Jaisalmer : India had defeated Pakistan in both the 1965 and 1971 wars. Many Indian soldiers were martyred and in their memory, the Border Security Force (BSF) has named several outposts after such valiant martyrs.
One such outpost is located in Jaisalmer, where every traveler passing by offers water, bidis and cigarettes on the martyr's platform. Paying tribute to that martyr, BSF named that post 'Vishwanath' after martyred Sub Inspector V N Mehta. The soldiers coming and going towards the international border offer water and bidi at the memorial constructed at this outpost with immense devotion.
There is a belief among the common people and BSF jawans and officers passing through this outpost that it is necessary to stop here and offer water to the martyr. Beedis and cigarettes should also be offered. They believe that earlier, there were incidents of vehicles getting punctured or getting damaged due to not offering water at the martyr's tomb. After which every passerby stops here and offers water and cigarette.
There is a long story behind this offering of water and cigarettes at the Vishwanath outpost. After its defeat in the 1971 war, the Pakistani Army was returning home on 16 December. At that time, under the leadership of Colonel Jaisingh, Commandant of the 14th Battalion of the BSF, army troops were patrolling the Indian territory in the Thar Desert on the border. On 18 December 1971, one such squad was led by Sub Inspector VN Mehta, who was going by car from Shahgarh area towards Mandla and Mehrana.
Meanwhile suddenly a Pakistani contingent treacherously attacked his vehicle between Meetha Jhanda and Mandla village. While fighting bravely in this attack, Sub Inspector VN Mehta and his constable Bhanwar Singh attained martyrdom. Meanwhile, Sub Inspector Dineshchandra and Head Constable Kishanchandra were seriously injured.
BSF sources said that a memorial has been built in the memory of martyred Sub Inspector VN Mehta. At this memorial, whenever any BSF vehicle or others pass by this memorial, they stop and offer water, bidi or cigarette at the martyr's tomb. Without this, they would not move forward.
Martyr Viswhanath Mehta's son Satish Mehta and daughter Suman Dutta and other family members reached Jaisalmer. After which, after getting the approval of BSF, they built samadhi. They paid tribute by offering water, bidi and cigarette to his tomb. Their faith behind offering water is related to the martyred soldiers. If the offered water goes into the mouth of any animal, it is considered as offered to the martyred soldier.
Martyred Mehta's daughter Suman Dutta said that when her father was martyred, she was studying in seventh class. After his death, she also joined BSF. Her younger brother is also working in BSF. "Whenever I think about him, I feel proud that I am the daughter of Vishwanath Mehta, who sacrificed his life for his country. Whenever I come to his samadhi, I feel that my father is still deployed to protect the borders of the country. His faith towards the people here is also unmatched in itself," she said.
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