STORY OF MISSED GALLANTRY AWARD

Story dates back to 1988, about 38 years back. I was detected with severe jaundice at Partapur and evacuated to command hospital Chandigarh. I remained there for one moth as indoor patient was sent on sick leave  for 28 days. In the meanwhile my regiment had moved to Siachen base camp. I had very strong defenced to avoid Siachen tenure but as youngster and soldier who was with regiment ,it seemed  unsoldierly and unprofessional to ditch men with whom have served for better and more enjoyable part when they were going for toughest battle in the most inhospitable region. I decided that I must be with regiment in true soldierly spirit instead of avoiding most difficult assignment. I joined regiment and in the medical check up was advised by doctor to rethink considering my jaundice history, but I requested him to declare me fit lest men  gather an impression that I am avoiding the assignment.

 My journey from Siachen Base Camp to camp one with operator and technical assistant started on 19 November,1988 after emotional Mandir parade ritual. It took about three hours plus to reach camp one and was  there by 1300 hrs. After staying overnight started for camp two at about 0800 hrs on 20 Nov,88. Reached there at about 1300 hrs after continuous adventure trekking of about five hrs and halted for night. Started from camp two on 21 Nov ,88 at about 0700 hrs and reached camp three at about 1400 hrs after trek cum adventure exercise of about seven hours. Foot march from camp two to three was exhausting and difficult as altitude was gradually increasing, atmosphere becoming rarified with diminishing oxygen. Halted for night at camp three. Started for next destination on 22 Nov from camp three and reached “KUMAR” at height of about 15000 feet at about 1200 hrs.  Acclimatization for four days followed. 

At KUMAR stayed in a prefabricated hut which was broken from all sides. In minus degree temperature was natural air-conditioning in extreme cold.  My battery commander at location was then Late Maj Y V Malik (Later Col) who briefed me. In the meanwhile, Second-in -Command Maj Milkha Singh  gave me an impression that he was dead sure I will not go to my post Ashok, one of most active posts where Major later Col Krishna Gopal Chatterjee was awarded Mahavir Chakra (MVC ) on 23 sept 1987, and will attempt to fall back taking plea of Jaundice for which I was admitted in Command hospital Chandigarh. Here would like to mention that many presumed brave commanders from my regiment managed hospitalisation to skip Siachen tenure.153 GH was extended Headquarter followed by command hospital if remember correctly..  

I started from KUMAR on foot on 25 Nov 1988 and in between met gunners at “SEHJRA” gun position. Reached Billa base followed by Sohrab base along with Operator Murugan and technical assistant NK T K Ratnam. At company HQ met company commander who was my instructor in commando course and later joined BSF as DIG. My Operator and technical assistant stayed back at base. Reaching Ashok and U cut is very difficult. It is by vertical aluminum ladder laid at 90-degree angle about 150-200 feet long. Men watch one climbing and encourage. Beneath is death trap in the form of crevice waiting to swallow any fallen object. After climbing, reached post through snow tunnel on 25 Nov itself as PAKIS fire small arms and artillery seeing any movement. Maj Jaswinder (later Col), OP at Ashok was most happy man, whom I met for first time. He immediately started back and I took charge. Post commander was 2^nd Lt Patil (Later Maj Gen) an energetic officer attached from ordnance.

Ashok was post of Billa- Fondla complex at height of about 19000 feet. As faced PAKIS it was to the right with Bana and Sonam complex across valley and beyond AMAR post. Ashok was dominating Tota Ridge and New bunker of PAKIS and beyond was pistol Ridge and link track and camel back. Temperature use to be between minus 45 to minus 50 degree centigrade.Issued stoves and winter clothing was only means of warmth. Bathing was no -no for about three months.

Artillery firing from across from own side was routine and OP officers were the ones most exposed directing fire. I have directed countless shoots from the location and also organized evacuations. Have seen at least five officers at the post from infantry, artillery and armoured at different times during three-month stay.  There was heavy firing from own side between 01 December 88 to 05 December 88. The fire was directed from Ashok being dominating height with clear view of all targets where as another position OP75 was a flat valley location with no/little view of intended target area, Tota ridge and new bunker of Pakistan. 

After about a month, got call from my battery commander, that my name has been  recommended for award of gallantry medal for my operational performance as OP officer at Ashok. As per intelligence reports, in the fire directed by me, one JCO and four other ranks were killed, one bunker destroyed and one heavy machine gun too was destroyed. However, to my surprise, the officiating commanding officer of local medium Regt made the claim that it was his JCO who took the shoot. The fact of the matter was shoot was taken by me.

My commanding officer started enquiring from me almost on daily basis, as to who was directing observed fire. I told him it was me and he should believe his own officer sitting in one of the most difficult and treacherous  posts. It seemed he believed outsider  more than his own officer. One day exasperated and in frustration told him that since he believed outsiders more than his own officer and added, kindly do what you think is right and not to discuss the subject with me as it is demoralizing and frustrating. What happened to citation thereafter is not known to me, whether sent to higher headquarter or it died its unnatural death at regiment  level mired in controversy generated by two senior officers commanding regiments. 

That is the story of my missed gallantry medal, which I just pulled out of torn pages of my daily diary after about 38 years.

Lesson learn-Sometimes contacts, liaison matter more than heroics  and work ethics.