Glorious army of volunteers

Lt Gen Harwant Singh (Retd)

THERE is this common wisdom in the military that ‘you never volunteer’. Yet, when the occasion arises, there is seldom a dearth of volunteers, even for the most dangerous missions.

Ours is a three-class armoured regiment and during the 1971 war, it was called upon to send a squadron for what could be called the ‘last man, last round mission’. Dogra squadron was detailed on this mission. Since it would have involved just one class (Dogra) in the regiment taking all the casualties, as second-in-command, I suggested that the force be raised to one-and-a-half squadron, two tank troops from each of the three squadrons and that I would command this group. The Corps Commander approved the plan. I held a darbar and explained the meaning of the regiment’s motto, nature of the task and the extent of casualties we may have to accept. I ended by asking for volunteers.

Troop leaders and troops fell over each other to volunteer. Two days before the launch of this force, some adverse situation developed in another sector of the corps zone and the regiment was moved post haste to that sector.

During the early Nineties, hundreds of young men who had crossed over to PoK had started coming back to the Kashmir valley after training in the use of weapons, etc. Those who were from South Kashmir were transiting through Poonch and Rajouri sectors at night.

To traverse through this area, the services of a local guide were required, especially as much of the Army was deployed in the depth areas. A batch of 25 terrorists was held up on the PoK side of the LoC, waiting for a guide to take them through this area. The guide was not too sure of being able to avoid Indian troops. This group was getting impatient and they finally decided to take a truck from the road below and drive up to Baflias (below Pir Panjal range, along the old Mughal route) and from there on they could be on their own to get to South Kashmir.

The guide arranged a truck, but no driver was available as the terrorists wanted only a Sikh driver. Those days there was much trouble in Punjab and these terrorists had been made to believe that Sikhs were with them.

The local police and Army intelligence came to know of this demand for a Sikh driver and the brigade commander’s jeep driver, overhearing the conversation about the demand for a driver, volunteered to drive the truck.

In civil clothes and with a pistol tied to his leg, he contacted the guide and at night took the truck to the designated point. The guide and his assistant brought this batch of 25 terrorists to where the truck had been positioned. The leader of this terrorist group and the senior guide sat with the driver, while three terrorists positioned themselves on the tool box above the driver’s cabin, while the rest of them and the junior guide got into the truck.

As the truck reached a particular bridge, a sentry stepped forward to stop it. Those sitting on top of the truck realised they had run into an ambush and shot the sentry. The leader of the group thought that they had been led into an ambush, so he shot the senior guide sitting by his side and the junior guide, as he jumped out of the truck to escape, was shot by those in the body of the truck. All this happened in a matter of 7 to 10 seconds and during this time, the driver opened the door of the truck and jumped over the railing of the bridge and landed on the sand bed. He got under the bridge with a pistol, ready to take on, were anyone to follow him.

Then all too suddenly two light machine guns opened up, followed by a rocket launcher. With all the explosives these terrorists were carrying, the truck exploded, killing all 25 of them. The driver was awarded Kirti Chakra and moved out of the area.

Whatever be the common wisdom in the military, there is never a dearth of volunteers, no matter how dangerous the mission.