Great Olympian, exemplary fighter
Haripal Kaushik was born on 2 February 1934. He went on to be a decorated army officer and a medal winning Olympian. In 1955 the Sikh Regimental Hockey team (SRC) was scheduled to play in the semi finals of the All-India Dhyan Chand Hockey tournament, at National Stadium, Delhi, against Hockey Club, Bhawalpur (Pakistan). The other semi-final was between Punjab Police and Aryan Club, Lahore. At that time Punjab Police boasted of eight Olympians in their playing ranks. Prestige was at stake, all round.
The SRC, left forward was injured, as replacement the Sikh Regiment was able to coax young Haripal, then a student in DAV (Dayanand Anglo Vedic) College, Jalandhar, to play for them. His cool demeanor, skilful artistry in building an attack, came to the fore and the Sikh Regiment won the finals, defeating Aryan Club Lahore 2-0.
Haripal Kaushik’s performance was outstanding and he was selected for the Melbourne Olympics. Since his name appeared on the selection list from the Armed Forces, the SRC had no other option but to take young Haripal on its rolls. Thus, Kaushik was commissioned in 1st Sikh regiment in 1959.
Lt Col Haripal Kaushik, who represented India in hockey and was the vice captain of the team. He was a superb athlete and an exceptional hockey player and rose through various services and national-level hockey competitions to become the vice captain of the “unbeatable” Indian Olympic hockey team. The team won in 1956 (gold medal), 1960 (silver medal) and 1964 (gold medal). He was assistant captain of the team that won the gold medal in the 1966 Asian Games, and was later a field hockey administrator and television commentator. He received the Arjuna Award for excellence in athletic competition in 1998.
As an army officer, in the 1962 Indo-China conflict, Lieutenant Haripal Kaushik was commanding a Company holding the Tongpengla position in N.E.F.A. (North East Frontier Agency, now Arunachal Pradesh). At 05.30 am on 23 October 1962 the Chinese started attacking with a Regiment on the Bumla axis with the intention of breaking through to Tawang. His company’s position was first attacked by a Chinese Battalion, but the attack was repulsed, with heavy losses, by his forward platoon.
After the fall of the forward platoon, a second Battalion of the enemy attacked on a wide front trying to overrun the Company’s position. Lieutenant Kaushik moved from one section position to another and inspired his men to continue fighting with great determination. Eventually under heavy enemy pressure he was ordered to withdraw. What followed was 14 days of ordeal, without food, clothing, water, medicine and with a lurking enemy. Physically battered but spirits intact, Lt. Haripal, evaded enemy ambushes. He handled the withdrawal skilfully and managed to clear, all his personnel and weapons including heavy mortars and medium machine guns, in the face of enemy fire. Kaushik was awarded the Vir Chakra for “exemplary courage and self-disregard” on the battlefield. Soon after the 1962 war, he went on win the Olympic hockey gold in 1964. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
As Adjutant of the IMA (1970-1972), the first from the Sikh Regiment, he left an indelible mark. It was during this tenure that all his life’s toil in terms of gold and silver sports medals were stolen from his residence.
His wife, Prem Bala had passed away leaving a young child. He resigned his commission to bring up his infant daughter on his own. He passed away at his residence in Jalandhar on 25 January, 2018 at age 83. According to his daughter Veronica, Kaushik was suffering from dementia since 2015 and was in the last stage. “He was a fighter throughout his life and struggled hard against the disease.”
The Haripal Stadium, named in honour of the officer, is a sprawling multipurpose sports field in the Indian Army’s Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.