Celebrate Army Day With Assam Regt Dancing to ‘Badluram Ka Badan’
Young recruits of the Assam Regiment dance to the tunes of ‘Badluram ka Badan’ to honour the martyr.
These are the lyrics the Assam Regiment has been singing for over 70 years now. After every ‘Kasam Parade’ during the passing out ceremony at the Assam Regiment’s regimental centre in Shillong, the new recruits sing, dance, and stomp their feet to the song.
But, who is ‘Badluram’ in the song? Like other Army stories, this regimental marching song too has a rich history behind it.
Legend has it that Badluram, a jawan, died during action in World War II. His Quarter Master forgot to strike out his name from the list of recruits and continued to draw ration for him. The extra ration proved to be a blessing in disguise, as it helped the regiment survive when it was surrounded by Japanese soldiers who had cut off their supplies.
The battalion survived, and the song was born as a pay tribute to Badluram, who helped his brothers survive the siege.
Here are the lyrics of the song:
Ek khubsurat ladki thi,
Usko dekh ke rifleman,
Chindi kheechna bhul Gaya,
Havildar major dekh liya,
Usko pithoo lagaya,
Badluram ek sepahi tha,
Japan war mein mar gaya,
Quarter master smart tha,
Usne ration nikala
Badluram ka badan zameen ka neeche hai,
Badluram ka badan zameen ka neeche hai,
Badluram ka badan zameen ka neeche hai,
Toh humey uska ration milta hai
Shabaash, hallelujah
Shabaash, hallelujah
Tagra Raho ( Stay Strong)
The Quint thanks the Assam Regiment for their invaluable support and input for this story.
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
(This article was originally published on 13 August 2017 and has been republished from The Quint’s archives.)
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