In honour of jawans who help India sleep easy at night

One woke up on August 14, Pakistan's independence day, to the familiar news of shelling in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. This is routine, the Indian Army is prepared for this - and answers effectively, as I came to know way back in 1981 as a young Flying Officer.

In those days, flying commitments for the Army brass were done by the Indian Air Force (IAF). I was in Jammu and we got an urgent task late at night to take the Army commander of the Northern Command early next morning to a post called Nangi Tekri, just south of Poonch.

I do not know what it looks like now, but then it was bald - really BALD - and hence the name meaning Nangi Tekri - "Bald Top". But why has that Nangi Tekri commitment stuck in my memory? Because there upfront, where the adversary was situated just across the river, I saw a piece of generalship that taught me a lifelong lesson.

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Nangi Tekri had a company of Gurkha Battalion manning the post that juts into the Pakistan-held area like a bulge. The Pakistanis had ambushed a small patrol party and killed a Captain a few days back near the river. Worse, they had not allowed the Gurkhas to pick up his body and would resort to heavy fire, including at night, to prevent the recovery.

We flew in the Army commander Lt Gen SP Malhotra (not the one who later became the Army chief) to the post. On landing, he walked straight into a closed door briefing after which he had a look at the ambush spot, which was way inside our territory.

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One could see the anger in his eyes and before departure he took aside the Subedar Major (SM) - the senior most non-commissioned soldier. The SM of a battalion represents the jawans and plays a decisive role in maintaining its morale.

I happened to be within earshot. The Army commander said, "SM saab kya jawab dena hai" (what do you have to say?)

The diminutive Gurkha SM looked up at the tall Army commander and said, "Sahab, aap hum se prashan mat poochna (Sir, don't ask us questions)."

The Army commander said, "Theek hai - Izzat ka sawal hai - ek ke badle teen hone chahiye (Okay, it's a question of prestige - there should be three for one)." And a few days later, that's what happened. Nangi Tekri was a quiet sector thereafter for many months.

As the nation celebrates its 70th Independence Day on August 15, the armed forces re-dedicate themselves to service of the nation.

The president has honoured our brave soldiers, including an Ashok Chakra and 14 Shaurya Chakras - eight of them posthumous.

One can only marvel at the bravery of our jawans. While every inch of our territory is sacred, it is especially true in Jammu and Kashmir where our western neighbour has always been an irritant. Let there be no doubt in its mind that the Indian armed forces mean business, as I saw in Nangi Tekri almost four decades back. The guard is up and the hand of peace that India extends also comes with strength and resolve.

Sleep well countrymen - Happy Independence Day!

Jai Hind!