GarnetWelton89 at 21:08, 21 June 2025

2025-06-21T21:08:41Z

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{{No footnotes|date=February 2009}}
{{infobox military unit
| unit_name = Kali Panchwin (2 Maratha Light Infantry)
| image = Marathali.gif
| caption = The Regimental Insignia of the Battalion
| dates = 1768 to present
| country = {{flagicon|India}} [[Republic of India]]
| allegiance =
| branch = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size =
| command_structure =
| garrison = [[Pune]]
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| colors =
| colors_label =
| march =
| mascot =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles =
| anniversaries =
| decorations = <br>
*[[Ashoka Chakra Award]] - 1
*[[Kirti Chakra]] - 1
*[[Vir Chakra]] - 1
*[[Shaurya Chakra]] - 7
*[[Yudh Seva Medal]] - 2
*[[Sena Medal]] - 13
*Bar to Sena Medal - 1
*[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] - 13
*[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] - 01
*[[Mentioned in Despatches]] - 11
*Bar to Mentioned in Despatches - 1
*Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card - 39
*General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation - 29
*Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation - 1
| battle_honours = <br>
*Mysore
*Seedaser
*[[Seringapatnam]]
*Beni-Boo-Ali
*[[Siege of Kahun]]
*China
*Afghanistan
*Burma
*Mesopotamia
*[[Kut|Kut El Amara]]
*Baghdad
*Palestine
*Nablus
*Sharon
*[[Ethiopian Empire|Abyssinia]]
*[[Keren, Eritrea|Keren]]
*North Africa
*[[Siege of Tobruk]]
*Gubi
*Hussainiwala
| disbanded =
}}
The '''Kali Panchwin''', now formally called the '''2nd Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry Regiment''', is one of the oldest [[battalion]]s of the [[Indian Army]]. It consists of troops known as [[Ganpats]] from [[Maharashtra]] in [[Western India]].

==Pre-Independence==

Formed in 1768 as the [[3rd Battalion Bombay Sepoys]], the battalion participated in almost all theatres of action in India and overseas, starting with the siege of [[Seringapatnam]] defeating [[Tipu Sultan]]. They have seen action in [[Mysore]], [[Seedaser]], [[Baghdad]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Dadar]], [[Baroda]], [[Burma]], [[China]] and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].

In [[World War I]], the battalion won the [[battle honours]] of [[Battle of Sharon|Sharon]] and [[Battle of Nablus (1918)|Nablus]] in Palestine.

In [[World War II]], the battalion distinguished itself in the [[Battle of Keren]] (North Africa), against [[Italian Social Republic|Mussolini's Italian troops]] and native [[Eritrea]]ns. The battalion then made history as part of the [[4th Indian Division]] against [[Rommel]]'s [[Afrika Corps]] in the [[North African Campaign]]. It continued with victories at [[Kut-El-Amara]] and in the [[Western Desert Campaign]] at [[Tobruk]] under [[Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein|Montgomery]]. The Battalion was re-raised back in India as it had lost most of its men at Tobruk.

==Post-Independence==
The Kali Panchwin Battalion was deployed along the border in [[Punjab region|Punjab]] during the [[Partition of India]] in 1947; it was also based in the [[Govindgarh, Rajasthan#Govindgarh Fort|Govindgarh Fort]] near [[Amritsar]]. It moved to [[Poonch (town)|Poonch]] in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], and then [[Yol (film)|Yol]] and [[Dagshai]] in [[Himachal]].

The battalion then moved to a peacetime station in [[Secunderabad]]. In 1961-62, it was deployed to the [[Darjeeling]] sector along the [[Line of Actual Control]] with [[China]]. In 1962 it was deployed to the [[Gaza Strip]] as part of the [[United Nations Emergency Force]] under the command of Lt Col J.D. Stanley. It had an eventful tenure there, receiving accolades from the Force Commander, as well as winning most sports and drill competitions against units of other nations comprising the peace-keeping force. On its return it participated in rescue operations following an air crash near [[Pune]].

At the outbreak of the [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]], the Kali Panchwin was based in [[Mathura]] when it was deployed to [[Hussainiwala]] in the [[Firozpur]] sector of Punjab. It defended the Hussainiwala headworks against an attack by a full infantry brigade supported by armoured columns of the [[Pakistan Army]]. The enemy also used artillery fire and air support in this engagement. Two enemy tanks were destroyed and two captured, with several enemy killed. The commanding officer Col. Nolan was killed by an enemy artillery shelling the next morning while supervising operations. It was a major loss to the battalion. The battalion was visited by then Prime Minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]], Defence Minister Kamraj, the Chief of Army Staff and other senior officers. Kali Panchwin was awarded the battle honour "Hussainiwala" for its role in the 1965 War.

It was among the first units to be moved to the [[Nagaland#Post-independence history|Naga Hills counter-insurgency operations]] where they fought many successful missions. In an ambush Captain E.J. Tucker lost his life along with several men; for his bravery he was awarded the [[Ashoka Chakra Award]] Class I, the highest peacetime gallantry award.

After spending time in [[Firozpur]] and [[Fazilka]], the unit was deployed to [[Sikkim]]. It celebrated its bicentenary in Pune in 1974 with Field Marshal [[Sam Manekshaw]] as chief guest. The unit was then deployed to Gulmarg Heights along the Line of Control on the border with China. After a peace tenure in [[Dehradun]], it was deployed in counter-insurgency operations in [[Manipur]] and [[Mizoram]].

In 1987 it returned to Pune, and subsequently air-lifted to [[Sri Lanka]] as part of the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]]. The battalion captured 4 top leaders of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] in [[Batticaloa]]. It won 22 individual awards including one [[Vir Chakra]].

The battalion since then has been deployed to Jammu and Kashmir thrice, as well as to [[Assam]] and [[Sikkim]].

== Distinctions ==

*First light infantry of the Indian Army
*First Indian battalion to participate in World War II
*First Maratha battalion to participate in a UN mission
*First battalion to have lost its colonel in action (Colonel Chitty, 1917)
*First Ashoka Chakra medal in the North East

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* Official battalion history: Ministry of Defence, India
* Library archives on Maratha Light Infantry, Mumbai

{{Indian Army}}

[[Category:Battalions of India]]

2nd Battalion Maratha Light Infantry Regiment - Revision history

GarnetWelton89 at 21:08, 21 June 2025