4 min readMar 21, 2026 06:43 PM IST
First published on: Mar 21, 2026 at 06:43 PM IST
Written by Brig Advitya Madan
When India was partitioned in 1947, not only land and assets but also institutions had to be divided. The armed forces were no exception. Several battalions of regiments such as the Punjab Regiment were allotted to the newly created Pakistan Army, while others remained with India. As a young officer commissioned into the Punjab Regiment, I first became aware of this reality during training courses. In mock war exercises, the opposing order of battle would sometimes include battalions such as 4 Punjab or 10 Punjab, now part of the Pakistan Army. It often prompted a curious thought: how must it have felt for soldiers who suddenly found themselves serving under a different flag at the stroke of midnight in August 1947?
Equally compelling are the stories of officers who had to make a personal choice about where their loyalties would lie. One such remarkable story is that of Captain Syed Mahdi Hasnain.
In August 1947, Captain Hasnain was serving as the Adjutant of the 1st Battalion, the Garhwal Rifles, stationed at Peshawar Cantonment. As communal violence spread across the subcontinent, the unit was ordered to move to Saharanpur in India. The journey itself was fraught with danger. The train carrying the battalion was also tasked with protecting large numbers of Sikh and Hindu refugees fleeing to safety.
When the train halted at Lahore, the Commanding Officer, Lt Col McLean, called the young officer aside. With visible hesitation, he posed a difficult question. “You are a proud Muslim,” he said gently. “Have you decided where you would like to go — Pakistan or India? If your choice is Pakistan, it may be best for you to remain here and bid farewell to your colleagues.”
Captain Hasnain’s response revealed both conviction and clarity of thought. He replied that his foremost duty was to his unit and the mission entrusted to it. “My responsibility,” he said, “is to ensure the safe movement of my battalion. I cannot abandon it midway.” He then added a reflection that seems remarkably prescient even today. Nations built solely on religious identity, he felt, might experience an initial surge of emotion, but those founded on respect for all faiths would endure and prosper. His choice, he told his Commanding Officer, was India.
Captain Hasnain continued his duties throughout the journey to Saharanpur, helping ensure the safety of hundreds of refugees along the way.
His distinguished career afterwards reflected the same dedication. Though he did not command his original battalion, he later raised 4 Garhwal Rifles (now part of the Mechanised Infantry) and rose to the rank of Major General, becoming the first Indian Muslim officer to command a division in the Indian Army.
His legacy continued through the next generation. His son, Syed Ata Hasnain, was commissioned into the same regiment and eventually rose to command 15 Corps in the Indian Army. I had the privilege of attending several of his lectures during my professional training and very recently watched with pride as he took over as Governor of Bihar after having done well as the Member of National Disaster Management Authority and remaining active as a military analyst with whom I often exchanged views and notes on the ongoing geopolitical churn in the world.
Stories like these highlight a fundamental truth about the Indian Army: it has always transcended barriers of religion and community. Soldiers of different faiths serve, pray and fight together with unwavering trust in one another.
In a country as diverse as India, this ethos remains a powerful reminder that unity built on mutual respect can endure the severest tests of history.
The first instance of an armed conflict between the two countries was immediately after Independence and Partition in October 1947. (Wikimedia Commons) 
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