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History will
recognise the contribution of Tashi, a shepherd by profession as
pivotal to India’s war history. He displayed raw courage and devotion
of a civilians to national military efforts
 Tashi
was the first one in 1999 who spotted the Pak intruders in Batallik
sector.
Remembering the good old black days of Kargil war he tells that he had
gone locating his lost yak on the top of the Banju hill in Batalik and
well equipped with binoculars this Aryan shepherd captured the
movement of six Pakistani intruders dressed in black salwar kameez.
Remembering the incident he says, “I immediately rushed to the nearest
post informing the guard commander, Balwinder Singh of 3 Punjab . Army
or the local division rewarded me with rupees fifty thousand. Even
after 10 years, the army continues to assist me of and on. Whenever a
new commander is posted here I get the opportunity to meet him. I have
been provided with a telephone which has been a bonus for the
villagers too,” he adds.
Tashi regrets that the country’s senior leaders as well as State
leaders who have not recognised his contribution. Even the film
industry seems to have forgotten to take cognisance of his
contribution while making several films on Kargil war. “I have
contributed and saved the enemy infiltration,” he blurts out. Tashi
expects a reward from his central government for his contribution
towards country . “It was three years after the war he had found the
body of a 1/11 Gorkha Rifles soldier on Kukarthang ridge, which helped
the soldier’s family in getting the compensation,” he told.
One of the hall marks of the Kargil operations was the effective
application of air power by the Indian Air Force with the launching of
Exercise Safedsagar to neutralise the Pakistan Army’s misadventure in
the region. This exercise was made complex due to the policy of
remaining within the confines of LOC whilst striking the targets with
precision and accuracy. This unique attempt at jointness for
unleashing concerted firepower paid strategic dividends.
The contributions of these valiants martyrs was recalled at the
commemorative ceremony held at Dras during 10th Anniversary of Vijay
Divas.
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