Days after the 1971 Indo-Pak War had ended, the Brachil Pass in Kargil and the nearby mountain features, including Wali and Malik, presented a gory sight. As the arena of many battles, these mountain features had witnessed the dance of death. Bodies of Pakistani soldiers strewn on bridle paths, in rocky crevices and on the slopes awaited an honourable repatriation.
My battalion, 18 Punjab, had emerged victorious after facing incredible hardships in Kargil. We had vanquished two foes — the Pakistanis and the extreme winter. The misty conditions had presented opportunities to the Pakistanis to spring surprises by stealthily launching counterattacks.
The ceasefire came into effect on December 17. The most severe winter, ‘chillai kalan’— 40-day period of the harshest winter of Kashmir — had set in. The snow fell intermittently.
Once we had cremated our brave-hearts, a suitable opportunity to repatriate the bodies of the Pakistani soldiers was awaited. On December 26, amidst the cacophony of shouts that alerted our listening posts, some Pakistani troops were observed downslope well within their territory, waving white flags signifying truce.
Being the Battalion Intelligence Officer, I was rushed to attend to this matter. Accompanied by a few armed personnel and having run for some distance, I halted, realising that the benumbing chill of the breezy, rarefied atmosphere of the high-altitude terrain was rendering us breathless and this may hamper our conversational ability. The others also slowed down their pace.
What greeted us were ear-to-ear grins of the chastened enemy soldiers. It seemed that their belligerence had vanished. A hefty figure saluted me. I returned his salute as smartly as I could in that freezing chill. And before we could question them, I was perplexed to notice the area within their territory. It was littered with used bandages and field dressings. Rocky patches still revealed bloodstains, indicating heavy casualties suffered by the Pakistanis. Breaking my reverie, the leader of the troops remarked, ‘Jenab, aap ki fauj ke afsar log mushkil mein apne faujion ke saath chalte hain (Sir, officers of your Army are always with their soldiers during difficult situations).’ I felt proud, and I still do, because that is the ethos of the Indian Army.