moment India's soldiers protected a newly acceded state from external aggression.

Pakistan's Familiar Script

In its latest statement, Pakistan's foreign office described October27 as a“Black Day,” repeating long-standing allegations against India. Yet, the historical timeline dismantles this narrative. India's troops entered Kashmir only after legal accession; Pakistan's incursion began before any Indian involvement.

This pattern of distortion is not new. For decades, Pakistan's governments have used 27 October to project victimhood while ignoring their own role as the original aggressor.

A Reality Check Across the Line of Control

While Islamabad sermonises on Kashmiri rights, mass unrest has erupted across POK in recent months. Protests in Muzaffarabad, Dadyal and Dheerkot over rising electricity prices and resource exploitation were met with violent crackdowns.

Reports estimate at least ten civilian deaths and over 150 injuries during the September–October demonstrations, followed by arrests and an information blackout.

Human-rights observers have condemned these actions as evidence of systemic repression in territories Pakistan calls“Azad Kashmir.” The contrast with India's democratic processes and infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019 is stark.

A Day of Pride and Perspective

For India, Infantry Day is not just military remembrance – it is a statement of sovereignty and continuity. The Indian Army's first air-landing mission in 1947 ensured that Srinagar, and with it the Valley, remained free from the invading columns.

Every year, soldiers across regiments observe 27 October to honour that decisive stand. Ceremonies at Srinagar War Memorial (Badami Bagh Cantonment) and army formations nationwide recall the courage of the men of 1 SIKH and the legacy they forged.

Their actions allowed the Indian Union, barely two months old, to assert both its moral and legal right to defend an acceding state - setting the foundation for India's post-Independence defence ethos.

The Enduring Lesson

Seventy-eight years later, Pakistan's propaganda remains trapped in 1947, while the people of POK face curfews and crackdowns. India, meanwhile, commemorates its infantrymen – the defenders who upheld law, honour and national integrity at the most critical hour.

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