Indian Army Soldier - From the Diary of an Soldier

Soldiers are the true saviors of our nation- there cannot be a more incredible emotion than to live and to lay one’s life for the sake of their country in a manner that is selfless and practically priceless in every way.

Indeed, the Indian Army soldiers and jawans are the true heroes of our life. We cannot simply repay the unknown sacrifices they have made for every citizen of this country on any given day.

Here is one such moving tribute to the heroes of our erstwhile Kargil war by none other than the Kargil war veteran himself.

Diary of an Indian Army Soldier:

It is a beautiful chapter from the treasurable diary of Brigadier Vinod Dutta, the famous army veteran. He is now a Corporate Trainer and a senior visiting faculty and consultant with the National Institute of Disaster Management.

In this captivating write-up, Brigadier Dutta has penned his profound thoughts and has dedicated his heartfelt emotions to all the young, brave army men of the Indian battalion. He has written about the dedicated troop of soldiers and endearing jawans. He had spent a memorable time with these jawans during the frontline operations of the unforgettable 1999 Indo-Pak Kargil war.

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It was a warm summer morning in the year 1999 in Mathura. I enjoyed my cup of piping hot coffee after completing a good 40-minute warm-up, run & jog with my lovely army friends.

We received a call from the Army Headquarters. It was none other than my father (Major General P Dutta) from the Army Headquarters. He picked up the phone. As he spoke, I listened to his every word with a keen sense of anticipation and hopefulness. These are his words, and I quote him.

“Great news awaits… you are singularly lucky that you have to report to Srinagar tomorrow and will further get orders to move to Drass.” As expected, this was a clarion call for Operation VIJAY, also known as the Kargil War. I was simply thrilled. Listening to his expression and tone of voice, I could feel the sense of pride, personal desire, and privilege he felt to convey this news to us. It was a truly proud moment.

I was happy to return to serve my nation at any beck and call, but something was running on my mind today. I wanted to spend just one more day with my unwell grandmother. When I conveyed my message over the phone, asking for permission to stay with her, I got in reply was genuinely touching. Over the phone, the old man (my father) said – Your grandmother is strong, and she will be safe, but it is your mother nation that wants you immediately. Within a fraction of a second, I got the answer to my questions. I bid farewell to my grandmother and promised her I would come to see her soon. I started to get ready to pack my bag and accouterments, reporting to the transit camp along with the others. Army airlifted us with the jawans and fellow officers to our destination.

It is a proverb in Army that when you are in Army, and you want to get married, it is customary for you to seek permission from the Commanding Officer of the battalion. He grants permission after perusing the profile of the girl you are marrying to give him the trust that she can be a great support to the officer at all times. Though the married life in the Army appears to be glamorous to the outsiders, we do have our set of challenges and anxieties. The role of the Army wife is significant in a soldier’s life. She is indeed the backbone of the family. It cannot be more accurate as I describe one of the touching moments when I left my home & my family to go to the battlefield during the Kargil war.

At home:

So the day when I left for Kargil, my younger son Varun who was just five years old, and my elder son Vipul, along with their mother, were enjoying their long vacation with me.

As children, they didn’t realize that their father would leave them sooner when he got a call. Sadly, that’s what happened.

Separation is indeed part of life in the Army, but this time it was more heart-touching and full of emotions for me to say, see you soon. I had to leave with a very heavy heart.

Every time I was away, my wife would don the role of being everything to the children. She would be a caretaker, a loving mother, a guiding light, and a guardian angel to both our sons. She single-handedly nurtured and looked after both the children while I was on my duty looking after the nation.

At the battlefield:

We landed in Srinagar airfield, a city where I have spent some of my most precious childhood days. The salubrious environs combined with the lovely nostalgic memories of the times of yore made me more poetic than ever. Even after so many decades since I have left the city, the lovely memories filled my journey from the airfield to the headquarters.

I had spent my childhood in this beautiful paradise on earth. My father had the posting in Srinagar at work and with the family.

Time flew by, and it was time to face reality. Soon, the officer briefed us about our plan of action ahead of us and comprehended the situation lying in front of us. The next day we were to part ways from the other jawans and officers to be on our own on the battlefield of Kargil. Indian army diary

At that point, we did have a clue about some movement along with LOC (line of control), but we initially thought of it as a routine border skirmish. But it was not. From 3rd May to 25th May 1999, Army tried more local actions. Soon, we realized that it was a mammoth operation that needed the synergized efforts of everyone – including me. Within no time, we reached our areas of responsibility. Ask any Kargil hero. Everyone remembers operation Vijay as it was also known, as the real test of their strength and mettle. The Army fought the Kargil war in such treacherous conditions which one can compare to none other in the entire military history of independent India.

In Kargil, the Armies of both sides fought over rugged mountains. It was the war fought by young officers, young die-hard Jawans who showed indomitable acts of bravery in the face of an enemy. We were at lower heights, which gave us an inherent disadvantage of terrain, not to mention time and tenacity. The attacks were uphill, but the men in uniform converted khaki to khaki by the Josh, Jazba, and Junnon of these men in olive green.
Here we are reminded that a nation without heroes is without a future. Our nation has patronized Bollywood actors and Cricketers as inspirational icons. Kargil brought us a surfeit of heroes, unwavering leaders, unflinching followers of truly unsurmountable resolve. I give my heartfelt salute to these soldiers!

JAI HIND! JAI JAWAN!

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Hi, I am Alifia. I am a senior creative writer and a communication consultant. Writing is my passion, and reaching out to youngsters through my words is true love. I have written short stories for online journals, feature articles for magazines. I have also written motivational writing for numerous newspapers and online blogs. My passion is to explore the opportunity to write for children and youngsters. I especially like motivational writing, counseling through words, and fun and learning-oriented topics. I also take up the group and individual learning sessions that motivate children to coordinate and communicate better! Reach her at LINKEDIN ID.

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