India-Pakistan border -VI

1983-84     

 (LINE OF CONTROL on India-Pakistan Border)

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

Wednesday, June 2020

IN THE AM

Y.R-

    Next day I requested my boss, my Sector Commander,  who was located 25 kms away & with whom I was able to talk only twice a day; for 10 days’ leave; which was granted. Next night, at about 1.0 AM, I along with 10 Jawans, left our location for the REAR Area on foot. The time was chosen after consulting the nearest Weather Forecast Agency to ensure that we did not get caught in any avalanche. (During snowfall, when the snow is fresh, some part of it keeps sliding from the hill tops & slopes due to its own wight, while the rest keeps accumulating there. When the sun shines & the accumulated snow melts a little, it leaves its place & comes down towards the feet of the hills. This process goes on for almost 18 to 20 hours in the day/ night. However, when it stops snowing & there is no sunshine for 2-3 days then the already fallen snow hardens a bit & the chances of avalanches get reduced. Thus, the most probable time of the avalanches not occurring is night time & that too between mid- night & about two hours before the sun rise. That’s how we chose such odd time for our journey). We had to climb a very steep slope of about 4.5 kms, from KAIYAN BOWL’s centre upto TUTMALI GALI’s top in about  5 hours ; i.e. before the sun rise. Although the dirt track, which connected these two points & which we used to use during summer had been completely covered with 3-4 feet high snow yet it’s general alignment was discernible which we kept following for guidance so that nobody would get into deeper snow. It is not possible to negotiate the snow & keep walking as we normally do on roads or tracks. There is a method / trick to walk on the fresh snow. 3-4 people have to lead the entire group by walking about 15-20 feet ahead of others thus hardening the snow that comes under their feet. They do not step into each others’ foot steps but make their own paths. Thus, these scouts make some kind of path for the remaining party/ group to follow. But this process is very tiring & the scouts or the PATH BEATERS have to be changed after every half an hour or so. 

By the time we reached & crossed over the TUTMARI GALI PASS it was 6.0 AM & all of us were very tired. There, we were met by our INCHARGE REAR PARTY who had come there with vehicles, some breakfast & hot coffe for all of us. After coffee & breakfast, we all got into the vehicles & started our journey towards the REAR AREA. Because of the snow, even the road was not clearly visible but it’s alignment could be made out by the experienced drivers. Also, the vehicles had to use iron chains on their wheel tyres to avoid slipping on the snow. Both these factors slowed the speed of our vehicles & it took us almost four hours to cover a distance of 20 kms. By the time we reached the REAR AREA, it was almost mid-day. The INCHARGE REAR PARTY had made arrangements for all of us to have hot water bath, early lunch & sleep for a few hours. In the evening, I met my boss, we discussed the situation in Lipa Valley, had dinner together & I informed him about my plan of leaving early in the morning for Jammu, via Srinagar, so that I could reach Jammu by the evening of the third day. It was not possible to travel that distance of about 300 odd kms in one day due to snow fall & the poor state of the roads etc. I also informed him that my total absence from my PALTAN would be about a fortnight. Of course, he knew the leave policy in that area; the leave used to start & terminate at JAMMU TRANSIT CAMP & the durations  of journeys from REAR AREA to JAMMU & vice versa was not counted towards the leave period. He advised me to go slow on the road & be careful, like an elder. 

While we were resting in the afternoon, our INCHARGE REAR PARTY had got two Jeeps checked thoroughly at the nearest Army Workshop for their road worthiness so that I would not get stuck anywhere between that place & JAMMU. Two vehicles were got ready keeping in mind that even if one of them developed some mechanical problem, I could carry on with my journey in the second vehicle. Early morning next day at about 6.0 AM, I , along with two drivers ( of whom one was my ( C.O’s ) driver, HAVILDAR Ganapathy from Karnataka; & one more Jawan left for JAMMU.

Thursday,June 2020

Y.R-

    Though I was hoping to reach JAMMU Railway Station on the same evening & catch a train to Delhi yet I knew that it was perhaps just not possible to do so. Normally, the Army convoys (a group of normally 15-20 vehicles) normally used to take 3 days to cover this distance of 300 kms- it was so because such vehicles & personnel used to halt at Srinagar for the first night, at Udhampur for the second night & reach Jammu by lunch time on the third day. But, with just two jeeps & some good luck,  one could make it in about 14 to 16 hours. However, the weather that day was rainy which forced us to drive slowly/ carefully and by the time we reached about half way, we realised that it was not possible to reach Jammu on the same day. Therefore, I decided to spend the night at the nearest Transit Camp ( Transit Camps are somewhat like motels, which are established by the Army at every 100 kms or so, to facilitate night stay for the Army personnel & the vehicles for one night). I found that the Transit Camp at a place called RAM BAN was nearby & I decided to spend that night there.  Next day, we traveled to Jammu Transit Camp/ Jammu Railway Station, was able to manage a berth for myself in the train & reached Delhi on the next day. From Old Delhi Railway station, I went to ARMY BATTLE HONORS OFFICERS’ MESS, at Sardar Patel Marg ( next to The Taj Hotel), managed to gets a room for two days, had a good luxurious hot water bath, after many days; and went to A.W.H.O.’s office, after breakfast, for signing the Home Loan Papers. I had to go there again on the next day too, because all the formalities could not be completed on that day itself. Next day, I signed some more documents in the Forenoon & was free from there by afternoon. Then I came back to the officers’ Mess, paid their bill, picked up my suitcase & left for the Inter State Bus Terminal at old Delhi, & caught the next Air conditioned bus  for Dehradun. After travelling for the whole night by that bus, I reached Dehradun Bus Stand, caught a taxi& reached our house( where Naani, Mummy &  Mamu we’re staying in a SEPARATED FAMILY ACCOMMODATION- a three Bed Rooms flat in Dehradun Cantonment. I was not able to inform Naani in advance because there were no mobile phones in those days there was no landline telephone at our house ( getting a BSNL telephone used to take about 4-5 years in those days). So, when I rang the door bell, Naani opened the door & was pleasantly surprised to see me. Mummy & Mamu were still sleeping. We woke them too & they were also equally & pleasantly surprised. I spent one week with them & then left for Jammu by train. On the morning of the 10th day of my leave, I was at Jammu Transit Camp; ready to move back to my PALTAN by Army Convoys.