Dear All,
This year is coming to an end in couple of days.Time is one thing that we cann't store and use later.We have to live with it every moment.If we missed it thats all.We would n't get the same time again.No way to regret on bad happenings,but analysing on it gives us better lessons for the coming years.So let us take all the bad moments of this year as an oppurtunity to learn and live better and good moments to energise us to bring more good moments in the coming years.
I wish all my blog readers a very special new year on waiting!!! Love you all !!!
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The six month stay with infantry was so eventful days for me. Just after taking over our locations in the border,we got familiarise with local people and border layout.We have to see to that which all are mined locations and inflitration routes of enemies. We walked a lot along the valleys and on hill tops,jumping across the rock and nalas and clearing jungle footpaths.We planned our patrol routes and patrol timings and assigned the duties.There was a prominent river in the border.In the thier side on bank of the river was one of thier highway.It was busy transport route for the civilians at the other side of the country.Because of some friction across the border our pervious unit had stopped thier vehicle movement on that road.Thier vehicles will be stopped both sides at points beyond the small/medium range gun firing range from our post.People will walk in between to continue thier journey.Thier Army also had been using this highway for thier logistics.We had to stop the movement of people also on this road,once at my time when the tension arised.
Firing was a common affair across the border ecspecially in the dawn and dusk.There is a Peerbaba Mandir in my post.Its made up of wooden planks and lot of cloth flags on it.I heard that ,At peace time people from across the border used to vist the Mandir.Local people as well as my Soldiers had very good faith in Peer Baba.They never used to cook meat in this post on Thursdays.Even those tried to do so have got frightned with a snake in the Mandir.The beauty is that inspite of all these firing ,the Temple never got damaged severely or got fired with tracer bullet from enemy side.
One day the tension at the border became so intense that we have to fire across the border so seriously to cause some damage to enemy.So I will go to every post and instruct my soldiers to fire or my self done it.We look through binaccular /night vision device to identify enemy post and target it.One day we got the target right and this time it was enemy's AWS(Advance winter stock,which include food,fuel,clothing etc..)got burned with our tracer round.It was a huge fire for 4-5 hours intense burning.We could sense some serious damage have happened to other side.
Next morning when our patrol team returning after night duty,they could see the snake in the Mandir is going out of the post through the entrance they were getting in.
The morning was calm and as the day reaching noon,they started bomarding on our post with all the shells and bullets.We were unable to sneak out of the post or opening up our arms.I communicated with my Commanding Officer (CO)the situation and he instructed us to remain quiet to avoid any casualties.He promised me that he will thrust them from other posts.Accordingly I instructed my jawans to remain inside the post and no one will peep out.They countinued thier firing they broke all our land lines and I was in contact with my CO in wireless set.The pine trees in the post became branchless due to the shell bursting in air or by hitting on the tree.The shell hitting on the ground made the sand fog and the mud flushed in through the small air holes to the bunker.We felt as if the shell hitting on the wooden door will brake it and will kill all inside the bunker.Some soldiers to protect themselves took shelter under the cot.In all this terror i was communicating with my soldiers and base camp throgh the radio set.The fire countinued without giving much gap for us to reply.
The morning was calm and as the day reaching noon,they started bomarding on our post with all the shells and bullets.We were unable to sneak out of the post or opening up our arms.I communicated with my Commanding Officer (CO)the situation and he instructed us to remain quiet to avoid any casualties.He promised me that he will thrust them from other posts.Accordingly I instructed my jawans to remain inside the post and no one will peep out.They countinued thier firing they broke all our land lines and I was in contact with my CO in wireless set.The pine trees in the post became branchless due to the shell bursting in air or by hitting on the tree.The shell hitting on the ground made the sand fog and the mud flushed in through the small air holes to the bunker.We felt as if the shell hitting on the wooden door will brake it and will kill all inside the bunker.Some soldiers to protect themselves took shelter under the cot.In all this terror i was communicating with my soldiers and base camp throgh the radio set.The fire countinued without giving much gap for us to reply.
cleaning the tomb and preparing for pooja with local priest
In the afternoon around 2 o'clock ,one of the tracer bullet made the Peer Baba Mandir get burn.My soldiers anticipated real danger with this incident.They even start telling about the snake which left the mandir anticipating Mandir fire.Some of them adviced me better we leave the post and go back safe. I commanded them and assured nothing will happen to them and to remain inside the bunker still the things get cooldown.Around 5.30 pm they stopped the firing for 10 minutes.This time few of my Jawans in the bunker above my bunker just started to peep out thinking that all is over.This time they again start firing and one of the shell got blasted on that bunker.When we heard a huge cry ,I smelt something bad happened,I felt that as if they blasted one of our bunker totally.I came out and looked up to see the bunker,I could see only sand cloud.Nothing was visible.
The enemy could understand some casulties occured in our side.So they kept on firing to stop any evaccuation of help to injured.I instructed my senior soldiers and other boys in my bunker that we have to go up to see what had happened.I asked one by one to carry water,field dress and other medicine and to come along with me.I started moving through the digged path to upper bunker.suddenly one jawan coming with water behind me hit with splints of the shell and he injured.I asked to take him back to bunker and send another with water. When I reached in the top,nothing much had happened to the bunker.The door was broken with the hit of shell on the bunker door,and those who were near the door got injured.Three was seriously injured and two not that serious.
We gave them field dressing and stopped the blood.I arranged three field strechers to carry the seriously injured and one person each to help other injured.But I had to wait the enemy to stop the fire.I spared a three quarter of my post strength in that evacuation and to take a risk of holding the post with below required minimum strength.To reach the base they have to walk 2-3 hrs.I communicated with the doctor and he walked up to meet them midway to attend any emergency.Later I came to know that the seriously injured had airlifted to a bigger hospital to save thier life.
I felt the place like a grave yard.Nobodycould sleep that night. If I close my eyes,I could hear the whistling sound of shells and bullets and exploding sound and fire.
The things became normal.We started reconstructing that Mandir in another few weeks,eventhough they tried to stop it with thier guns.
spreading the "chadar" with my Commanding Officer
1 comment:
I was just browsing here and there and got to visit your blog. I must say that I am in the hand of luck today or else getting such an excellent post to read was never achievable for me, at least. Truly thankful your writing.
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