I happened to unexpectedly meet our recently retired Army chief and son of Nagpur General Manoj Pande. As we exchanged pleasantries, he started telling his wife that this is Vijay Darda from Lokmat, who did a lot of work for the soldiers during the Kargil War. He built warm houses for the soldiers too. I humbly folded my hands. I know that there is at least one place in our country before which everyone bows, no matter which party they belong to, which religion, faith or caste they come from! That place is our Armed Forces. By Armed Forces, I mean the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
The context in which I am writing this column on our Armed Forces today, is the story of the Indian Army. On February 7, 1968, an Indian Air Force cargo plane crashed over Rohtang Pass while travelling from Chandigarh to Leh. There were 102 soldiers on board. Due to the rugged and snow-covered mountains, neither the wreckage nor the soldiers’ bodies could be found immediately. However, the Indian Army did not give up and continued to send search parties to the area intermittently. Between 2003 and 2019, some bodies were found and the wreckage of the plane was discovered too. The Indian Army continued the search for its missing bravehearts. In the last week of September this year, a search team found bodies of four soldiers buried in snow near Dhaka Glacier at an altitude of 16,000 feet. The bodies of these soldiers — Thomas Cherian, Malkhan Singh, Narayan Singh and Munshi Ram — were taken to their respective villages where the last rites were performed.
The significant point is that these soldiers were considered dead after the accident, but the Indian Army always kept the families informed that the search was still on. In fact, one of the Indian Army’s mottos is to “never leave a brother behind”, whether they are injured or have attained martyrdom. We have read and heard instances where soldiers, to reduce weight, threw away their supplies so they could carry the injured or martyred soldiers out of enemy line. Such a spirit is not seen in the armies of any other country. You may remember that Pakistan refused to even claim the bodies of its soldiers killed during the Kargil War. Look at the greatness of the Indian Army, which performed the last rites of the Pakistani soldiers according to their religious customs. Even after the Indian soldiers killed Chinese soldiers in Ladakh, China did not acknowledge their casualties for years. There are hundreds of stories in the world where soldiers abandoned their dead colleagues and moved forward or retreated. But the Indian Army never does that. Another unique aspect of our Army is that our young military officers often lead from the front. After the 1971 India-Pakistan war, when 97,000 Pakistani soldiers had surrendered, Army chief Sam Manekshaw himself ensured their well-being. Pakistani soldiers had even told him then that the conduct of the Indian Army and the indomitable leadership qualities of the young Indian officers were the reasons for India’s victory.
Indeed, the spirit and conduct of the Indian Army are extraordinary. There is a saying in the Army training academies: “Give us youth, and we will give the country a complete person.” I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit and understand the Army. I have travelled from the Himalayas to the desert and the Rann of Kutch and have seen the soldiers standing ready with full spirit and dedication. When I went to Kashmir, the situation was very tensed. Kashmir was burning. Armed military vehicles were in front and behind my car. Senior military officer Ravi Thodge, who was stationed there, explained to me how the Army not only protects our borders but also eliminates terrorists. He further informed how the Army plays an important role in the healthcare, education and sports of the local villagers. I don’t think any Army in the world serves with such dedication. Do you know that one of the Army’s very important mottos is “service before self”! The hands that fire bullets also come together for immediate relief when needed. Operation Rahat, conducted in Uttarakhand in 2013, was the world’s largest relief operation, saving 20,000 people and delivering around four lakh kilos of food to those in need. Our Army serves not only within the country but also abroad.
I went to Shri Tanot Mata Temple on the Rajasthan border, where Pakistan had dropped several bombs, but none exploded. Those bombs are still there. I saw soldiers filled with reverence, regardless of their religion, sect or faith. There is no division on the basis of caste, sect or religion there. For them, the biggest religion is the tricolour. I have travelled to the border areas of the Northeastern states and always admired the Army’s pursuit of excellence in every task. They create comfort even in the wilderness and make barren land clean and tidy. Look at their vehicles on the road — you won’t even find a speck of mud on the tires. When they cook, the food is so delicious that you’ll keep licking your fingers. Only our Indian Army can display such valour, service and even culinary skills. We can learn so much from our Army. We are proud of our Army, who live to uphold the honour of the tricolour!
May our tricolour always fly high!
Jai Hind!
The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.