Brigadier Usman: The 'Lion of Naushera' Who Shaped India's 1948 Kashmir War Victory

• Brigadier Mohammad Usman commanded the 50 (Independent) Parachute Brigade during the 1948 Jammu and Kashmir War, becoming known as "Naushera ka Sher" (Lion of Naushera).
• He played a pivotal role in defending the strategically important Naushera sector, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy while minimizing Indian casualties.
• Usman, a Muslim officer, famously declined to join Pakistan during Partition, choosing to serve India, a decision highlighted as a symbol of loyalty beyond communal lines.
• He vowed not to sleep on a cot until Jhangar, a key area lost in December 1947, was recaptured, demonstrating leadership that boosted troop morale.
• Brigadier Usman was killed by enemy shellfire on July 3, 1948, becoming the highest-ranking Indian Army officer killed in action in the 1947-48 conflict, and was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.

Why It Matters: Brigadier Usman's leadership in Naushera was crucial to India's 1948 Kashmir War effort and became a symbol of national unity.