Page 17 - Seniors Today - May21 Issue

commander understood the gravity of
the situation. He immediately mobilised
the unit with the lady herself leading the
detachment through deep snow, extreme
cold conditions and darkness to the
hideout of the intruders. In the firefight
which took place about 25 Pakistani army
soldiers were captured, interrogated and
the entire plot unraveled. It seems that a
full battalion-size force of the enemy was
soon going to attack through the thick
jungles and narrow gorges hoping to have
the element of surprise on their side. The
Indians immediately mobilized the entire
battalion and launched a counter-attack so
that they now had the element of surprise.
The threat was neutralised before the
Pakistanis could do anything. Thus the
entire of Poonch sector as well as the main
garrison was saved.
The army immediately acknowledged
the brave and gallant act of the simple
village lady, Mali and decided that having
saved the prestige of the Indian army
and the country per se, she should be
recognized and awarded. This was duly
recognized by the government and in 1972
Shrimati Mali was awarded the Padam
Shri by the President of India V V Giri.
She got a citation and the customary Rs.
10,000 which accompanies this prestigious
award. In getting this award she was the
first person from this small and nomadic
community of the Pir Panjal hills. A salute
to this brave and patriotic lady.
------------------------------------------------------- mountains, one has to visit the area to
Tashi Namgyal – Kargil / Dras sector,
1999
Everyone witnessed the bonhomie of
the events with Pakistan which led to
the culmination of the bus diplomacy
by Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The euphoric event was the perfect
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #23 | MAY 2021
smokescreen to the actual events planned
by the Pakistani establishment. The
devious Pervez Musharaf had planned
meticulously a big stab in the back but did
not contend with Indian resilience and
patriotism. Time and again the patriotism
of the residents of all three areas of state
of Jammu & Kashmir were questioned
and this is what Musharaf banked upon.
Yet the Pakistani establishment did not
contend that one person could totally
unravel their well laid-out plans. This
is what happened in two previous wars
and this time around it was the simple
shepherd of Batalik (a remote border
village of the Kargil region) of Ladakh.
To understand the ground situation
better and appreciate the rugged terrain
of the barren, rugged and bitterly cold
get an idea how vulnerable the Srinagar–
Kargil road is. This was earlier the only
lifeline to the massive inhospitable land
mass of Kargil, Ladakh and Nubra. While
there was another very basic road from
Himachal (Manali, Lahoul areas) to Leh,
located close to the Aksai Chin plateau,
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