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Indian Army soldiers at a forward post beyond an illuminated fence in Hamirpur area near Bhimber Gali, about 180km northwest of Jammu. (Gurinder Osan/HT File Photo)
Yet a year ago, soldiers could break the monotony of keeping the troubled border under watch with occasional leisure. Sometimes, this meant, a game of chess or carrom. Or, flipping through a Bollywood glossy. Soldiers would even soak in the breathtaking beauty of the treacherous mountains.
Back then, when this correspondent toured the LoC for a week, things may not have been rosy but they weren’t this tense. Pakistani provocations had compelled India to shed a culture of restraint and lift a self-imposed restriction on using artillery guns. Border violations peaked in intensity and numbers last September, leaving the 2003 ceasefire in tatters.
Read:Dispatches from one of the most volatile borders in the country
But the LoC was never as volatile as it is now in the aftermath of Thursday’s surgical strikes by India’s Special Forces, the first direct military response to the Uri attack that left 19 men dead. “The strikes across the LoC are only the first step. It is an ongoing operation and we expect and are preparing for a retaliation,’’ a Valley-based officer said.
Life of men guarding the de facto border has undergone a sea change, as the army is on highest alert level to deal with a counter-offensive from Pakistan. There are serious concerns about hostilities escalating. So there’s absolutely no question of soldiers tossing a volleyball around, watching TV or finding time to prepare for a promotion exam. Apart from leave restrictions amid heightened tensions, they are also getting less sleep, say army officers serving at the LoC. “Leisure activities are totally ruled out. The focus is on operational readiness and nothing else,” points out an officer on the condition of anonymity.
If soldiers were getting six hours of sleep before hostilities grew, they are now making do with barely four hours.
Another officer explains, “Sleep is a casualty as we want maximum manpower available at all times. We have to guard all flanks, given the build-up on the other side.”
The army has intensified patrolling along the LoC and is keeping a cautious watch on a maze of routes infiltrators could take. Rogue border action teams could strike anytime --- remember Hemraj’s beheading and the cold-blooded killing of five Indian soldiers in Poonch three years ago. “When the situation is normal, you can sometimes afford to man infiltration routes selectively. That could be suicidal now,” says the officer.
The army’s contingency plans are in place and the possibility of a flare up has been factored in. How Pakistan reacts is anybody’s guess. A senior army officer in Delhi says no matter what course the adversary takes, the army is prepared to deal with it. But the shadows of Pathankot and Uri loom large.
“We will dominate the conflict at any level of the escalation ladder,” he says, adding Pakistan may respond now, in a week or several months later. Battle readiness is constantly being reviewed. India cannot afford another Uri.
The biggest challenge for commanders on the ground is to strike a balance between keeping the troops battle ready and ensuring they aren’t worn out. “You can’t keep them on highest alert level for a year. We are monitoring how things unfold,” he says.
Last September, this correspondent visited several posts along a 224-km stretch of the 740 km-long LoC. At one such post in Poonch sector, I met a 22-year-old Gorkha soldier who had just returned from a punishing patrol.
There was chicken and rice for dinner but he was keener on reading some current affairs’ magazines tucked under his pillow. He was trying to make time to study for an exam that could fulfil his dream of becoming an army officer. His commanding officer called me a few months later breaking the news that the soldier had passed.
Some of those dreams may be on the back burner.
A lot has changed at the LoC except the stunning landscape dotted with towering ridges, dense pine groves, lush valleys and maize fields.
I checked Tata Pani on GoogleEarth. I did not see a single mujahideen training camp. Life looks so peaceful from 2000'. Besides Tata Pani is at least 5 kilometers from the LoC.
I have spent a few days in some of the places mentioned here like Mendhar and a few small villages nearby in another life. Only BSNL for phone connectivity but paki mobile phone signals were stronger. After dark, LOC was visible from miles around due to floodlights. Most of the terrain hilly rather than miuntainous and dozens of nullahs and streams everywhere cutting through.
Most roads closed after sunset and I remember being stopped by a jittery RR soldier on a checkpost when we could not reach our destination before dark. Local muslim population which oscillated between love for islam and hatred for pakistan. A few Hindu families living fitfully or planning to leave for Jammu or other Hindu majority places.
Buildings which were bombed not too long before my visit and soldiers armed to the teeth with Carl Gustafs, machine guns on early morning patrols. I doubt if things have changed much .
Aditya G wrote:
I met a 22-year-old Gorkha soldier who had just returned from a punishing patrol.
His commanding officer called me a few months later breaking the news that the soldier had passed.
A dead Gorkha soldier should elicit anger & hatred for Pakistan in the native Nepali village
Rahul M wrote:calling any future paki attack as retaliation for the strikes across PoK is not just wrong, it is simply playing the narrative the "talks are the only way" brigade wants us to play, causing fear paralysis about paki response and making us an easy target for their babrbarism.
it also establishes a false 'starting point' to be used for apologism
like all mumbai bombings were because of babri masjid.
anupmisra wrote:I checked Tata Pani on GoogleEarth. I did not see a single mujahideen training camp. Life looks so peaceful from 2000'. Besides Tata Pani is at least 5 kilometers from the LoC.
Evil Hindus are lying. Pakis are right.
Scene from LoC. NO Indian soldiers are seen. No destruction
Indians are lying
"I met a 22-year-old Gorkha soldier who had just returned from a punishing patrol.
His commanding officer called me a few months later breaking the news that the soldier had passed."
I think it meant to say soldier passed the exam and not "passed away". At least line next to above para seems to indicate so.
Aditya G wrote:
I met a 22-year-old Gorkha soldier who had just returned from a punishing patrol.
His commanding officer called me a few months later breaking the news that the soldier had passed.
A dead Gorkha soldier should elicit anger & hatred for Pakistan in the native Nepali village
Wonder if it ever happens
Since you have to wonder - then there is doubt and the answer that will please you is "No".
BTW, did you know, not all Gorkha soldiers are from Nepal?
Re Gorkha soldiers, the exam the rifleman was taking was for Officer commission. He passed the exam. CO would never say he passed away if he was martyred. Also ration of Indian docmiceled to Nepali Gorkahs as Deejay points out is about 25:75. Infact 6/1 GR a new raising for the MSC is comprised of 100 pc Indian Gorkahs.
aditya wrote:Bad news. Terroristan now denies knowledge about "captured" Indian soldier whose grandmother died of shock at the news (she brought him up after his parents died).
Maleeha Lodhi, paki rep to the UN, had confirmed the capture of an Indian soldier on September 30. Can she deny that statement?
Whether she denies or not, it doesn't sound good for our soldier. If they are denying knowledge, I fear the worst for him, I hope to God he wasn't treated like Saurab Kalia
Shivaji wrote:"I met a 22-year-old Gorkha soldier who had just returned from a punishing patrol.
His commanding officer called me a few months later breaking the news that the soldier had passed."
I think it meant to say soldier passed the exam and not "passed away". At least line next to above para seems to indicate so.
sudeepj wrote:He wont be. We need to give them a reason to return him. I think a Paindu captain and a few soldiers in our custody will be an appropriate motivation.
Do we have any of them in custody? So far there's been nary a peep from us on that..
sudeepj wrote:He wont be. We need to give them a reason to return him. I think a Paindu captain and a few soldiers in our custody will be an appropriate motivation.
Thats what I am hoping for too. Hope that will bring back our soldier safe and sound
Lalmohan wrote:i wonder if in the briefing to the 22 foreign diplomats - images and footage was shown that will not be released to the media?
Given that the briefing was on the day following the operation my guess is it wasn't shown because it needed to be sanitized. It was anyway an FYI.
But we must remember the US and the UK have sufficient HUMINT and TECHINT to know approximately what happened on the night before. My bet is that China too would be in a position to verify our claims. In the scheme of things the rest of the countries don't matter and would rely on US/UK/China to confirm if they so desired.
Couple of observations ,on Parikkar's supposedly "undiplomatic" statement that "after surgery, pak is still in anesthesia",
-Its his usual casual way of speaking
-If he looses his style & gives a subdued tone counselling for "non-escalation" on all sides , it will infact have the opposite effect in the Paki decision makers.
India's approach must reek of brazenness - i hope the relevant channels have communicated the consequences to the Pindi gernails & kernails (i.e every one of their serving relatives in the PA will be a target) if any sort of torture is aimed to be inflicted on our soldier .
Last edited by Lilo on 02 Oct 2016 21:44, edited 1 time in total.
Why are we so worried that others need to verify our claims. I honestly can't understand how that is important. There is a signal that need to go to Pakistan and Pakistan alone. If Indian soldiers had been detected they would have been fired upon and the raid disrupted at least in one place. the denial from Pakistan should be enough "proof " for knowledgeable Indians who seem unconvinced by what our own army says. Or is it because people are visiting sites outside BRF or meeting people and cannot make a convincing argument that a raid took place? What is the exact problem?
Pak fauj has held an emergency meeting with all Jihadi groups
It has been decided to issue all jihadis with fauji standard issue diapers for the Browning of the pants ceremony going forward.
Shiv sir, I understand we don't need to show any video to other countries to verify what we did. However, we need to show it for 2 internal reasons.
1. To show that we are not scared about any provocation that will come out of it from the Paki side.
2. To shut up the internal intolerance brigade that says do not gloat, give Pakis face saving option.
When our soldiers were burnt alive, did these people ask the Pakis about face saving options? So we got to defeat these defeatists and the only way to do it is graphically showing the pigs dying. When it comes to Pakis we should never show any decency. I still savor the 1971 surrendering video. These videos will have an effect to our current generation youngsters.
williams wrote:Shiv sir, I understand we don't need to show any video to other countries to verify what we did. However, we need to show it for 2 internal reasons.
1. To show that we are not scared about any provocation that will come out of it from the Paki side.
2. To shut up the internal intolerance brigade that says do not gloat, give Pakis face saving option.
When our soldiers were burnt alive, did these people ask the Pakis about face saving options? So we got to defeat these defeatists and the only way to do it is graphically showing the pigs dying. When it comes to Pakis we should never show any decency. I still savor the 1971 surrendering video. These videos will have an effect to our current generation youngsters.
Not clear to me how photos will convince people that we are not scared.
Remember that if the Pakis can reject photos and videos as fake, the internal intolerance brigade will say exactly the same thing. Then what?
Bottom line: This a binary yes/no thing. Either one is convinced by what the army says or one is not. If not then there is no use pretending that one is any different from the "internal intolerance brigade" and that one will believe it if shown evidence. If you doubt what the army says don't blame other people like "internal intolerance brigade" for being doubters "It's not about me, its about them" is an unconvincing prop.
Enemy casualty count ( especially irregulars) is very high most likely double that of officially released figures. These figures will also include non-combatants ie. guides and tanzeems admin and ideological staff at enemy FDL.
There is still terror concentration happening as by 15th Oct, snowfall will close passes. The enemy is in a bind as more infiltration could invite more raids or otherwise will be a tough winter for those terrorists already in the hinterlands who want to be replaced.
Seems very likely due to heavy artillery treatment. The operation seems almost like a snap invasion around 3km deep led by SF, followed by Ghataks and conventional infantry providing covering fire from inside Pakistan. All supported by heavy Artillery. Hence 100 killed or 300 casualties may be very possible.
I personally have no need for any evidence, complete faith in our army and government. Don't care about what our Rundee media thinks or what Pakis think in public. They will do that anyway.
The ones who got hit and the ones who did the hitting, they know what happened regardless of how much denial there is.
Gone are the days when we needed the blessings of third parties. I say to hell with them all. Just do what needs to be done.
I think images and videos should be shown to all, with GPS locations of the camps. This is for the benefit of paki awam. Rawheel may deny it....news will leak, people will talk. At the very least it throws a wrench in Islamabad Bob's spiel (ISPR's Bajwa). Infact, the timing of the release of pics/videos could be used as a negotiation tool for release of the captured soldier. Release the soldier now and the videos will be released after rawheel has retired...otherwise the release of videos will be another slap on his face. Rawheel can deny authenticity of the videos, but a neutral party can verify authenticity...
Re: the captured indian jawan, we should keep him in the news, this will keep him alive and healthy. Even the pakis would not dare torture him...if there is media discussion.
Folks, lets not post news of ongoing terror and counter terror ops as if this a retaliation to #SurgicalStrike. We should move on now till the next strike happens. RR, BSF and CRPF will deal with these regular strikes Business-as-usual
