Soldiers’ task...

Spare a thought for the hardships they endure to protect our borders

    Nathu La Pass: Located along the Old Silk Route at 14,150 feet, it is one of our highest borders with China. The drive up to Nathu La is spectacular; towering snow peaks and sheer drops to valleys below. Waterfalls of melting snow running down thousands of feet glisten like crystal in the steep gorges cut into hard rock. The sheer scale of the scenery is breathtaking but, in the splendour, there is isolation. Few hamlets and humans abide here – only those that can brave the elements and the extreme climate that allows only snow, moss and lichen to survive.
    The Border Roads Organisation has not been able to keep our side of the mountain roads as well maintained as the Chinese side. That much was obvious from our first glimpse across the border. The neatly tarred two-way highway on the other side was so much better than our bumpy and at times practically non-existent road. Why is our infrastructure so lacking always?
    At the top of the mountain the air was so thin we gasped as we climbed the few hundred feet to our main building where a young captain greeted us. He was from Chandigarh – he looked so heartachingly young and so upbeat about his work guarding our border with China that it made me want to bring all the bar-hopping, angry young men up here to witness what makes their uncaring lives so safe.

    I asked the captain how he kept himself busy and he said there was so much to do – like training and being with his men. They also had TV, he said proudly, but at that altitude even a tot of rum was not allowed as alcohol and heights can be dangerous for the health. His tenure would be at least six months. I wondered what made him a soldier. It was his grandfather, he said. The army gene had skipped a generation. His father did not join the army but it was obvious he came from an illustrious military background. His speech and manners would have made any parent proud.
    He gave us hot tea and showed us to the formal meeting room where Indian and Chinese military officials meet on various occasions. One side had little tricolours on the table in front of which each officer would sit and the other had Chinese flags. I could just imagine a formal meeting in progress. Later, i met the Indian officer who was the official translator – a vivacious young lady who said that the Chinese officers did not speak much and were quite formal.
    On the other side of the barbed wire was the Chinese headquarters. Ours looked more spruced up than theirs from the outside. The Chinese also host the official meetings. Both sides take turns and try and serve their best cuisine. This sounded quite sumptuous. So there is something to look forward to even at 14,200 feet!
    As we were leaving, the clouds rolled in and suddenly the buildings and the road became vaporous. Then it started to snow – at this height it happens even in May. Astonishingly, on our side of the border tourists were allowed while the Chinese side looked empty of life. Later, we lunched at the Brigade headquarters and the brigade commander told us how the tourists who come up are so grateful – because sometimes they have to be rescued from snowbound roads by the army but mostly just because they see what the soldiers have to go through. They write such touching notes in the visitor’s book that guarding our borders seems even more worthwhile, said the brigadier. It is a morale booster to hear how much the soldiers are appreciated by their countrymen. I left wishing more young people would go up to Nathu La and ask what they can do for their country.

Courtesy: Ashali Varma, Times of India