India-Pakistan border Part-I

1983-84     

 (LINE OF CONTROL on India-Pakistan Border)

This is a conversation set between me (S.G) and my nanu (grandfather),a former brigadier, (Y.R).This initiative is taken so that people know about the incidents that have taken place in the army unfiltered by the media.RAW.

Friday,June 2020

                                                            

(S.G)-

                Could you tell me an incident/event that occurred when you were posted in Siachen?

(Y.R)-

                Would it be okay if I tell you something very interesting about a certain  area on the LINE OF CONTROL on India-Pakistan Border, where I commanded 6 GUARDS Paltan in 1983-84; instead of Siachen ? In Siachen I was not commanding the troops directly but in the area I have mentioned, I was the Commanding Officer( C.O.); like what you are reading about Colonel Santosh Babu (C.O. 16 BIHAR Paltan) ?

(S.G)-

        yes.

                                                    A PALTAN

(Y.R) - 

        Before starting the topic, let me explain a few things which are not commonly known. A PALTAN is an Infantry Battalion( a unit of around 1000 combatant soldiers , including (a) FIGHTING soldiers who carry very light armsweapons, (b) support elements with heavy & bigger weapons (c)logistical elements to cater for continuous supply of food, water, ammunition, clothes, boots etc. They also have trucks, jeeps, motor cycles, doctor with mobile mini First Aid set-up & stretcher bearers; offices etc. Paltan is an Army Unit which can fight independently for a fairly long period. The name PALTAN is a legacy from the British Raj time when illiterate Indian soldiers could not properly pronounce the word BATTALION properly. Instead, they started calling it as PALTAN & thus name has stuck since then.

                                                                     LEEPA VALLEY

(Y.R) - 

        

        The area which I am talking about is located on the Line Of Control ( LOC) between India & Pakistan & is known as Leepa Valley. India had captured/ snatched this area from Pakistan during India-Pak War of 1971 & did not return it to them. The center of that area is known as KAIYAN BOWL; named after a village of that name which used to exist there before the war. It is known as Leepa Valley because it is lower in height than the high mountains surrounding it. The place is not connected by road & we all had to walk on the snow for the whole night to reach there. In winters when it snows heavily, human movement is not allowed during day time due to fear of avalanches.

                    

        

Saturday, June 2020

(S.G) -

               (I thought my nanu was bored of the way i was replying to the conversation with only 'ooh's,but determined on getting all the information i can)

            Nanu, more installments

(Y.R)-

                Okay, okay, have patience. At my age, it takes time, firstly, to recollect the incidents of 36-37 years ago & , secondly, to type it on the small screen of the mobile phone. But rest assured that I will keep sending these installments to you. I hope you are sharing the story with Aayushi (my elder sister) too. 

(S.G)-

            sorry nanu, i am just eager to know more

(Y.R)-

            OK

 

(Y.R)-

      (Continuing to describe Leepa valley) The high altitude (heights ranging from 11000 feet to 14000 feet), snow falls for almost seven months in a year (from October to April), very strong & icy winds blowing almost all the time, the only route to enter the valley being through a very narrow dirt ( KACHCHA) track going over the Pass( called Tutmari Gali- Gali means a PASS in the local language) at 12500 feet height & then entering the Kaiyan Bowl, was an extremely tough job to do. 

The only time for any unit to enter the valley or to come out of it; was during summer months ( from May to September)

        

(Y.R)-

            When it did not snow & the men could go in or come out of the valley without any fear of avalanches. Because of the closure of the pass for seven months in a year, the provisioning ( known as WINTER STOCKING in Army’s parlance) for dry rations ( like Atta, Rice, Daals , Masalas/ condiments, Canteen Stores, heavy woollen clothings, snow clothings & footwear for severe winter and some hard varieties of fresh rations( like onions, eggs, potatoes, chickens, sheeps , goats etc.) for 1000 men for six months used to be done durin these five months, on the mules’ backs. These mules were the local ponies ( like those that one can see at various hill resorts for joy riding by the tourists) & local labourers. Even the PALTAN’s Mobile Mandir, the furniture & files of offices & even the THUNDER BOXES ( wooden makeshift commodes for officers) had to be carried either on mules or by the labourers. It used to take almost one month for any Paltan to go in & settle down before the onslaught of winter. Similarly, it used to take almost one month for the Outgoing Paltan to come out of the valley.

            

(S.G) -

            were there huts or tents?

(Y.R) -

            No, only underground bunkers. We all used to live in those bunkers. Even our offices & Officers’ Mess we’re underground. 

Once the snow started falling( which used to be generally in October), we used to consume the most perishable items of fresh rations ( such as vegetables, chickens, sheeps / goats - known as MEAT ON HOOFS- etc. first, which used to last for about a month or so. After that, we used to survive on TINNED / canned vegetables, fruits, meat, chicken etc. for the remaining 5-6 months. 

Our official mail (known as DAAK) & private/ personal letters used to come only once in a week by helicopter. You would be surprised to know that Nani & I used to write one letter every day to each other & used to give them serial numbers on top of the envelops so that those could be opened in that sequence. After all, there would be no interest in an old letter if a letter of a later date is opened before that. Once, at the peak of winters when the weather turned really rough/ snowy/ cloudy/ windy/ chilly, we received each others’ letters after 49 days. And, in those days there was no electricity, no mobile phones & not even landline telephones. I had to speak to my higher Headquarter every morning & every evening to tell them whether or not all was well. For those telephonic talks, our SIGNALS / communication people used to work for hours before the calls could be put through. Nani with Mummy & Mamu used to live in Dehradun Cantonment from where The Paltan had moved to Leepa Valley.