Journey Of Faith - Part 5: The Tale Of Triumph

RIZWAN. That's the name I saw printed on his velcro name tag in a golden font. The six-footer has a stocky build, he hails from Gorakhpur and is evidently happy to see us in what's considered "off season". Rizwan takes us through the pages of history, but not before quizzing us about international borders and lines of control.

“Kahaniyon pe vishwaas rakhna hai, toh inpe rakho. Proof hai!” (If you want to believe stories, believe these ones. There’s proof!) he says taking a jibe at blind faiths. A full-fledged military combat unfolded at Longewala in the December of 1971. Major Kuldip Singh, the man in-charge of 23 Punjab battalion at the border post gets wind of Pakistan's plot to lay siege. In the bigger scheme of things, Pakistan wants to capture Ramgarh and eventually take charge of Jaisalmer. Two options lay in front of the Major - retreat and concede the post, or stay put and fight. "Hum peeche hatne waalon mei se kabhi nahi rahein hai," (We've never been the ones to back down) chirps Rizwan beaming with pride. 

Working in tandem with the Air Force, the Indian Army took on the enemy. The casualties were massive - 179 Pakistani soldiers neutralised and 37 tanks destroyed. Two of those tanks are on display at Longewala, with the Pakistani national flag painted upside down, and the barrel pointing downwards. "Isse dekh kar garv mahsoos hota hai. Hum jeetey they yahaan," Rizwan's words chimed in my ear as I stepped in closer to the tank. Oh, and since we're petrolheads, the tank features an air-cooled 400PS motor and is of a German make - Sherman. 

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"Quartered in sand, silent to remain. When the bugle calls, they shall rise and march again." Reading this sent a shiver down my spine. The calm at Longewala is unexplainable. It's hard to process the fact that the same place saw bloodshed, martyrdom and victory. While I soaked it in, I was numb and overwhelmed at the price the forces pay to keep safe and sound. The virtue of selflessness shines through every single soldier. The least we can do, is put our belief in them. While Fazilka merely dropped hints, Longewala cemented my belief that our forces are driven by the faith and the love of the people they protect. 

"Here we drew a line in blood across the desert. A line the enemy dare not cross." These words shall remain etched in my memory forever. They kept coming back to me as I belted the Tucson towards Ramgarh. Snuggled in the comfy seats, I'm looking forward to some dinner and sleep. We're staying in tents near the Sam dunes for the night and have decided to marathon 650km to Dholavira the next day. The Tucson doesn't look like it'd bat an eyelid to that thought. But, I was going to need some shut eye before that. Until tomorrow. 

Follow the journey live by clicking on this link here.