“More than seventy-five years after Brigadier Mohammed Usman sacrificed his life for India, there are only a few people around who have met him.” This line opens Chapter 3 of the book, The Lion Of Naushera: The Life and Times of Brigadier Mohammed Usman (Bloomsbury), written by authors and journalists Ziya Us Salam and Anand Mishra. The man who once led Indian troops in Kashmir against the kabailis backed by Pakistan in 1947, is now just a name known to military historians.
The Bibipur house in Azamgarh, which Usman’s father built in around 1929-30, was constructed out of raw material from Benares and Ghazipur, while the other items like tiles and chandeliers, were imported from Europe. Born on July 15, 1912, Usman grew up in an orthodox household, where he and his brothers were “not known to come in front of their father without wearing a cap”. Usman was always respectful towards his elders, and after joining the army, he became a hero to his younger brothers.
The authors describe Usman as a man of fine values and a “good athlete”, who was fond of cricket and hockey.
“He was a hero, and heroes deserve to be remembered,” says co-author Salam. “The Army still pays him respect every year, but civil society hasn’t celebrated him the way it should have. Through this book, we tried to repay some of the debt we owe him.”
Ghazipur’s war hero
Co-author Anand Mishra expresses disappointment over Ghazipur being known more for crime and opium factories than its war heroes. “I went there during elections,” remarks Mishra. “Everyone spoke about the mafia and gangsters. But this is the land of Brigadier Usman and Captain Abdul Hamid. Why aren’t these names talked about more?”
Mishra says he chose the project not only to tell Usman’s story, but also to explore partition history beyond the Hindu-Muslim binary. “Usman chose India at a time when others in his community were opting for Pakistan. There was no confusion in his mind, he was an Indian first. I was amazed by this man’s decisions, and so I took up the project.”
However, to dig deeper–with minimal information and limited sources–was a challenge. Since the brigadier was a bachelor and members of his immediate family had passed away decades ago, first-hand information was scarce. The authors, hence, sifted through archival letters from leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, newspaper clippings in English, Hindi, and Urdu, and interviews with extended family members to piece the narrative together.
The major battles
While speaking with TMS Salam noted that Brigadier Usman was from a lineage that traced back to the Ansars [helpers of the Prophet during the migration to Mecaa] of Medina. “Religion never clouded his duty,” he added. “When he fought the tribal invaders (kabailis) in Kashmir–who were supported by Pakistan–it was not about fighting Muslims. It was about protecting Indian land.”
The authors quote an excerpt from the book, My Years with Rajiv: Triumph and Tragedies by Wajahat Habibullah. It reads, “No less than 45 per cent of the British Indian Army became the Pakistan Army, with only two Muslim officers of the rank of colonel staying with the Indian Army.”
The two officers were Brigadier Usman and Major General Enaith Habibullah, father of Wajahat.
On October 22, 1947, Pakistan launched Operation Gulmarg violating the Standstill Agreement with the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and the region came under attack. However, two of the major battles, in Naushera and Jhangar, were successfully won.
Brigadier Usman was a part of the brigade that countered the blow.
A funeral like no other
In June 1948, “manned gun positions to the south of Jhangar were observed”, but the warnings were not taken seriously, since Pakistan had never “shelled” the region after it was captured. This turned out to be fatal. On July 3, Brigadier Usman succumbed to artillery shelling during the defence of Jhangar in 1948. The young, brave man known by the moniker ‘Lion of Naushera’ sacrificed his life in the line of duty.
Usman was buried in Delhi with full honours. As told by Salam, and also mentioned in the book, Brigadier Usman's funeral was attended by the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, along with the entire Union Cabinet. "It was probably the only occasion in history when a soldier’s funeral was attended by the Prime Minister, his cabinet, and also by the higher officials of defence forces," Salam adds.