Tales of an Indian soldier's life along the Line of Control

It is common for soldiers to offer prayers before an important mission and this time too it was no different. The Ghatak platoon of 6 Bihar and 10 Dogra units, part of the Special Forces who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) at Tootmar Gali, a ravine overlooking the Leepa Valley of PoK, offered prayers at the dargah of Peer Sakhi Sahah before carrying out their surgical strike on militant camps on Wednesday night.

The dargah is at the extreme location on the Indian side, located near the villages of Navkot and Chani. The villages, once populated by inhabitants, are now deserted, as the people migrated during the 1971 war. For many months, the Indian Army was under the belief that Pakistan Army soldiers had been holding fort near the dargah, and hence did not go there. It was thanks to a shepherd Abdul Rahman Kumhar, who accidentally stumbled upon the dargah while looking for his cattle, that the Indian Army found that this was not the case. Today, Indian soldiers now look after the dargah where Kumhar is its custodian and has been offering prayers for the last 45 years.

Prayers aside, the Indian Army concentrated on practical matters too before the operation. On Wednesday night, when the operation was executed between 12:30 am to 4:30 am, by a combination of heliborne and ground forces, all the porters were locked up after 7pm. They were not even allowed to relieve themselves — use your long shoes, they were told. Army sources said no Indian chopper crossed the LoC, as the paratroopers were air dropped at advanced pre-decided locations near the LoC.

Curiously though, Muzaffarabad-based media had put out a security alert, quoting Pakistani Army sources around midnight on Wednesday, minutes before the Indian Army assault. The media had issued an advisory to residents of PoK, where they warned them of a possible "terrorist strike."

Across the LoC are the Pakistani posts of Yedhin 1 & 2, Chandmastana and Pocket 1. In this region, Indian Army is in an advantageous position, unlike in Poonch and Krishnaghati, whereas Pakistan has the advantage of height and infrastructure. "The only communication we have with the Pakistan here is through gunfire. There are no flag meetings as in other areas," military sources told dna.

There are other things to catch the eye here. Just on the edges of the LoC fence is an underground fully furnished Army hospital, displaying a plaque "inaugurated by Capt Pervaiz Musharraf." The area, known as Tootmar Gali or TMG was captured by Indian Army in 1971, and Musharraf - who was then a captain - was injured here.

But before retreating, he had built this fully furnished hospital. This architectural feat, involving chiselling mountains from inside, is now attending to the injured and ailing Indian soldiers in this remote sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
 Though, Army officers admit that there been a marked decrease in infiltration in the this region in Kupwara district, they do acknowledge that it remains vulnerable. "It is like a sieve. We do detect and eliminate them. But some of them get through," says an officer.

Though some say the fence has made the job of detecting infiltrations somewhat easier, there are others in the security establishment who believe that it has hampered India's offensive and surprise capabilities.
 "Pakistani binoculars are constantly watching the fence gates and noting our movements. In fact, it has reduced the areas for them to keep tabs on, since earlier they had to focus on a large area dotted with ravines and thick foliage," said an Army source.

It remains to be seen after the strategic shift in Delhi from defensive to offensive, whether Prime Minister Modi will continue to pour funds for erecting and maintaining the defensive fence.

Near Tootmar Gali are the Bidrun ravines, where, in 1992, around 80 militants were killed after a fierce battle that continued for many days. In fact, gunship helicopters had to be used to flush out militants. Post the ceasefire agreement though in November 2003, roads have been constructed and infrastructure in the region has increased.

But still memories of the old days persist. Porters and soldiers in this area are abundant with stories and anecdotes. When dna visited the region few years back, they related the story of a dog, who used to cross the LoC. But later they claimed that she was a trained Pakistani spy dog, who would steal papers and take them across during the night to the other side. Of course, no officer could or would confirm it, but soldiers claim, that this dog was a trained spy and they killed her a few years ago.

There are other stories too, one of the most well known being that of a Pakistani commando, who had enrolled himself as a potter and lived among Indian army soldiers. But one fine night, it is said, he killed his fellow porters and soldiers, sparing only the cook. Such tales, while interesting, make one thoughtful too as it highlights once again just how this beautiful land has been home to decades of animosity and war between India and Pakistan. As a result, today, grim stories are all that our soldiers have to share with each other and with visitors along the LoC.