Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The Moon As An Enemy
Perceptions differ. Sitting on a rock in Drass at a height of 10,660 feet is like being in paradise. You watch the moon at its purest and whitest best, you see the black knife-edged mountains catch the moonbeams.
However, 6,000 feet above, for the soldiers battling the infiltrators, the mountain is an enemy, the moon its accomplice. For it takes away the cover of darkness, leaving the soldiers vulnerable on the harsh, craggy rock face.
At this height, the temperatures are freezing, the winds chilly. But braving all this, last night, a group of soldiers from the Grenadiers, each carrying a 25-kg backpack and a makeshift walking stick, march towards the next challenge.
The time was a little after midnight. They had walked seven hours through the snow at a peak near the Line of Control. Movement during the day is ruled out and at night, they have to bear with the moon.
Luck helps, too. For example, last night, a Pakistani bullet hit a rock and a chip grazed past aGrenadier8217;s nose. 8220;I just put some snow on it and walked on,8221; he said.
The soldiers are wary of the moonlight. That is why during the operations to recover Peak 4700, casualties had been high since it was a full moon. The moon also bathes Tiger Hill and the adjoining peaks where the Army and the intruders are engaged in a fierce battle. Flares regularly light up the sky, the sound of machine-gun fire echoes off the mountain sides.
Grief In Triumph
The capture of Peak 4700 was one of the most significant successes for the Indian Army, as the peak was a major hurdle in its march towards Tiger Hill. But the loss of 25 lives weighs heavy at the Drass Brigade Headquarters. The mood is solemn, senior officers recollecting the incident are trying to put it behind them as they plan for the next target: Tiger Hill.
