Kargil Conflict: Patriotic side of North East

people comes to limelight

C.K. Nayak

For once the North-Eastern region is hitting the headlines for right reasons.
Otherwise the region perceived as a god-forshaken place grabs the headlines
either for insurgency related violence or for natural calamities like floods in the
mighty Brahmaputra or landslides. Development news, most of them often
repeated, are pushed to inner pages for filling the space.

But this time with the war in Kargil the attention was focused on the North-
Eastern region which incidentally has similar features. Hence, Central para-
military forces and armed units deployed in the region began their march to
Kargil. Both the Naga regiments, first and second, were deployed in the
treacherous sector to take on the Pakistani Army. Specially the Nagas, who were
known for their mountain skill and bravery took the enemies head on.

The Naga battalions and other jawans and officers from the North-Eastern region
—— Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya belonging to other regiments fought a
valiant battle. Many in the process lost their lives but made both the nation and
the region proud.

So overwhelmed the people of the region, the funeral of the war heroes
surpasses the record of great political leaders of the region who were legends
even during their lifetime. When the body of Captain K. Clifford Nongrum arrived
in Shillong for the last rites and placed in the famous parade ground, the crowd
was huge. All were unanimous that the crowd were more than that at the funeral
of famous Captain (Retd.) William Sangma, former chief minister of the State.
This was in Shillong, where once the slogan used to be that we are Khasis by
birth but Indian by accident.

Similar was the case with funeral of Lt. Neikezhakuo Kengurusie of Rajputana
Rifles, who died in the Kargil war. It is a different matter that his grandfather
could not come to Kohima to see his body since he is too old to climb up and
down the mountain. But Nagaland never witnessed such a funeral since the
passing away of legendary Phizo, eyewitnesses agreed.

The supreme sacrifices made by the jawans of the Naga Regiment and Nagas of
other regiments first took the media by surprise. After all for long the Nagas have
been described only as insurgents or head hunters. So much so was the lack of
portrayal of the Naga heroes that Chief Minister S. C. Jamir made a complain
about the same in the Chief Ministers’ Conference called earlier in Delhi to
discuss the Kargil issue. Even the official media i.e. the Doordarshan failed to
take note of the supreme sacrifices made by the officers and jawans of the Naga
Regiment, he said.

Whether by the criticism of Mr. Jamir or otherwise, the media started highlighting
the sacrifices made by the North-East soldiers. At least for once the news
relating to NSCN factions were relegated to background.

Similar was the crowd when Captain Jintu Gogoi’s body landed in Guwahati from
Delhi en route to his hometown in Jorhat district. But the scene of his finance
drapped in a white shalwarkameez touched everybody’s heart. She was the
sweetheart of the Captain from the school days. But instead of wearing bridal
dress, she was drapped in white dress like a widow —— even before the
marriage.

The reaction of the parents and the fellow villagers to the supreme sacrifices of
their heroes was no different from those in the so-called mainland. All of them
wanted to send their sons to the battlefield unmindful of the fatal consequences.
Even the grandfather of Neike was of similar sentiment. Incidentally the 83-year-
old man in his lifetime has seen the Japanese invasion.

In the just concluded Kargil conflict, the first Naga regiment was deployed in Dras
sector and the second in Patan. The latter captured many important peaks in
Mushkoh valley and enemy mortar positions which earned them instant citation
from the Army chief. The first Naga regiment soldiers killed about a dozen of
intruders only with their ‘khukries’. But the best reaction was that of Sepoy
Dnozoli of the first Naga. Down with serious splinter injuries and tied to hospital
bed he is letting out war cries to go back to the battlefield and finish the
remaining enemies.

Oriental Times(Headlines) | Nena Home Page

Agile Naga soldiers know not fear

Gaurav C Sawant

MUSHKOH VALLEY, JULY 14: Their gallantry will make the chest of every
Indian swell with pride. They are the brave soldiers from Nagaland most of them
from the Naga regiment who have helped the Army recover some crucial peaks.

These short-statured but tough soldiers have scripted some of the most valiant
tales of fearlessness and patriotism in these steep, rugged mountains. Lt N
Kenguruse, Sipahi Gangching Konyak, Havildar Raiku Yimchunger all killed in
action and others like Sipahi Stanzin who are still battling the enemy with
courage and an undying faith in God.

Sipahi Stanzin of 2 Nagas fought the Pakistan intruders atop Point 4875 for eight
hours on July 7 despite profusely bleeding from the stomach and shoulder. He
was hit by enemy bullets as he killed at least five intruders, slitting their throats
with his deadly khukri the most effective weapon of the Nagas in one swift
motion. He fought, with bleeding wounds, till the peak was recovered. It was only
after the hard-fought victory that six ofhis colleagues from the unit could bring
him down.

``They had to carry the bleeding Stanzin down from over 16,000 feet altitude. His
pulse was becoming faint as he had lost a lot of blood. But his colleagues some
injured themselves did not rest even for a second.

They did not even stop for a sip of water. From time to time, they lifted the Cross
which Stanzin wore around his neck and put it on his lips to kiss. It was their
implicit faith in God which kept them going,'' an officer said.They walked non-stop
for eight hours to take Stanzin to the Advance Dressing Station where, after initial
emergency treatment, he was airlifted to the hospital in Srinagar. Though they
did not have the latest information on his condition, the officer was sure he was
on his way to recovery. ``He is a determined young man,'' he said. And this he
said from experience.

Stanzin had already proved his mettle in the Tiger Hill victory on July 3-4, taking
on at least half-a-dozen Pakistani intruders in close combat. While thesoldiers of
Grenadiers climbed the steep mountain from behind, using ropes, the Nagas laid
the foundation for their attack, engaging the intruders in a fierce hand-to-hand
battle. Stanzin killed siz of them, unmindful of the injuries he himself received.

He came down revelling in the jubilation over the victory all around. With his
wounds dressed and recovering, Stanzin volunteered as part of his unit to go to
Mushkoh Valley to recover Point 4875.

The officers say that the bravery of Naga soldiers had been a great plus point for
the Army. ``They are agile and nimble, and climbing the mountains is like riding a
bicycle for them. And, most important, they do not know fear,'' an officer said.
And they have the shining example of Lt Kenguruse, a 24-year-old Naga, who
laid down his life in the battle for Lone Hill in the Drass sector on June 28.

``Young Kenguruse was playing the guitar in the afternoon when the task of
capturing Lone Hill was given to his unit. They started climbing at sundown but
itbecame extremely difficult with heavy enemy firing. Taking even one step
forward was almost impossible,'' recounted an officer at Drass Brigade
Headquarters.
It was then that Kenguruse decided to try and climb from the rear, close to the
Pakistani camp. ``His snow shoes kept slipping in the snow as he tried to climb
the almost vertical mountain. Then putting his inherent Naga skills to test, he took
of his shoes, socks and also his shirt. He slung his Insas rifle across his shoulder
and barefoot took on the mountain,'' said a senior officer, who was also part of
the operation.

``He sprang up like a leopard and succeeded in holding on to a ledge. He threw

the rope down for his buddies to climb. It was cold, past 1 am and his bare upper
body was glistening with sweat. As he climbed himself and helped others do the
same, the intruders attacked them. Hanging from the precarious ledge, he
managed to kill four of them before being killed himself. I salute the young brave
man,'' the officer added.

Eightgallant soldiers of the Naga regiment laid down their lives in last week's
operations in the Mushkok Valley, and they also fought with distinction in the
Drass sub-sector, bringing honour to their regiment.In Mushkoh Valley, the
infantry soldiers belonging to the Naga regiment, in a daring operation, physically
raided and captured a 120 mm mortar gun position held by Pakistani intruders
which was three kilometres well within the Indian territory.

``Whoever says that the North-East is alienated from India, needs to come to the
battlefield and see these soldiers fight with all they have,'' an officer said.

Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.