The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947, the State Forces came under the command of the Indian Army. They remained in the original form until 1956, when Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly effectively ratified the state's accession to India. Then the State Forces became the Jammu and Kashmir Regiment of the Indian Army. In 1963, the designation was changed to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. After the conversion, the Ladakh Scouts came under the aegis of the Regiment, where it remained until raised as a separate Regiment in 2002.
The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment traces its origin to the Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Gulab Singh, the first ruler of Jammu and Kashmir raised this Force in 1820 at Jammu. The earlier exploits of the Regiment includes the annexation of the entire Hill Region of Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. General Zorawar Singh, who had joined the State Forces in 1823, assisted in expansion of the state's territory to include Ladakh, Baltistan, Tibet, Gilgit, Yasin, Darel, Hunza Nagar, Chilas and Chitral between 1834 and 1895.
Maharaja Pratap Singh offered three Infantry Battalions and one Mountain Battery for service under the British during the First World War. The Regiment saw action in the East Africa, Palestine and Mesopotamia and won the Battle Honours of Megiddo, Nablus, Kilimanjaro, Behobeho, Palestine and Sharon. The Regiment was honoured with a total of 31 decorations. Following the war, the troops were welcomed on a grand scale at the Jammu Railway Station, following which the returning battalions marched through Jammu City displaying their war trophies, which included the German insignia â the Brass Eagle, the German flag and German artillery.
Immediately after the First World War, the 1st Jammu and Kashmir Mountain Battery and 1 Jammu and Kashmir Infantry participated in the Third Afghan War and were awarded 23 Meritorious Service Medals.
The Regiment saw action in Burma where 23 of its person were decorated. Two Battle Honours, Kennedy Peak and Meiktila were awarded to the Regiment.
The greatest trial of the Regiment came in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947âÂÂ1948. All nine Battalions of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles were strung over 500 miles of the frontier, from Kathua in the South to Leh in the North. Although outnumbered and partially compromised by internal betrayal, the units resistance managed to delay the attacking force. This delay proved strategically critical, as it allowed time for the State of Jammu and Kashmir to accede to India and for Indian forces to intervene, thereby influencing the outcome of the conflict. A total of 18 Officers, 37 Junior Commissioned Officers, 1194 Other ranks and 34 Non Combatants laid their life during the war. The regiment was awarded with two Maha Vir Chakras (including the first Maha Vir Chakra of Independent India awarded to Late Brigadier Rajinder Singh), 18 Vir Chakras and 52 Mentioned in Despatches.
On 18 March 1956 a Pakistani force launched an attack against 4 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, then deployed to guard Husainiwala Headworks. During the clash the enemy suffered heavy casualties and the Unit was awarded one Ashok Charka, one Kirti Chakra and one Shaurya Chakra.
Due to its valiant actions over the years including 1947âÂÂ48 operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Regiment was amalgamated embloc into the Indian Army on 15 January 1957 without any dilution in rank structure and came to be known as Jammu and Kashmir Regiment. In February 1963, the Regiment was redesignated as Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
2 and 3 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles participated in 1962 war with China, wherein three Officers, 82 Other Ranks and eight Non Commissioned Employees made supreme sacrifice of their life in Bomdila Sector and the Regiment was awarded with one Mentioned-in-Despatch.
Seven of the eleven Battalions of the Regiment (3,4,5,6,7,8 & 9 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) participated in 1965 war, wherein seven Officers and 167 men were killed in the line of duty. 9 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles was awarded with the Battle Honour of Asal Uttar and Theatre Honour Punjab for operations in Khem Karan Sector. Five persons of the Regiment were decorated.
All the 14 Battalions (1 to 14 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) of the Regiment participated in the 1971 War both at the Eastern and Western fronts. 76 soldiers of the regiment laid their lives. 1 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles was awarded with the Battle Honour of Syam Ganj and Theatre Honour East Pakistan during the liberation of Bangladesh. 12 persons of the Regiment were awarded with gallantry medals.
13, 14 and 19 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 28 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion and Ladakh Scouts took part in Operation Vijay. During the war, the regiment won 2 Param Vir Chakras, 8 Vir Chakras, 2 Yudh Seva Medals, 16 Sena Medals and 8 COAS Commendation Cards. In recognition of the exceptional account given by 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in the capture of its objectives, the unit has been awarded the Battle Honours of Dras and Mushkoh, the Theatre Honour of Kargil, along with the Bravest of the brave honour.
The regiment has a class composition of 75 percentage Dogras, with the other 25 percent from Gorkhas, Sikhs and Muslims.
The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Centre is located at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. The centre was located at Satwari Lines in Jammu between 1932 and 1957, and then at Morar in Gwalior before moving to its present location in Jabalpur in 1975.
The regimental crest since 1963 features an oval encircling the radiant sun. Within the oval is the Sanskrit inscription Prashasta Ranveerta. The oval is surmounted by the national emblem of India â the Ashoka lion capital, while a scroll below bears the title âÂÂJAMMU & KASHMIR RIFLESâÂÂ. The present crest reserves two significant elements from the former state emblem â the motto and the sun (Surya), the latter symbolic both of strength and of the Suryavanshi descent of the erstwhile ruling Dogra family of Jammu.
The present uniform of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry includes a green lanyard on the left shoulder and the shoulder title has the words JAK RIF in an arc. They traditionally wear black rank badges and buttons, as the original purpose of the rifle regiments was camouflage and concealment. The green beret (common to all infantry units in India) has the regimental crest.
The motto of the regiment is Prashasta Ranveerta, which translates to "Valour in Battle is Praiseworthy". The war cry of the regiment is Durge Mata Ki Jai, which translates to "Victory to Mother Durga".
13 April (Zorawar Day) is celebrated as the regimental day in memory of General Zorawar Singh.
INS Ranvir, a is affiliated to the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Scouts of the Indian Army.