Siachen News & Discussion

kittoo · Post by **kittoo** » 11 Feb 2016 12:31

Salute to brave soldier Hanumanthappa. A warrior in deeds indeed. The nation will forever be grateful.

I cant even imagine what the family will now be going through, after being given hope.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 11 Feb 2016 12:42

from what i've seen and read, inside an ice cave the temperature is roughly 0 degrees, which is the best place to be if the outside is -20 or worse and there is no wind - this is the recommended survival technique, since outside, death will come very quickly. however spending any length of time even at 0 takes a huge toll on the body and unless rescued within 48 hours, survival is very difficult.

Baikul · Post by **Baikul** » 11 Feb 2016 12:48

Om Shantih, shantih, shantih.

This one hit particularly hard.

Aditya G · Post by **Aditya G** » 11 Feb 2016 14:46

as per Vishnu Som's show in NDTV. Sonam was burried under the avalanche area. So Sonam post is in fact directly below the apex.

Aside - the Lance Naik was flown in to delhi via C-130J. I think 77 squadron has become the choice for quick reaction operations...

Gagan wrote:I am speculating but, the terrain looks familiar ...
I could be completely wrong, as there are no details whatsoever in the media

Sonam post is further down that arrow, with the worlds highest helipads. This avalanche area may be beyond the service ceiling of all helos, except perhaps the ALH mark 3 and a severely stripped down helo too...

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 11 Feb 2016 15:42

A cruel loss to his family and nation.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 11 Feb 2016 16:23

Lalmohan wrote:from what i've seen and read, inside an ice cave the temperature is roughly 0 degrees, which is the best place to be if the outside is -20 or worse and there is no wind - this is the recommended survival technique, since outside, death will come very quickly. however spending any length of time even at 0 takes a huge toll on the body and unless rescued within 48 hours, survival is very difficult.

Lalmohan - I am no expert, but 0 deg will lead to ice crystal formation in cells and death of those cells. 4 degrees may be about as low as compatibility with survival goes. But I am on unsure ground here.

I am simply guessing that many peripheral (outer) parts of the man's body must have gone below zero leading to certain death of the cells of those parts, while his core temperatures must have just stayed above zero. This probably was the case for his heart and his central nervous system breathing center, keeping him "alive" with minimum oxygen. Rewarming led to recirculation of blood in areas that had dead tissues and the "preserved" dead cells released their toxic products of cell death into the circulation that would have accelerated his death by leading to kidney and other organ failure. That apart he may already have been "brain dead"

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 11 Feb 2016 16:41

shiv wrote:Lalmohan - I am no expert, but 0 deg will lead to ice crystal formation in cells and death of those cells. 4 degrees may be about as low as compatibility with survival goes. But I am on unsure ground here.

I am simply guessing that many peripheral (outer) parts of the man's body must have gone below zero leading to certain death of the cells of those parts, while his core temperatures must have just stayed above zero. This probably was the case for his heart and his central nervous system breathing center, keeping him "alive" with minimum oxygen. Rewarming led to recirculation of blood in areas that had dead tissues and the "preserved" dead cells released their toxic products of cell death into the circulation that would have accelerated his death by leading to kidney and other organ failure. That apart he may already have been "brain dead"

The reports also speak about extreme dehydration as Liver and Kidneys did not receive any water for 6 days. He was put on dialysis.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 11 Feb 2016 17:03

yep, if ice forms at the extremities, massive scaring happen at the best and at the worst, amputation. Cant even imagine this incredible human being alive for six whole days and worse, conscious of his condition... Really dark and troubling stuff, that hits hard

johneeG · Post by **johneeG** » 11 Feb 2016 17:08

I saw a news report that he was able to survive for that long as he used to practice Yoga and breathing. He was himself a Yoga trainer.

Siachen's Miracle: Survivor Lance Naik Hanumanthappa was Yoga Trainer

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 11 Feb 2016 17:15

Salute to the brave soldier Hanamanthappa.It was particularly painful after the ray of hope to his family.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 11 Feb 2016 18:11

Siachen video series (NDTV)
1 of 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6sgdC2xbI4
2 of 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3aaTZpujyE
3 of 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvrX4oAkquA

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 11 Feb 2016 18:24

A very tragic news. But, a very, very brave soldier indeed. Salutes.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 11 Feb 2016 18:26

There is an op-ed in The Hindu by a JNUite Happymon Jacob who writes, "there is neither valour nor glory in death due to cerebral edema or hypothermia". What a shameful author and what a shameful newspaper. Atrocious. Link

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 11 Feb 2016 19:34

Rest in peace brave soul!
May god give his grace to all the 9 soldiers of bharat. What a sad day...

Sonam post is a huge post AFAIK. It supplies several outposts further up on the slope and on the ridgelines. But the Sonam post itself that I know is much bigger, and can hold more than 9 soldiers.

So if that is sonam post under the avalanche, then the other things that I pointed out on the mountain are incorrect too. Then this is not bana top, although the direction of bana post and bilafond la are still correct...

I am amazed, how the army can dig 35 feet and rescue people.
Anyone living in ice knows this - the howling winds have a temperature than be 20-30 degrees lower than the current temperature. The wind will constantly sap all heat from the body, until the body is an ice block itself. The most important thing is to find refuge from the wind. Anyways once the wind is high, visibility goes down, because all the soft snow on the ground starts to float in the air, and small pieces of ice hit your face and body, like shrapnel

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 11 Feb 2016 19:37

When I feel that for insulting the belief systems of a nation like India nothing new is left with the The Hindu, the paper throws another surprise. I think first thing do be done is to get the "National Paper of India from xxxx" non-sense which The Hindu puts up daily on its mast head removed.
Came back to say: Happymon Jacob is a very happy staff of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), as per the comments in The Hindu. With the latest events reported from JNU, this behaviour seems to be the norm out there.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 11 Feb 2016 20:09

Gagan ji, the problems of winds, ice, visibility and low temperatures are definitely there but you missed the biggest chalenge because of altitude - Shortage of Oxygen. The higher you are, the worst it is and the fatigue it causes can only be believed on having experienced it. RIP brave souls.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 11 Feb 2016 20:11

Guys, have you ever sat down with a media wala presstitute editorial team?

They take an event that has caught the national imagination and try to write provocative things, so they can get some eyeballs for a little bit of time. All the attention they are getting via the comments, it doesn't matter if they are getting called Maa-, Behen- there, is vindication for them. These guys are presstitutes in the purest sense!
At the back of their minds is the fact that, the more antinational they are, some videshi outlet is sure to pick up their condescending crap and republish it.

This is a deliberately done action.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 11 Feb 2016 20:18

deejay wrote:Gagan ji, the problems of winds, ice, visibility and low temperatures are definitely there but you missed the biggest chalenge because of altitude - Shortage of Oxygen. The higher you are, the worst it is and the fatigue it causes can only be believed on having experienced it. RIP brave souls.

Yes.
Can't imagine how things are when all these elements are combined. Our soldiers do tours of 3 months at a stretch!

I still remember Aishwarya Rai's face expressions when she saw soldiers climbing an ice wall at the High Altitude Warfare School at Base Camp!

IA needs to take more bloody civilians upto the base camp, and then a little higher so they can experience the ice and wind on their faces, and the air hunger, when their lungs and heart go into overdrive to get enough oxygen into the blood.

Give all these mofos a solumedrol shot and a acetazolamide tablet (to moot-मूत their bladders out) and take them straight to thoise and then to the base camp and then 10 kms up the glacier - no acclimatization.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 11 Feb 2016 20:25

The two dogs that perished in the line of duty are also enlisted members of the military.
They would have received burials with honours.

IA must now have acclimatized rescue dog squad at base camp. That apart, dogs are such a wonderful companion to have!

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 11 Feb 2016 20:27

RIP brave soldier. May you and your comrades attain moksha. Bharat mata is proud to have brave sons like you defending her.

Salute to the Army for having tried its best and not stopping till reaching the depths. I know this is not new for the Army, but it must be said, lest we forget.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 11 Feb 2016 20:34

For Shiv sir and other doctors on the forum, this article has details on what happened, medically speaking.

Nation's Prayers End in Vain, Siachen Braveheart Loses Battle for Life - PTI via TNIE

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 11 Feb 2016 20:44

seems to back what Shiv said

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 11 Feb 2016 21:14

Me and one of my friends are leaving tonight from Bangalore to pay homage to our fallen brother Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. Will represent BRF and salute the hero on behalf of all of us here. We are relying on Google maps to find his hometown.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 11 Feb 2016 21:24

kudos to you and your friend.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 11 Feb 2016 21:30

shiv - of course you are right, 0 is also not going to keep you alive. but for short periods if you are insulated and have access to water and calories then 0 is infinitely preferable to less than 0 outside. core temp if i am not mistaken cannot fall below mid 20's before death ensues?

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 11 Feb 2016 21:32

Dilbu, damn honourable of you to do that. My salute

disha · Post by **disha** » 11 Feb 2016 21:59

Dilbu wrote:Me and one of my friends are leaving tonight from Bangalore to pay homage to our fallen brother Lance Naik Hanumanthappa. Will represent BRF and salute the hero on behalf of all of us here. We are relying on Google maps to find his hometown.

Many many kudos to you and your friend., thanks for this show of support!

Just :

- that Hanumanthappa loose such a brave and courageous fight. Such an indomitable spirit inspires us in many ways.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 11 Feb 2016 22:57

Dilbu sir, my salute. I second everyone's sentiments above.

shravanp · Post by **shravanp** » 11 Feb 2016 23:11

It's saddening that he braved out for six days and left this world. Shat shat pranam

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 11 Feb 2016 23:44

Essentially he developed something akin to "crush syndrome" where tissue necrosis releases a lot of myoglobin, the kidneys and multiple organs fail and the patient dies. More disconcerting was the fact that he never regained consciousness that was the real killer at the end of the day- If the brain functions there is a chance. If it goes Kaput.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 12 Feb 2016 03:18

Siachen height provides military depth India can’t afford to lose.

Ever since Indian soldiers beat Pakistani troops by a whisker to daringly take most of the dominating heights on Saltoro Ridge to the west of Siachen Glacier in April 1984, the stand-off at the world's highest, coldest and costliest battlefield has intermittently grabbed the headlines.

The high-altitude trench warfare and fiery firing duels between the two armies may have petered out over the years, especially after the November 2003 ceasefire agreement, but the forbidding glacial heights continue to exact a heavy toll of human lives.
This was once again brought home by the heroic saga of Lance-Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, who fought till the very end, after his nine other fallen comrades from the 19 Madras Regiment had perished in their icy graves following a massive avalanche on February 3.

Some call it a futile fight over an icy, barren land, which has no real strategic significance. But the Indian defence establishment remains convinced about its "strategic and tactical value". Officials say the Army will not vacate the Saltoro Ridge till Pakistan first agrees to the sequential pre-requisites of "authentication, delineation and demarcation" of the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), which marks the respective troop positions on the glacial heights.

"It has to be done both on the ground and maps. Only then can the subsequent disengagement and demilitarisation of Siachen be undertaken in a phased manner," said a senior official.

Pakistan, however, has steadfastly refused to do this. Consequently, right from a draft agreement in 1989 when Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto were at the helm to Manmohan Singh's wish to convert Siachen into "a mountain of peace'' after he visited the glacier in 2005, attempts to resolve the festering dispute have made little headway.

India, of course, has also gradually hardened its stand over the 13 rounds of defence secretary-level talks held since 1986. For one, unlike the earlier years, the Indian Army no longer haemorrhages heavily in the glacial heights, with better infrastructure, logistics and practices in place. For another, China's expanding footprint in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well as in Karakoram has heightened concerns here.

Officials say the presence of Indian troops on the craggy Saltoro Ridge, at heights varying from 16,000 to 22,000-feet, actually serves as a wedge between China and Pakistan to prevent them from "militarily linking up".

Pakistanis cannot be trusted on agreements anyway.. Any day their government would be toppled by their army and all agre... Read
Apart from "dominating" the entire area, including the Shaksgam Valley illegally ceded to China by Pakistan, the strong Indian presence on Saltoro Ridge also provides "some military depth" to Leh and Kargil, which could be threatened by the adversaries if they are given free reign in the area.

"If we withdraw from the heights, and Pakistani troops occupy them, it would be next-to-impossible to dislodge them. Pakistani soldiers, deployed lower on the western slopes of Saltoro Ridge, have learnt this at great cost when they repeatedly tried to dislodge us in the earlier years," said a senior officer.

"Trust deficit" remains the key issue. "If the Pakistan Army could surreptitiously violate the well-recognised Line of Control during the 1999 Kargil conflict, can we trust them on the AGPL?" asks a Major-General.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 12 Feb 2016 07:04

Siachen Avalanche: 'I am 19 Madras...' Was Lance Naik's Favourite Line - Major C Naren Babu, TNIE

I am 19 Madras...” This was Lance Naik Hanamanthappa’s favourite line. He believed in the unit and his fellow men more than anything. So, he always said, I’m 19 Madras. “If I’m strong and tough, my battalion is strong and tough,” this was what he always told his colleagues.

I owe my Sena Medal to Hanamanthappa, which I got for eliminating a terrorist later identified as a hardcore cadre of the ULFA in Assam sector. Whenever I look at the Sena Medal on my chest, it only reminds me of him.

I can easily recall the day. It was November 25, 2009 and as a battalion commander, I was leading the operation and he was the Scout protecting me inside the thick Manas national forest, which comes under Chirang district of Assam.

During that successful operation, we eliminated Mohan Rai, who was the leader of the 709 battalion of the ULFA. Being the fittest person of the battalion, he was made Scout of our Quick Reaction Team.

Scout is the foremost guy of the team for launching an operation, so he was the backbone of the QRT. I share a very special bonding with him, as both of us started our military career almost at the same time and have parallel experience. He joined 19 Madras in 2003. A few months later, I joined it after passing out from NDA. And in those 11 years of bonding, I have seen him growing from a 19-year -old young, enthusiastic and energetic soldier to a fittest soldier with endurance who could carry pride and ethos of the regiment.

Both of us served together in our initial posting in J&K till 2005 in Operation Rakshak, where we together carried out several successful operations against militants. And our unit got the Army commanders unit citation for the same. I believe, during this time, he realised what bravery was, especially when emotions were running high.

But the real transformation from a young motivated soldier to a strong endurance soldier happened during our posting in Assam. His character continued to grow stronger simultaneously growing in strength. He very soon turned out to be the best soldier of the battalion. And he was more or less involved in all major operations during Operation Rhino, in which our battalion had 24 kills under its name.

I would always call him a ‘fighter’. He always motivated younger soldiers to take a lot of pride in the unit’s traditions and history. He always carried the spirit of the battalion and if you talk to him for five minutes, you will get motivated by the determination and the grit he has for the task given.

Hanamanthappa was a good sportsman, and loved by all for his bonding and subtle humour. Though he was slightly a reserved person, who does not talk too much, his colleagues always looked up to his opinion on any important issue. He was a man of strong character, but equally an emotional person. I only see him as team player and super motivated soul. He showed his character at the world’s highest battlefield - the Siachen glacier.

Not only a perfect disciplined soldier, he was also a very good sportsperson. He was a good hockey player and an athlete. He was known by the name Koppad among colleagues and always used to lead his battalion in inter-battalion games.

While my on way to Hubli for his last rites on Friday, my heart still does not believe that Koppad is no more. I was in Delhi for Asian Shooting Championship, when I heard about the news of 10 of my men posted at 19,600ft Sonam post at Siachen buried due to an avalanche. But six days after news broke about Koppad being alive, I felt as if my brother was back. I wanted to meet him and have a cup of tea with him and talk about the experience. It was really a matter of joy and the fact that he proved to the entire world about his determination and pride for 19 Madras. I might not have him physically with me, but we shall carry his pride and spirit when we are at the frontline.

I shall be saying adieu for one last time tomorrow morning at his hometown and for me it’s a feeling of lifetime..

I am proud of him and will miss him too. For now, for me, I lost my buddy.

(As told to Pradip R Sagar)

(Major C Naren Babu is the Company Commander of 19 Madras. Babu, an ace shooter of the Indian Army, is presently posted at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow)

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 12 Feb 2016 07:18

At Siachen, every day is a battle of body, mind for troops - Dinaker Peri, The Hindu

Behind the endurance is a rigorous training regimen to prepare soldiers for life in the unforgiving terrain.

Brigadier H.P.S. Bedi (retd) was commanding the 102 Brigade in 2003 when a company commander and a doctor serving in a post at 19,000 feet on the central Siachen glacier went on snow scooters to a post where someone was sick. But in between, the doctor went missing as he fell into a crevice. Till now, his body has not been found.

The incident of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa and nine others of 19 Madras Regiment reminded me of that incident recalled Brig. Bedi.

In another instance, Air Vice-Marshal Manmohan Bahadur, a helicopter pilot, evacuated many casualties but recalled one incident where he had to evacuate a Naga boy of 20 years suffering from cerebral oedema. “We picked him up and by the time we landed in minutes, he was dead. I cannot forget this to this day after over 20 years,” he said.

The miraculous survival of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa under 35 feet of snow for six days in Siachen glacier has brought to light the extreme difficulties our soldiers endure in patrolling the peaks of Soltoro ridge.

Behind the endurance there is a rigorous training regimen to prepare the men, both mentally and physically, for posting there.

Every Army unit has soldiers specialised in high altitude warfare trained at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) at Gulmarg. These trainers impart initial training to their unit members if they were to do a posting in Siachen, said Brig. Narender Kumar (retd), Senior Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

There are five parameters soldiers are trained for. Physical and medical fitness, skill in negotiating terrain, ability to withstand prolonged isolation, ability to be combat worthy over long time and survival and rescue in snow and the glacier.

To prepare for these, there are separate courses in mountaineering and winter warfare, Brig. Kumar, who served as instructor at HAWS, explained.

Despite the tough conditions, one would be surprised to know that despite the tough conditions, soldiers and officers volunteer to serve there.

“I volunteered many times to serve in Siachen but did not get the chance. I have done all other postings but I still regret not having done those three months on the glacier,” Brig. Kumar said, not hiding his disappointment.

It is considered by a soldier that soldiering is not complete until one wears the piece of metal written Operation Meghdoot on the chest, according to a senior officer.

Finally, an article that talks about these lesser known aspects of our deployments. Hopefully, some people will stop crying about "peace mountain", etc. when they realize that if our Army volunteers to go defend such locations, surely there must be a good reason for it. Personally, I am happy to see the morale is such that there are enough troops to defend Siachen, such that one has to wait a for a chance and may still not get it.

P.S. There are two more pics in the article, showing LNk Hanumanthappa's mother and wife in tears. Didn't feel it was right to add it here, given the circumstances.

Baikul · Post by **Baikul** » 12 Feb 2016 07:45

SSridhar wrote:There is an op-ed in The Hindu by a JNUite Happymon Jacob who writes, "there is neither valour nor glory in death due to cerebral edema or hypothermia". What a shameful author and what a shameful newspaper. Atrocious. Link

Happymon? Happymoron more like.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 12 Feb 2016 14:17

Baikul wrote:
SSridhar wrote:There is an op-ed in The Hindu by a JNUite Happymon Jacob who writes, "there is neither valour nor glory in death due to cerebral edema or hypothermia". What a shameful author and what a shameful newspaper. Atrocious. Link
Happymon? Happymoron more like.

One must ask this author if there are other better ways to die, such as being mutilated alive by the enemy, or by a grenade used to booby trap the body of a dead terrorist?

Sacrifice and valor doesn't need the approval of these guys. It is a dharmic duty that's rewarded by Him. Death has many forms and none is better or worse than the other. We, humans, try to alleviate the suffering as much as possible but it is still His choice. Nothing better than dying while doing what you like and fulfilling your duty. I salute these 10 soldiers for giving up their lives so we can live safely.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 12 Feb 2016 14:54

We started at 12.30 at night from Bangalore and reached Hanumanthappa's home town Betadur by 7.30 AM. There was stage setup infront of a govt school and lot of police vehicles were there. We asked a policeman what is the plan. He said the body has reached KMC Hubbali by then and it will be 11 AM before it reaches his village. He asked us whether we were from media.

He was very reluctant to give out details in the beginning but his attitude changed when we told him that we are just civilians coming from Bangalore to pay homage to a brave soldier of our country. He said Hanumanthappa is a brave boy and he deserves this respect. Then he spoke on his mobile phone and informed us that the convoy will reach Hubbali Nehru stadium at 8 AM. He also gave us a detailed description on how to reach the place. Before he left another villager who was overhearing the conversation approached us and asked us to accompany the convoy and come back to the vollage for last rites.

We reached the stadium at 7.45 am and long winding queue of people had already formed. There were people from all walks of life. Many were carrying flowers. We searched a lot on the way but could not find a florist because of the early hours.

By 8.20am the convoy carrying martyr's body artived. Crowd started chanting 'bharat mata ki jai', 'vande mataram' and 'Hanumanthappa amar rahe'. I joined in the chorus but could not hold back my tears as the body was placed on the stage. The coffin was draped in tricolour and tatra truck which carried it was covered in flowers. The queue started moving slowly and once our turn came we prayed for a moment and saluted him before getting ushered away from the stage.

The whole scene was deeply emotional and draining. There were loud shouts of amara rahe still ringing out as more and more people started coming into the stadium. We walked out and took a moment to gather ourselves. We decided against going back to the village as it will be a while before the convoy moved from the stadium. We went back inside and took a last look at the whole scene before heading back to bangalore.

Just reached back and need to get some sleep. Will try to upload some photos later in the day.

kittoo · Post by **kittoo** » 12 Feb 2016 15:34

Dilbu wrote:We started at 12.30 at night from Bangalore and reached Hanumanthappa's home town Betadur by 7.30 AM. There was stage setup infront of a govt school and lot of police vehicles were there. We asked a policeman what is the plan. He said the body has reached KMC Hubbali by then and it will be 11 AM before it reaches his village. He asked us whether we were from media.

He was very reluctant to give out details in the beginning but his attitude changed when we told him that we are just civilians coming from Bangalore to pay homage to a brave soldier of our country. He said Hanumanthappa is a brave boy and he deserves this respect. Then he spoke on his mobile phone and informed us that the convoy will reach Hubbali Nehru stadium at 8 AM. He also gave us a detailed description on how to reach the place. Before he left another villager who was overhearing the conversation approached us and asked us to accompany the convoy and come back to the vollage for last rites.

We reached the stadium at 7.45 am and long winding queue of people had already formed. There were people from all walks of life. Many were carrying flowers. We searched a lot on the way but could not find a florist because of the early hours.

By 8.20am the convoy carrying martyr's body artived. Crowd started chanting 'bharat mata ki jai', 'vande mataram' and 'Hanumanthappa amar rahe'. I joined in the chorus but could not hold back my tears as the body was placed on the stage. The coffin was draped in tricolour and tatra truck which carried it was covered in flowers. The queue started moving slowly and once our turn came we prayed for a moment and saluted him before getting ushered away from the stage.

The whole scene was deeply emotional and draining. There were loud shouts of amara rahe still ringing out as more and more people started coming into the stadium. We walked out and took a moment to gather ourselves. We decided against going back to the village as it will be a while before the convoy moved from the stadium. We went back inside and took a last look at the whole scene before heading back to bangalore.

Just reached back and need to get some sleep. Will try to upload some photos later in the day.

Glad to hear that there are a lot of people in this country still, especially when the heart sinks seeing JNU fu**tards shouting anti India slogans, who love the country and its martyrs unconditionally. I wish I could've been there. What an amazing experience it must've been. Hair-raising, electrifying and overwhelming. Thank you for going there for all of us Dilbu saar. Eagerly awaiting the pics.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 12 Feb 2016 16:03

Dilbu, please accept my gratitude for doing what you did.

maitya · Post by **maitya** » 12 Feb 2016 16:35

Dilbu wrote:We started at 12.30 at night from Bangalore and reached Hanumanthappa's home town Betadur by 7.30 AM. There was stage setup infront of a govt school and lot of police vehicles were there. We asked a policeman what is the plan. He said the body has reached KMC Hubbali by then and it will be 11 AM before it reaches his village. He asked us whether we were from media.
<snip>
By 8.20am the convoy carrying martyr's body artived. Crowd started chanting 'bharat mata ki jai', 'vande mataram' and 'Hanumanthappa amar rahe'. I joined in the chorus but could not hold back my tears as the body was placed on the stage. The coffin was draped in tricolour and tatra truck which carried it was covered in flowers. The queue started moving slowly and once our turn came we prayed for a moment and saluted him before getting ushered away from the stage.

The whole scene was deeply emotional and draining. There were loud shouts of amara rahe still ringing out as more and more people started coming into the stadium. We walked out and took a moment to gather ourselves.
<snip>

Dilbu, Thanks.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 12 Feb 2016 19:30

JTull wrote:Nothing better than dying while doing what you like and fulfilling your duty.

Coincidentally, the motto of the Madras regiment is:
Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyaha (It is a glory to die doing one’s duty)

Dilbu saar, thanks for doing what you did. I am looking forward to your pics, need them to be widely circulated as opposed to JNU-esque nonsense.