The 67th Raising Day of 122 Infantry Battalion of the Madras Regiment of the Territorial Army was celebrated with pomp and glory in Kozhikode on Tuesday. It was also the first Raising Day celebrated after the battalion was moved to its new base in Kozhikode in 2021.
The 122 Infantry is the only battalion in the Indian Army which is completely constituted of Keralites.
The battalion was initially raised in 1949 as 51 Light Armed Regiment at Ambala, Punjab. In 1956, it was re-designated as 122 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) and affiliated to the Punjab Regiment and was moved to Malappuram in 1966. It was re-affiliated to the Madras Regiment in 1979. It was moved to Kannur and was billeted at Wellesley Barracks, the original abode of the 12 and 13 Malabar battalions and remained there for 41 years.
It was in March 2021 that the battalion was moved to its present location at West Hill barracks in Kozhikode.
Brigadier Sahadevan, who commanded it from 1989 to 1991, is the most decorated officer in Kerala. He had taken the unit for an operation in Sri Lanka and returned without a single loss of life. This is the silver jubilee of the operation. Interestingly, it is the unit into which actor Mohanlal has been inducted as an honorary Lieutenant Colonel.
The Raising Day event started with a special Mandir Parade followed by a tribute to the war heroes at the War Memorial. The Sainik Darbar, in which former and current soldiers took part, was held at the Central Square. The party moved to Vikram Maidan in the afternoon where a ‘Pagal Gymkhana’ and ‘Barakhana’ were held.
The event comprised cultural programmes such as Kalaripayattu, and Chenda Melam. Mayor Beena Philip, Special Judge Rajesh K., Calicut Airport Director S. Suresh, and Soldier-turned-filmmaker Major Ravi were present.
