BORDER !!!

‘Hindusthan! Hindusthan!’ ‘Ish dharti ko aise hee Maa nahi kahete hain. Jab dekhti hain ke baccha shoney jaa raha hain, yeh isse reth ki chadar banaa deti hain.’ ‘Be alert! Nazar dushman pe rahe.’ ‘Isliye! Agar tum usse nahi maaroge, toh woh tumhe jaan se maar dega.’ ‘You have to kill them.’ ‘Unhoney kahata ki subah ka naasta Jaisalmer mein karenge, dopahar ka khaana Jodhpur mein karenge, aur raat ka Delhi mein.’ ‘Woh kahete hain ke naasta Jaisalmer mein karenge, par hum naasta unka karenge. Guru Maharaj ne kaha hain ki ek Khalsa sauva lakh ke barabar hain. Aaj unki baath saach kar dikhane ka waqt aa gaya hain.’  ‘Jo bole so nihaal; sastriyakaal.’

‘Hindu hoon, isiliye toh yeh karm kiya hain. ‘Apne aap ko bhulaa kar doosre ko sambhalna, ei toh Hindu dharm hain. Sadiyon se yehi toh karta aaya hain Hindu.’ ‘Jeet hamaari jaroor hogi, kyon ki Maa hamaare saath hain.’ ‘Mar jaaonga, Sir, par kadam peeche nahi hataaonga.’ ‘A, B, C se shuru karna padega, aur pataa nahi haamare paas kitna waqt hain.’ ‘Mere chutti sanction ho gayi, main ghar jaa raha hoon.’ ‘Zindagi ka doosra naam problem hain.’ ‘Ladai ke baadal dekh ke joh ghar ke taraf bhaage, usse ish fauz mein rahene ka koi haq nahi.’ ‘Agar yeh sab ne, yeh sab bahaane dikha kar chutti le li, tab jung kaise jeeti jaayegi?’ ‘Saabji, jung jeet gaya. Dushman bhaag raha hain.’

‘Likhta hain ke hamaare Masterji kahete hain ki seema ke ush paar hamaare jaise hee log rahete hain, kapde bhi hamaare jaise pehente hain, bhasha bhi hamare jaise hee bolte hain. Baba! Yeh baath agar saach hain, toh woh log haamse ladhte kyon hain. Baba! Agar ladai khatam ho jaaye toh jaldi ghar wapas aa jaana.’ ‘Toh aap ka khayal hain ke woh dobaara wahi galti karenge, yaa haamla karne se pehle hum se poochenge ke aap ke ilaake pe aane ke liye kaun sa raasta pakrenge.’ ‘Dushman toh hamaare kahene par nahi chalegi, par aap toh chaliye. ‘Marr kar ladai nahi jeeti jaati; ladai jeeti jaati hain dushman ko khatam kar ke.’

After losing the war badly against India in 1965, again in 1971, the bloody Pakistan nation declared a war against India. Indian Military High Command took some precautions beforehand after getting some important information from Indian Intelligence Officers. ‘You move to Jaisalmer and create a new airbase.’ Air Force Wing Commander, Andy Bajwa moved to Jaisalmer with his teammates to create a new airbase. ‘Yes, Sir; It’s a beautiful desert. There are only 3 tents, no base.’ 23^rd Battalion Punjab Regiment got the orders to move towards Rajasthan desert. ‘Aaj se tumhare har goli pe Hindusthan ke dushman o ka naam likha rahega.’

‘Hum hee hum hain toh kya hum hain, tum hee tum ho toh kya tum ho.’ Major Kuldeep Singh and Wing Commander Andy Bajwa met each other. Which is better; Indian Army or Indian Air Force; the debate never ends. Kuldeep Singh got only 120 soldiers. Dharamveer Bhan, the son of late Major Veer Bhan who became a martyr in the 1965 Indo-Pak war; is the 2^nd Lieutenant of that 23^rd Battalion Punjab Regiment. Mathura Das is the Subedar of Alpha Team of 23^rd Battalion Punjab Regiment. After moving to the border areas of Rajasthan, Kuldeep Singh met Bhairon Singh, the Assistant Commandant of Border Security Force (BSF).

‘Khaana fauz ko banaati hain, fauz khaane ko nahi banaati.’ Havildar Bhaghiram, the royal chef of Indian Army never allows anyone to take water from the well before he takes out fresh water from the well for cooking purpose only. The chef’s order regarding the water in the well is obeyed by even high rank officers also. ‘Buraa mat maan naa Saabji, Bhaghiram jitni kadak baath karta hain, utni pyar se khaana bhi khilaata hain. Bade bade Colonel, General, iski baath haansh ke taal dete teh.’ Bhaghiram is a very entertaining character indeed. ‘Bhaghiram ke haath ka khaana kha kha ke toh sab Colonel, General bane hain. Saabji, mere haath ka khaana khaa ke dekho.’

‘Subedar Ratan Singh, yeh bhi yahaan aa gaya marne ke liye.’ ‘Subedar Ratan Singh reporting on duty, Sir.’ Bhaghiram and Ratan Singh are good friends. ‘O main jish Company mein jaata hoon, peeche peeche posting wahi kar deti hain teri.’ The patrolling at border areas in Rajasthan desert started. Kuldeep Singh had a brave yet a risky walk till the India-Pakistan border Pillar in Rajasthan desert. ‘Laagta hain Major Saab ko watan se utni hee mohabbat hain jitna ki mujhe ish registhan ke reth se hain.’ ‘Mera waheguru dushman ke saath nahi, mere saath hain.’ There are Pakistan informers in India-Pakistan border villages of Rajasthan!

The night patrolling started in the India-Pakistan border villages of Rajasthan. Four persons were spotted in an odd place. Were they Indians or Pakistanis? ‘Yahaan registhan mein dur dur tak harhi ghaash nahi hain! Border ke ush paar, Pakistan mein aise ghaash honge.’ Four Pakistanis were gunned down. Why Dharamvir Singh was unable to shoot at a Pakistani? Non-violence concept does not work against enemies in any war. Bhairon Singh and Dharamvir Singh became good friends. Both talked about their personal life to each other. ‘Humein jabse mohabbat ho gayi hain, yeh duniya khubsoorat ho gayi hain.’ ‘Yeh jaate hue lamhon, zaara thairo, zaara thairo.’

‘Khilone se khelte khelte, ek din bacche bhi jawaan ho jaate hain.’ Dharamvir Singh became a perfect jawan now by gunning down a Pakistani militant who was hiding inside a house of a Rajasthani village. He kept on firing bullets at the Pakistani’s chest. ‘Ok! Ok! Woh aadmi mar chuka hain.’ ‘Aap hee kaha tha naa Sir, ki aadat daal lo, aadat padh gayi.’ Why Mathura Das and Bhairon Singh had a fight among themselves? ‘Yeh mitti sher bhi paida karti hain.’ Why Kuldeep Singh became very angry on Mathura Das? ‘Mathura Das, isse pehle ki main tujhe gaddar maan kar goli maar doon, bhaag jaa yahan se.’

In 1971, there were no mobile phones. The soldiers had to rely on the letters. They used to wait when the Military Postman will come to deliver their letters to them. Bhaghiram saw tears in Bhairon Singh’s eyes while he was reading the letter. ‘Sher ke aankh mein aasoon!’ ‘Yeh khusi ke aansoon hain. Main baap banne wala hoon.’ No matter whatever be the messages in those letters, but, there was always a common question asked by their family members. ‘Sandesh e aate hain, humein tarfaate hain, woh chitti aati hain, yeh poochey jaati hain, ke ghar kab aaoge? ke ghar kab aaoge? likho kab aaoge? ke tum bin yeh ghar shoona, shoona hain!’

The India Vs Pakistan war of 1971 began. It was that time when Indira Gandhi wanted to defeat the Pakistani armies in East Pakistan to form a new nation, Bangladesh. On the western parts of India, the war tanks entered into the Rajasthani desert of India and they entered through Longewala. The villagers were told to evacuate the village. Pakistani army were doing the artillery firing so that the Indian Army fails to hear the sound of Pakistani war tanks. ‘Isiliye artillery firing ho rahi hain, tanks ke awaaz ko dabaane ke liye.’ In those times, Indian Air Force did not have fighter planes with night vision technology.

High Command ordered Kuldeep Singh to retreat till the next sunrise as Air force cannot help them in night. But, Kuldeep Singh and his 120 soldiers decided to march ahead to fight against the Pakistani force.  ‘Aadhi raaste se wapas sirf aapni Company ke saath dushmano se saamna karne ke liye aa gaya, sirf yeh sunne ke liye.’ Even Mathura Das became a real jawan who cancelled his leave and came to the battle zone to kill those bloody Pakistanis. The Pakistani General started threatening Major Kuldeep Singh. The war of words continued for some time. Then, the firing started first from the Pakistani side.  The Indian Army counterattacked the Pakistani Army.

Mathura Das sacrificed his life. ‘Yeh lo Spring. Bhairon Singh, yeh dharti tumhari Maa hain naa, toh meri bhi Maa hain.’ Andy was feeling helpless and was waiting desperately for the sunrise. Ratan Singh became a martyr in the battlefield. Bhairon Singh died but while dying he killed Pakistani General with a landmine explosion. Dharamveer Singh died due to severe injuries while fighting in the battle. Kuldeep Singh went for the final assault with a rocket launcher, a fully loaded pistol and some grenades. The Sun has risen and Indian Air Force fully devastated all the Pakistani tanks. We salute to those Indian soldiers who succeeded in protecting India’s “BORDER”.