A young boy (aged between 5–7 years) donning his yellow-maroon school uniform saluted the armoured truck of Indian army on a pleasant Monday morning (9th May 2022). Watching this from inside of an army bus while traveling to Dibrugarh airport, I smiled. The reasons for my smile went beyond the gestures of that innocent kid. It was the culmination of our week-long army attachment with 18-Garhwal Rifles in Pengree village of Tinsukia district. And the experiences which I took back is going to be something worth cherishing lifetime.
We reached Laupuli from Mussoorie after 14 hours of travel on bus and plane. We were received by Brigadier Sachin Mehta (sena vishisht medal) over high tea at around 5 in the evening. The light showers and overcast conditions that day acted as balm to our fatigued body. And to add motivation in that environment was commemorative presence of Lance Naik Albert Ekka. Ekka, part of the same battalion during 1971 Liberation War achieved martyrdom while protecting our motherland. His efforts to single-handedly stop the enemy’s LMG and MMG continue to inspire the jawans of subsequent generations. And we were so awe-inspired to say the least. Carrying such positive vibes, driving through evergreen forest in moist but soothing weather, we arrived at Pengree village, company base of the battalion. To welcome us, the Company Commander Lt. Col Gaurav Kumar delayed his own dinner to have it with us. We were excited and keen to experience the attachments for the upcoming 5 days.
After waking up in our barrack beds at around 6 in the morning, we’d manage our time to use the single washroom that was available to 9 lads. Our generous host Mr. Gaurav was more than happy to make his private washroom available to us and we were so grateful to him for that. For us, the Academy and Battalion administration had prepared an array of interesting activities to help us learn the lifestyle of a Jawan in an area infested with insurgency. The reasons for insurgency, as we were told can be broadly categorized into three. Timber, tea and fossil fuels (coal and crude oil). The cartels which command these resources have huge influence over socio-political and economic landscape of the region. The deprived sections become soft targets to raise guns in return for meagre cash and food by the militant groups.
Coming back to the activities that were planned for us in Army attachment. Firing with real weapons like AK-47 and INSAS at the 70 meters firing range was one of the major highlights of this attachment. One could only wonder how a soldier reacts and aims at the target in that split second he gets at battlefield. Other routine exercises for an army jawan include night patrolling, mobile check post, flag march, and area domination patrol (ADP). The planned ADP was cancelled because of the intelligence relating to movement of the insurgents. In the other three activities, donning heavy bulletproof jackets and helmets we realized how miserable life can get when a jawan is out of his company. We realized how it can become worse with harsh weather and bare minimum necessities. And every time we returned with a sense of gratitude that the safety of our motherland is
ensured by these brave souls at the border.
Clutched in such gruelling routine for months without a single leave, our Jawans continue to serve selflessly. Our arrival at the Pengree Company provided an opportunity for the Company Commander to host a party for us and the entire troop. They prefer to call it “Bada khana”. This was their first celebratory night in almost 3 months and we were more than glad to be a part of it. The brave soldiers opened up their hearts to us and talked about the future of their children, how spending time with their families is a great luxury and what keeps them going despite all the odds. Our dance was an amalgamation of Garhwali song and Bihu steps, two diverse cultures converging to suit the occasion and assembly.
Albeit such celebratory occasions are seldom here but the entire Pengree village is delighted to have the presence of Alpha Company. Ever since their arrival, not only the insurgency episodes have reduced but the periodical civil-military interaction have eased the lives of locals. The villagers now feel a sense of freedom in their mundane tasks. With greater freedom, their livelihood avenues have gone up. These all have culminated in better health and education standards over the years. Perhaps, this was the reason for that young boy’s smile, saluting with a great sense of pride and motivation. And he was not wrong in any way.
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