BHOPAL, Aug 28: To the ideal officer of the Indian Army, the men under his command are more like beloved sons than just brave soldiers.
That sentiment was amply evidenced by the anguish in Major General (Retd) Tony Bardalai’s voice when he spoke with his former superior regarding Havildar Gaya Prasad, 15 Rajput (the 15th Battalion of the Rajput Regiment) whose body was found this month in the Siachen Glacier nearly two decades after he died in the line of duty.
“The Battalion was under the charge of then Colonel Bardalai who donned the mantle of responsibility of that immense expanse of snow with soldiers predominantly fanned out over 18,000 ft,” Maj Gen (Retd) Randhir Singh — who was Brigade commander — told UNI. The Khanda Dropping Zone (DZ) serviced one of the forward companies and Hav Prasad’s duty was collecting the drops and providing them to the troops. The DZ was a broad area giving no inkling of any clefts. The glacier is continually shifting and nature’s forces are at work underneath. The DZ was checked every morning. Alas, a narrow yet deep crevasse was existent proximous to the distribution centre. The soldier was collecting the stores when he fell through the snow and got wedged many feet under. The men instantly responded as exposure would claim the Havildar if he was not rescued forthwith. “A jawan slithered down a rope. It was then realised that Hav Prasad had slipped in deeper than contemplated and also got wedged below an overhang that would have to be chipped,” Maj Gen Singh said. Col Bardalai instantly contacted Brig Singh and the latter ordered helicopters to fly in the officer in charge and the best instructor of the Siachen Battle School. “The Havildar could not be saved. Bardi and his men refused to quit till I had to tell him to discontinue as the operation was in danger of producing more casualties,” Maj Gen Singh narrated. “After the corpse was recovered, Bardi phoned me. The pang in his heart was in some way allayed but the grief would always linger in the memory of those who knew this brave man and served with him,” the veteran added.
(UNI)
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