When the 7th Battalion of the Army’s Madras Regiment celebrates its 50th Raising Day in Thiruvananthapuram on April 1, it will also be an occasion to remember a historic flood and a brave Sepoy who laid down his life in the service.
The year was 1979, the year of the big flood which hit the capital. The armed forces were deployed for relief operations, and, incidentally, the 7 Madras was stationed at the Military Station, Pangode, at the time. “We lost one of our boys in that flood - Sepoy P O Oomen. He was carried away by the flood waters during the operation. He was later honoured with a Sena Medal posthumously. So we have an emotional association with this city,” a senior officer of the Battalion said.
Call it pure chance that 7 Madras, one of approximately 30 battalions that make up the Madras Regiment, is stationed at Pangode on the 35th anniversary of that flood, on the 50th year of its raising. Since the 1979 flood, the battalion has had the opportunity to help the state government during natural disasters. Last year, for instance, the battalion was part of the flood relief operations in Idukki and Ernakulam.
Although the battalion is celebrating its golden jubilee, its real origins date way back. To 1798, in fact. It was formed when the 28th Madras Infantry was raised as 2nd Extra Battalion in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. It became the 28th Madras Native Infantry in 1824, and the 28th Madras Infantry in 1885. In 1903, the battalion was re-designated as 88th Carnatic Infantry, but was disbanded 18 years later. During World War II, it was re-raised as the 7/3rd Madras Regiment, but was disbanded again in 1946 soon after the war and just before India’s Independence. Then, on April 1, 1964, it was re-raised as the 7th Battalion of the Madras Regiment. That date is observed as the Raising Day since the battalion really lacks an unbroken history.
The battalion is planning several programmes to mark the anniversary. The programmes were kicked off with a blood donation camp for the Medical College Hospital and a cleaning drive at Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
On March 29, there will be a display for the public at the Shangumugham Beach, and another one in the Pangode Cantonment area on March 30. On March 31 and April 1 and 2, the battalion will celebrate the anniversary at the Station.