archive: 'Pakistanis were good at fleeing as well'
'Pakistanis were good at fleeing as well'
Dinesh Kumar
The Sunday Times of India
July 18, 1999
Title: 'Pakistanis were good at fleeing as well'
Author: Dinesh Kumar
Publication: The Sunday Times of India
Date: July 18, 1999
'Aab ki baar jaane do. Agli baar kabhi Hindustan nahin aenge" (Let us
go this time. Next time, we will never come to India).
These were farewell remarks by some fleeing Pakistani soldiers as they
ran for their lives just as troops of the 2 Rajputana Rifles regained
Black Rock on the Three Pimples feature. Indeed, the stories of sheer
grit, determination and raw courage abound in virtually all the units
that have participated in the fierce hand-to-hand battles that raged
in this treacherous mountain terrain.
The capture on June 12/13 of the Tololing Heights, overlooking the
National Highway, was the first major success of the army and that too
without the help of air power. Little wonder that infantry units came
to derive lessons from the experiences of the Rajputana Rifles unit.
"Initially we felt some fear and doubted whether we would return. But
as we went in, there was no time to think as we headed to accomplish
our task," says Lt. P. Tomar, who just has six months service.
After successfully regaining Tololing, the battalion was given an even
tougher assignment-capture of Black Rock on the Three Pimples
feature. "We had observed that the Pakistanis were good at moving
their reserves ant at launching counter attacks. So we decided to
attack them from behind and inter diet their reserves as also their
counter attacks," says Maj S.S. Bajaj. "But then we learnt that the
Pakistanis were good at running away as well," he said.
Narrating a gripping account of how they recaptured Black Rock, Maj
Mohit Saxena described, how they were forced to climb a sheer vertical
cliff, comprising jagged rocks after they came under heavy fire, while
assaulting from another position. "The following morning when I saw
the cliff, I felt I could never have climbed. It was the heat of the
moment and sheer josh that saw us through," he explained.
Young Lt. N. Kengeruse took off his shoes to climb barefooted in
typical Naga fashion. "When we got to within five meters from the top,
the Pakistanis began rolling down boulders. I cannot forget the sight
of his falling as a rock hit him," recounts Maj. Saxena. Did Lt.
Kengeruse Seream? "No, instead he shouted not to let them go." The
fight ended around 4 a.m. on June 29 after non-stop fighting for six
long hours.
"The Pakistanis appeared to have been facing shortage of rations,"
says Maj S.S. Bajaj. "We had to wait for our rations to fetch up. So
we caught hold of a Pakistani steel helmet, cleaned it from inside,
and boiled tea in it."
A week later on July 5, 23-year-old Lt. Sandeep Tewari of 13 J&K
Rifles celebrated his birthday atop Point 4875 captured at 3 a.m. He
earned his birthday treat.
Among the documents recovered was a book on computers as also a book
on war history - The Conduct of War: 1789 to 1961' by Maj. Gen.
J.EC. Fuller issued by the Pakistani Army's Military Station Library
in Astor (Baltistan). "Surely, if this post was occupied by militants
as the Pakistanis are claiming, I cannot imagine them reading a book
on war history issued from a Pakistani Army library," remarked an
officer.
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