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The Forgotten Hero of Siachen
Aneeta Chakrabarty
He did not feel the bitter cold. He did not feel any fear. Yet, he was facing death with every climb on the steep, icy walls of the highest peak, “The Quaid”, commanding the brooding heights of Siachen.
 Sd. Bana Singh, PVC
Our soldier suddenly stiffened. He felt the need to be cautious. There were earlier attempts by his fellow soldiers who had almost reached the top when they were detected. Enemy fire threw them on the hostile terrain and they fell headlong to their snowy graves. He steeled himself. His country depended on this do-or-die mission. He remembered Guru Gobind Singh’s voice from the night before, “I wanted to test you, Bana.” That voice charged him and his infectious enthusiasm spurred his followers. His hand slowly closed upon the grenade as he evaluated the situation.
Meanwhile, on the top of the 21,000 feet high peak, the Pakistanis were safely ensconced, bragging as usual about their martial prowess. They felt confident. They were imbued with the usual scathing contempt for Indian troops. Moreover the “bhangee” troops had no chance as their weapons jammed due to the biting cold hovering at -35 degrees centigrade. When they were at the height of their jingoistic banter, suddenly a door opened, a grenade was dropped and the door closed. And before they could open their mouth, the grenade exploded and all was silent in the make shift bunker. Our hero moved fast. He personally led the assault on the remaining Pakistanis outside the bunker. On the slippery slopes, there was hand to hand fighting. Some were bayoneted, and some slipped and fell to their death. It was an arduous battle fought between men who gave it their all with a do-or-die ferociousness.
Last update : 28-02-2009 12:26
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