'Men Apart. Every Man, An Emperor': A Fact-file Into The Daredevil Para Troopers Of The Indian Army

The highly famed Surgical Strikes carried out by the Para Commandos of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) on Sept 29, 2016 to avenge the martyrdom of our soldiers in a barbaric terror attack carried out Pak-backed terrorists in Kashmir's Uri sector gave yet another testament of how they clinically execute covert operations with a high degree of stealth and deception..

Para commandos march past during the 72nd Army Day Parade at the Parade Ground Delhi Cantt. on January 15, 2020 in New Delhi, India. (Getty Images)

The Parachute Regiment is a highly trained and specialized airborne and special forces regiment of the Indian Army. The Parachute regiment more popularly known as the 'PARAS' or the 'Maroon Berets' comes under the fold of the Combat Arm - Infantry. 

Along with Marine Commandos of the Indian Navy (MARCOS) and the Garud Commando Force of the Indian Air Force, The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) are organised, trained and equipped to plan, execute and support special operations.

While the militaries around the world have some of the most well-known Special Forces namely. the Special Air Service (British SAS), US Navy SEALs and the Delta Force, Snow Leopard Commando (China) and Sayeret Matkal (Israel); the Indian Army has one of the best in the league with their very own Parachute Regiment.

Notable Operations Carried Out by Parachute Regiment The Parachute Regiment has the honour and distinction of carrying out some of the most deadliest operations during both war and peace post-independence. Be it the capture of Hajipir Pass in 1965 Indo-Pak War, the lightning quick raids at Chachro, Sindh (Pakistan) and Mandhol in the 1971-War, UN Peacekeeping Operations in Korea and Gaza Strip, Operation Catcus Lily in Maldives and the clearing operations of intruders in both Mushkoh Valley and Batalik sector during the 1999 Kargil War, the Para Commandos of the Parachute Regiment have proved their pedigree and mettle as a highly dependable and professional elite force time and again.

SURGICAL STRIKES 

The highly famed Surgical Strikes carried out by the Para Commandos of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) on Sept 29, 2016 to avenge the martyrdom of our soldiers in a barbaric terror attack carried out Pak-backed terrorists in Kashmir's Uri sector gave yet another testament of how they clinically execute covert operations with a high degree of stealth and deception.. The Genesis Of Special Forces Around The World It is a very popular cliche in the military parlance, 'When The Going Gets Tough The Tough Gets Going'.. The whole gamut of warfare underwent a major change as militia or insurgent groups adopted guerrilla warfare tactics to outfox and outgun conventionally trained armies in urban warfare. This led to the very genesis of Special Forces which made headwinds into the military warfare as a counter reactive force for the regular armies,that could be rapidly deployed into action and thwart or repulse with a high degree of perfection. The Special Forces are rightfully hailed as the elitist units of their respective armed forces who are called upon to carry out the deadliest missions. From Airborne assaults to surgical strikes, covert operations to reconnaissance missions to hostage rescue actions,Special Forces are the first ones to be either airdropped or deployed behind enemy lines and make critical inroads into the enemy defences. Brief History and Formation of Indian Army's Parachute Regiment The Parachute Regiment inherits its legacy and heritage from the first Indian airborne formation, which happened to be the British Indian Army's 50th Parachute Brigade raised on Oct 20, 1941.It comprised 151 Parachute Battalion (consisting of British troops), 152 Parachute Battalion (consisting of Indian troops) and 153 Parachute Battalion (consisting of Gurkha troops) alongside other support units. After independence and partition, the airborne divisions of the erstwhile British India Army were divided between India and Pakisatani Armies. While India retained the Divisional HQ and the 50th and 77th Parachute Brigades, the 14th Parachute Brigade went to Pakistan. Re-Raising Of The Parachute Regiment On 15 April 1952, the Parachute Regiment was re-raised by absorbing the three existing parachute battalions of the 50th Parachute Brigade. The 1st battalion, Punjab Regiment (Para) was re-designated as the 1st battalion, Parachute Regiment (Punjab). The 3rd battalion, Maratha Light Infantry (Para) was re-designated as the 2nd battalion, Parachute Regiment (Maratha). The 1st battalion, Kumaon Regiment (Para) was re-designated as the 3rd battalion, Parachute Regiment (Kumaon). Every aspect about them is unique and they hence the word Special rightly does justice to their daredevilry,  courage and bravado. Maximum damage with minimum casualty is the Mantra for the Special Forces..Success is the only option and failure is something which is not in the dictionary of these bravehearts.

The Paratroopers come through a highly rigorous training process and only a handful among thousand odd applicants get selected to prove their physical prowess and mental fortitude to undertake missions where there is a thin line between life and death.

So here is a basic fact-file about the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army

The Parachute Regiment presently has nine Special Forces, five Airborne, two Territorial Army and one Counter-Insurgency (Rashtriya Rifles) battalions in its fold.

PARACHUTE REGIMENT Role:  Airborne Infantry and Special Forces Type of Units:   Special Forces, Airborne Regimental Colours:   Maroon and Sky Blue Regimental Center:  Bangalore *Basic Recruit training is imparted at Bangalore whereas Para training is imparted at Agra* Regimental Motto:   Shatrujeet (The Conqueror) Nickname: Maroon Beret And 'Red Devils' Regiment Insignia: An open parachute with wings spread out and a dagger placed upright, between the wings Battle Honours: Shelatang, Naushera, Poonch, Jhanger, Hajipir, Poongli Bridge, Mandhol, and Chachro MAROON BERET The much famed Maroon Beret donned only by the officers and troops of the Parachute Regiment gives them a distinct identity within the Army fold.

BALIDAAN BADGE: The Special Forces battalions (PARA SF) of the the Parachute Regiment wear a distinct insignia called the Balidaan, which has a commando dagger point downwards, with upward-extending wings extending from the blade and a scroll superimposed on the blade with "Balidaan" inscribed in DevanagarI.

Battalions of the Parachute Regiment 1st Battalion (Special Forces) 2nd Battalion (Special Forces) 3rd Battalion (Special Forces) 4th Battalion (Special Forces) 5th Battalion 6th Battalion 7th Battalion 9th Battalion (Special Forces) 10th Battalion (Special Forces) 11th Battalion (Special Forces) 12th Battalion (Special Forces) 21st Battalion (Special Forces) 23rd Battalion 29th Battalion 31st Battalion (Rashtriya Rifles) 106th Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) 116th Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army)