THE FORGOTTEN HERO: CAPTAIN SAURABH
KALIA
[THIS IS A FICTIONAL
ACCOUNT OF THE LAST DAYS OF CAPTAIN KALIA]
“By crushing individuals they cannot kill the nation. “
May 15, 1999 5 AM
Father, we are patrolling the Kaksar Langpa area of Kargil.
We had come here on patrolling duty a few days back to check if snow has
retreated so that we can reclaim our post. One of our senior officers explained
that our soldiers leave the posts in winter and reclaim it in summer. It is the
tradition since many years.
The last time we came here there was some unusual activity
over here. We suspect that terrorists have crossed the LOC. So we will check
the status over here and report back to our unit. I am accompanied by Sepoy
Arjun Ram, Bhanwarlal Bagaria, Bhika Ram and Naresh Singh.
May 15, 1999 Midnight
Father we were ambushed. We were outnumbered. About 80-90
Pakistani rangers and terrorists encircled us. We resisted them with full
force. We fought till our last bullet. We waited for the re –enforcement but
they never arrived. When the ammunition was exhausted they took us prisoners.
They hit us with their rifle. I felt unconscious.
Now I find myself in a dark cold cell. It is very small. It
is not possible to extend my legs so I have to sit here cuddled up. I can hear
the wailing of Naresh Singh. He must be injured very badly.
But I am not afraid Father. I remember, once you said, ‘Expose
yourself to the deepest fear, after that fear has no power, fear shrinks and
vanishes. You are set free. ‘
May 16, 1999
Father they came in the middle of the night. I was dragged
out of the cell into a dark interrogation room. Two people looking like
officers started questioning me. He wanted to know about the roads, regiments,
bunkers, ammunition stocks on our side. But I didn’t tell them. I didn’t
divulge any details.
They burned my skin with cigarette, they beat me with rifle,
but I didn’t reveal any information. At the end of it he asked me to abuse my
nation, my motherland. He asked me if I would comply, I nodded and shouted with
all my strength,”Bharat Mata Ki Jay “.
This angered him and he removed a knife from his pocket. He tried to insert it
in my mouth but I clenched my jaws tightly. I ended with cut lips. They beat me
till I felt unconscious.
Now I wake up in this cold dingy cell and I remember I had asked you once,’ Why do soldiers fight?’ and you had
explained,’ A true soldier fights not because what he hates in front of him, but
because he loves what is behind him.’ Yes Father I am a true soldier. I
will fight for you, for my country, for my brothers and sisters behind the
border.
May ( date unknown)
I was again taken to an interrogation room. I asked the
officer present there to treat me as a prisoner of war and respect the Geneva
Convention. He asked me to salute his flag and then he would think of Geneva
Convention. I denied. Four of them caught me and held me against the floor. Two
others started hitting me with sticks. I was in severe pain but I did not cry,
father. I did not beg for mercy. They hit me on my face and broke my teeth but
I did not relent.
I am again sitting in that dark cell. But it is not cold. It is
warm because my blood has covered the floor. A welcome change indeed.
May ( date unknown)
I am tortured daily father. The moment I wake up I am hit
till I get unconscious. Again I wake up and again they start hitting me.
The other day they were talking about how their army shot
our air force plane. One of them came to me and asked me if I heard what they
were saying. I denied hearing anything.
He keeps on repeating abuses but I would not listen. This angered him and he
brought a hot rod. They inserted it in both my ears.
What else father. They have fractured my every bone, they have
cut my lips, they have burned my skin, what else?
But on the brighter side it must be a month away from my
birthday father. I hope I will get back home by then.
The last day
Father they are very angry today. They say the Indian army
has launched a major offensive against them. I am very happy.
They have tied my limbs and hitting me endlessly. One of
them comes with a sword and he chops my nose. It is bleeding profusely. I am
feeling dizzy. He asks me to salute him and swear allegiance to his nation. No
I will not do that father. He lifts his sword and cuts my hand. The world is
going round. I can hear strange sounds. He is again using a sword. He asks me
to stand on my knees.
I can’t see properly. I can hear you father, are you here? I
can see you father, I want to hug you. Why are you not coming near me? I want
you near me…
Captain Saurabh Singh Kalia
Born: June 30, 1976
4, Jat regiment
He
was held as a prisoner of war by the Pakistani forces.
He
along with five other soldiers of his patrolling team were
captured alive and tortured and their bodies mutilated.
He was captured on may 15, 1999 and his
body was received on June 9 by the Indian side. The postmortem revealed that the Pakistan
army had tortured the prisoners by:
·
burning their
body with cigarettes
·
piercing
ear-drums with hot rods
·
puncturing eyes
before removing them,
·
breaking most of
the teeth and bones,
·
fractures of the
skull,
·
cutting the
lips,
·
chipping of
nose,
·
chopping off
limbs and private organs of these soldiers
·
inflicting all
sorts of physical and mental tortures
finally
shooting them dead, as evidenced by the bullet wound to the temple.
The postmortem report also confirmed that
injuries were inflicted ante-mortem (before death)
We will never know what happened with Captain Kalia or with
other men. But we know for sure that he was tortured .
THE EVENTS I HAVE MENTIONED MAY HAVE NOT TAKEN PLACE BUT THE FACT
REMAINS : AN INDIAN SOLDIER WAS TORTURED AND BRUTALLY KILLED AGAINST
ALL INTERNATIONAL RULES AND CONVENTIONS.
Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik
on his visit to India commented "when a fight is going on in the
border,
we really do not know whether he (Captain Kalia) died of a Pakistani bullet or
weather."
Captain Kalia’s father is fighting for
justice.They
are trying to take the Pakistani government to the International Court of
Justice.
Hope he gets justice as soon as possible because ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’.
