One India Strong India spearheads Mission Karnataka Regiment at Chamarajanagar

Mysuru: A citizen’s forum has started a campaign, for an exclusive Karnataka Regiment in the Indian Army, which can have its base in Chamarajanagar district.

Representatives (Mrutyunjaya Singh) of One India Strong India (OISI) have already met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi, on October 5, to urge him, in this regard.

Campaign

OISI started a petition campaign recently, requesting important citizens of Karnataka to give their representation, in their respective letterhead, to the State government, to put forth the demand.

OISI founder Bellur Laxminarayana said, “The Army has 28 infantry regiments - on caste or state lines - like Rajput, Punjab, Maratha, Sikh and Gorkha. Most of them were formed in the pre-Independence era. Only four of them - Ladhak Scouts (1963), Naga Regiment (1970), Arunachal Scouts (2010) and Sikkim Scouts (2013) - were raised after Independence”.

Earlier efforts

Coordinator of OISI Paneendra Bellur, a volunteer of Abhyudaya, said, in 1997, then prime minister H D Deve Gowda proposed a Karnataka Regiment. “Earlier, in 1992, Gowda had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on July 17. In 1972, ex-soldiers of Bantwal, Puttur and Sullia made a demand for a Karnataka regiment, during a meeting, which was reported in Deccan Herald, on January 17,” he recalled.

“In 2022, Rajya Sabha Member Iranna Kadadi demanded the formation of Karnataka Regiment on December 13,” he said.

Benefits

Satya Keerti of Vanavasi Kalyan said, “Most of our political leaders are not aware of the dividends of a regiment for Karnataka. Besides giving pride to Kannadigas, our society will evolve financially, academically, culturally and socially”.

Dr Chandrashekar of Sewa Bharati said, “Currently, our youth enrol either in Wellington-based Madras Regiment, Belagavi-based Maratha Regiment, or Bengaluru-based Parachute Regiment; besides in other arms like Artillery, Signals and Services like ASC, Medical Corps or Military Police. However, our own regiment will boost the morale of Karnataka-origin soldiers. Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K S Thimayya are a big inspiration”.

Legacy

He said, “All documents, medals and trophies of the erstwhile Mysuru Lancers and Coorg (Kodagu) Regiment should be merged with Karnataka Regiment. Mysuru Lancers of the Wadiyar Maharajas played a vital role in the liberation of Israel in 1918, during the First World War”.

Aravinda of Vivekananada Kendra said, “Madras Regiment is called Thambi Regiment, with a war cry in Tamil. It celebrates Tamil festivals. In Karnataka Vajra Musti Kalaga, Ayudha Puja and Dasara parade are related to our military heritage. Goddesses like Sri Chamundeshwari Devi are warriors”.

Why Chamarajanagar

Paneendra said, “Chamarajanagar, strategically located between Eastern and Western Ghats, has a jungle terrain, similar to Pir Panjal in Jammu and Kashmir. The forests, hills and rivers are suitable for training. Besides prospective soldiers and officers from across Karnataka; tribals from Chamarajanagar, other districts of Karnataka and also from bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala, have inherent jungle survival skills”.

“In addition, people of the Western Ghats in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamangalur, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts can climb hills like Gurkhas. Karnataka Regiment can be helpful in disaster relief operations too. It can have battalions in Kodagu, Shivamogga and Vijayanagara districts,” he added.

HAL

Uday Bijre of Mysuru Lancers Foundation said, “The Wadiyars have contributed a lot to Bharat’s defence system. Besides establishment of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Mysore Dakota VT-AXX, a 21-seat plane of the Maharaja, was used during unification by leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru”.

No new regiment policy

Bijre said, “After Independence, it has been the policy of the government, not to raise any new regiment for a class, community, religion or region. However, it should consider the advantages, like how it took a decision on One Rank one Pension (OROP), Agniveer and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)”.

One India Strong India

One India Strong India has been helping needy children in education and others for a livelihood in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladhak, over the past one decade.

OISI is motivating youngsters to become entrepreneurs in the defence sector and produce swadeshi equipment, to make India strong. It is coordinating for defence recruitment training for youth, in rural Karnataka.

OISI believes in ‘nation first’ and does not differentiate soldiers on the basis of state or language. It is proud and grateful to all soldiers. But, it advocates for a Karnataka Regiment, to empower Kannadigas and to strengthen the nation.

OISI organises Shankara Jayanti celebrations at Shankaracharya Hill, in Kashmir, every year. In 2023, a Sankalpa for Karnataka Regiment was made during the celebration.

Team OISI

Team OISI, founded by Bellur Laxminarayana an ex-army personnel, is coordinated by Paneendra Bellur, a volunteer of Abhyudaya. D Laxminarayana of Abhyudaya, Mrutunjaya Singh and G V Satya Keerti of Vanavasi Kalyan, Dr Chandrashekar of Sewa Bharati, Aravinda of Vivekananada Kendra, Uday Bijre of Mysuru Lancers Foundation, social workers K S Kiran and M V Ravishankar, former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao and director of SDM IMD Lt Col (Retd) S N Prasad are leading OISI.

Coorg Regiment

37 (Coorg) Medium Regiment was 11 Madras Infantry till 1901. In 1902, it was reorganised and the basis of recruitment was changed from Tamil and Telugu to only Coorgi soldiers. In 1903, a restructured regiment was renamed as 71 Coorg Rifles. It was disbanded in 1904, because of insufficient recruits. In 1942, Coorgis were again recruited into the newly raised 1st Coorg Battalion. In 1946, it was converted into 37 Coorg Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Indian Artillery. Now, 37 (Coorg) Medium Regiment is a part of the Regiment of Artillery, with a war cry ‘Cauvery Mata ki Jai’.

The Regiment maintains Kodava community traditions. On its raising day, officers and soldiers, regardless of their ethnicity, wear traditional ‘Kupya Chele’ and ‘Peeche Kathi’. Women wear Kodava Podiya.