... And A Touch Of Madness

IN 1897, a Sikh regiment fought a battle against the Afghans at Sara Garhi. Caught in a crossfire, 22 soldiers defended their post to the last man. All 22 were given the Victoria Cross posthumously. At the battle for Tiger Hills, the commanding officer (CO) of the 8 Sikh, Col S. P. Singh, narrated the incident to his men and told them the western spur they’d recaptured had to be held the same way. Says Singh: "I told them this was another Sara Garhi." In the July 4- 5 operation to recapture and hold the western approach to Tiger Hills, the unit lost 22 soldiers and 34 were wounded.

For nearly two months, in altitudes ranging from 9,000 ft to nearly 16,000 ft, officers and soldiers of the Indian army— in tactics reminiscent of World War II— have been losing their lives in suicidal operations. But regimental pride, peer pressure, anger, recklessness, madness and the X factor has contributed to their success, albeit at a very high price. Says Lt Col D. V. S. Panghal, second in command of 18 Grenadiers— involved in the battles for Tololing ridge, the Hump and Rocky Knob—" It’s a curious mixture of all these qualities that went into all these brave missions. Of course, all this was laced with fear. But there came a time when we were down with fatigue, cold and there on the heights we crossed the line of fear. I can’t really explain where or how some of us crossed that line." Adds a plain- speaking Maj Joy Dasgupta: "I think we’re heroes by default. In those moments, it’s a question of self- esteem. You consider yourself superior to a jawan as an officer and even if you’re scared to death, you can’t show it to your men."

Dasgupta led assault teams at Tiger Hills, in the recapture of Tololing and, most notably, in the battle of the Hump on June 14. Proceeding to the Hump with two companies (nearly 90 men), they came under artillery fire which killed 12, wounded seven. Completely dismayed, and with most of his men going back carrying the dead and injured, Dasgupta was still ordered to proceed. With a depleted force of just 17, he did so. Having to charge up an incl ine at the Hump and destroy around eight bunkers, he decided to take a route that would take him to the bunkers from above.

Two extraordinary soldiers from his team, Havaldar Dashrath Lal Dubey and Havaldar Udham Singh, came to his rescue. Both, interestingly, from different companies. Says Dasgupta: "Dubey surprised me really. In peacetime, he was my biggest nuisance. He was the last man I thought would come good for me. He struck an extraordinary bond with Udham and they charged the last two bunkers themselves. They, in fact, had a healthy rivalry going. Both wanted to prove to the other that he was the braver. Udham died at the last bunker, though." Adds Dubey: "There can be no success without fear. But in the end, it’s all up to the one above. I told Udham to take cover at the last bunker. But he stood up saying that the haramis (bastards) were not firing at him but at Dasgupta. I told him, ‘ Bade b**** hain,  baith jao (they’re bastards, just sit down). ’ But then a bullet caught him in the ribs. His last words to me were, ‘ Arey Dashrath, goli lag gayee (I’ve been hit). ’ He died there."

If the competition between the two men here was the key, for Capt Anuj Nayyar of the 17 Jat— ordered to capture Whale Back and Pimple I and II— it was as if he had an inkling of what was to come. Says Maj H. S. Madan, adjutant of 17 Jat: "On July 8, before going for Pimple II in a broad daylight attack, he came and gave me his engagement ring and watch. He was 23. It was as if he knew what was to come. He cleared three bunkers himself, killed nine to 10 troops single- handedly before he got an RPG round in his neck. We have recommended him for the Param Vir Chakra."

But one of the main contributing factors to this bravery remains regimental pride. Says Commander Rajesh Baloria, 25, of 21 Paras, which saw action mostly in Mushkoh and Batalik, "I’m a commando and if I show fear, what about other units?" For Baloria, it was also a question of loyalty. He says, "Fauj ka itna ration- pani khaya to uska karz to chukana hi hoga (We have lived off the army for so long, we have to repay that debt)." That sense of loyalty also leads to anger when comrades- in- arms die or get wounded.

With anger, of course, comes the feeling of revenge. For nearly two months, the 8 Sikh had suffered casualties trying to cut off Tiger Hills. Says Capt Puneet Jain of 8 Sikh, "We lost 11 men, fuelling a thirst for revenge. In that situation, if we’d asked our men to withdraw, they wouldn’t have."

IN fact, in the battle for Pimple II which the 17 Jat undertook, the men were so keen to avenge casualties suffered in the fight for Whale Back that some took suicidal risks. It was with great difficulty that the officers reined them in. Says Capt P. Venu- gopal of 17 Jat, "The men kept shouting, ‘Jat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan ’. The Pakistanis must have thought it was two battalions."

Leadership from the front by the officers, of course, made all the difference. Says Das  gupta, "Your men might take care of you in peacetime with the greatest respect but war is different. If they feel that you’re chickening out, then they won’t even come to your aid if you are injured. If you lead from the front, they will give their life to save yours."

There’s also the surreal. A missile splinter amputated a hand of Lance Naik Kashmira Singh of 8 Sikh. Says unit doctor Capt Deepak Dwivedi, "He just asked me for a pain killer. I thought he was going into shock so I kept up a conversation. I asked him what the time was as I hunted for a vein in his other hand. He said, ‘ Jo haath kat gaya hai usme ghadi hai, usme dekh lijiye’ (my watch is on the hand that was cut off."

Close medical support, too, was a big motivator. At 13 JAK Rifles, which saw action at Points 5140 and 4875, the doctor lectured the troops on what to do in case of bullet and splinter injuries. Says Col Y. K. Joshi, the CO, "The doctor also told them, ‘

Jisko mera haath lag jayega usko kuch nahi hoga. Mere paas aane tak hosla rakho (Anybody I treat will survive. Have courage till you get to me). ’ Luckily, whoever got to the doctor survived. It was a great morale booster."

Needless to say, there were occasions when the stick had to be used. Says Panghal of 18 Grenadiers, "At times, motivation comes by a kick in the butt. There was a captain with us from the engineers who refused to budge from one point. I kicked and nearly injured him."

A word here for two Pakistani officers, Maj Iqbal and Capt Kamal Sher. While one was from the special forces, the other was from the 12th Northern Light Infantry. Both saw action against the 8 Sikh where they died in a fierce counter- attack. Says Kushdal Thakur, CO of 18 Grenadiers, "They were valiant in death. Thorough professionals who did their units proud. If it was up to me, I would write a citation for them. It has happened once in ’71, when the CO of 3 Grenadiers wrote one for a Pakistani CO who later got a medal from his army."

But with Pakistan refusing to acknowledge the presence of its army regulars, for Sher and Iqbal, the road to recognition for their martial spirit might take some time.