Ludhiana: Kargil Vijay Diwas is being celebrated across the country today. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Kargil to participate in the celebrations, several events are being held at the state and district levels. On this occasion, ETV Bharat salutes Colonel Darshan Singh Dhillon, one such soldier from Ludhiana who played a significant role in the 1999 war.
Colonel Dhillon was posted in the anti-bomb squad during the war. He and his team were deployed on the road from Srinagar to Leh, which was the main target of the enemy. The team was entrusted to deliver ration and ammunition to the Army and had defused nearly 2000 bombs. Risking their lives, he and the his team members continued to perform their duties even a year after the end of the war.
1999 Kargil War:
Retired Colonel Dhillo has been one of the greatest soldiers of the Kargil War. He said that the kind of conditions that existed in the Kargil war, were never encountered in any other war that has been fought in India till now. "The most challenging thing that soldiers faced was that the enemy was sitting at a higher level with arms and ammunition," he said.
Recalling the incident, he said that Air Force had played an important role in the operation. Air Force had just started the operation but since enemy was at a higher altitude, their craft crashed and the operation had to be stopped, he said adding that the Indian Army came forward after that. "Our enemy was directly targeting our soldiers. Their plan was that if the fight continued for a month, then snowfall would begin and then they would be in a better position to advance forward," he said
Role of Bofors:
Colonel Dhillon said that when India bought Bofors, there was a lot of criticism in the media but it was most useful in the Kargil war as it could easily blow up the enemy missiles. "Their range was so good that their targets hit accurately. Air Force could not operate at that time because the distance between the enemy and us was very short," he added.
"Our soldiers sacrificed their lives to conquer Kargil. We could not cross the Line of Control and faced huge challenges but our soldiers won the Indian Army," he said.
Challenges faced:
Colonel Dhillon said that their task was very risky because they had to travel on the highway to deliver ration and ammunition. The enemy wanted to snap this connectivity as it would put them in an advantage. "Though Pakistan continued to claim that it was a terrorist attack, when they honoured their officer Sher Khan, it was clear that the Pakistan Army was fully behind them. They even had an anti-craft gun, which we had no idea about. Although it has been 25 years since the war, we feel as if it happened just yesterday," he added.
Martyrs families yet to receive government help:
The country is celebrating Kargil Vijay Diwas but many families of the martyrs have not been provided help by the government till now, he said. "The government should pay attention to those who are the real heroes of Kargil war. Taking the 1971 war into condideration, there are very few heroes left and in many cases, the widows have passed away", he added.
According to the Colonel, during war the commander comes the night before and tells that one has to go to the battlefield the next day. Then the soldier pens down his last letter to his family in advance. Such letters are sent to the homes of those who are martyred in the war.
Colonel Dhillon said that the situation that existed 25 years ago has changed a lot. The governments work, but officers are annoying. "We won the war on the border, but lost within our country," he exclaimed.
