George Fernandes- Soldier's Friend, Kargil, Siachen Glacier and Nilgiri's Cake

George Fernandes’s passing away drew curtains to a leadership style which was bold, involved and yet humble. And what a Defence Minister and a fine human being he was!  He was one of the most courteous, large hearted and professional political leaders as seen by a soldier during the tumultuous period of the Kargil conflict and the aftermath.

Amidst the Kargil conflict, I was posted to the Army Aviation unit located outside Srinagar which was waiting to enter the battle zone at Kargil(8000 ft above MSL) , Batalik, Drass (10500 ft above MSL and the 2nd coldest habited place in the world) and Koksur areas. Within 3 days of my arrival at Srinagar, we flew in to the Kargil helipad. Due to lack of space for more than 2 helicopters at the Kargil hangar, I along with 2 helicopters, air and ground crew remained at Kargil and the other helicopters moved to Leh, which was an hour’s flying time to the East. By the beginning of Aug 1999, the Pakistani regulars and irregulars were driven away, a state of ‘No-war-no-peace’(NWNP) returned where both sides keep glaring at each other and take snipe shots as is the norm.

George Fernandes was the Minister for Defence from Mar 1998-Mar 2001 and again from Oct 2001 to May 2004 with Jaswant Singh coming in for 8 months from Mar-Oct 2001. As soldiers, our direct interaction with the Defence Minister became surprisingly frequent during George Fernandes’s tenure. In the period after the exchange of artillery fire and re-capture of the Tololing, Tiger Hill and Kargil heights, George Fernandes visited these areas almost every month. In this period, the Indian Army swung into Op Alert mode and all the border posts manned by the Army including the Siachen and the Sub Sector North, bordering Tibet (China) were being fortified with men, war like stores and increased vehicle, air connectivity. The artillery guns comprising of the Bofors FH77, which proved its worth during the Kargil war, the good old Russian 130mm M46, the 105mm Indian Field Gun (IFG) batteries were being re-located to new and old semi-peace time locations from the war time battery posts. The 1999 winter was approaching, and Nov-Dec were frenetic with regular Advanced Winter Stocking (AWD), thousands of trucks carrying stores through the Zojila pass on the Srinagar-Leh axis and the Manali- Leh axis, as the snow fall would close both the roads for the next five months, up to May 2000.

 This time it was different, with India coming out victorious at Kargil after Pakistan’s back stabbing which was right the next day following Vajpeyi’s bus ride to Lahore.  A new 14 Corps was being raised in place of the 3 Infantry Division at Leh. The 8th Mountain Division, stationed at Kargil temporarily was moving its HQ to Nimu, close to Leh on the Leh-Srinagar axis and the 3 Infantry Division moved its HQ from Leh to Karu, again close to Leh on the Leh-Manali axis. The Siachen Brigade, located at Partap Pur (11000ft above MSL) on the other side of the Khardungla Pass (18380Ft MSL) which itself has a very large expanse to cover was being strengthened. Raisings new Army units mean inducting more war like stores, men, fuel, ammunition, equipment, fresh and dry food items and bringing up more infrastructure. Every item from a bag of cement, iron girders, trusses to a match box and vegetables, fruits have to come from Jammu or Chandigarh either by road or by air. That is, the 1999 winter stocking loads were triple the normal in quantity to be transited by the Army Supply Corps (ASC) and the Indian Air Force. Weather permitting, the IAF was ran maximum number of IL 76 heavy lift transport and AN32 medium lift transport sorties  from Chandigarh to Leh, Jammu to Leh. The Thois (11000 ft above MSL) airfield located next to Partap Pur, the HQ of the Siachen Brigade was being upgraded, had become more active and the IAF was directly supplying from Chandigarh/Jammu to Thois. The Corps of Engineers and the Border Roads Organization (BRO) created the Kargil airfield in record time by Dec 1999, and the first AN32 made a successful landing.  All these activities needed a Defence Minister who could get the MOD babus to wake-up and clear funds, activate the civil government set up to pitch in. And George Fernandes was the right man, holding the right position at the right time. In fact, it was fun for us to see suit clad MOD officials accompanying and shuffling along with the frugal Defence Minister to Army posts, who sometimes even refused to wear the Special Winter Clothing offered, choosing to remain in his trademark kurta-pyjama.

By Nov 1999, we moved with our helicopters to Khalsi (10800 ft above MSL) a beautiful location on the banks of the Indus river right on the NH1A between Kargil and Leh (11800 ft above MSL). The Army Corps of Engineers had built our new hangar in a short time of 2 months, before winter. Normally, in the high altitude, it takes 2 months for the RCC to cure as against 3 weeks in plains. Khalsi,located in the middle of a narrow funnel formed by tall mountains on the East and West with the Indus flowing down below in the valley, the NH1A ‘highway’ which then was a 20ft wide rutted road passes right through, was a staging post for supply of stores to the Southern Siachen Glacier and Batalik areas.  Due to the funnel effect, the winds are fierce at Khalsi and in the winter, the chill effect intensifies the cold. As December came, the temperatures went down, and by 20 Dec 1999, the Indus river started freezing, the night temperatures going down to -27°C. We started taking our daily walks on the frozen Indus.  At the end of Dec 1999, I was transferred from the Army Aviation Corps to command a unit in the Siachen Glacier sector maintaining guns, weapons, radars, vehicles and other military equipment. I moved to the Siachen Base camp (12900 ft above MSL), where the temperature hovered between -9° to-40°C.

At the Siachen Base Camp, we officers had a choice for living space, it is either an Arctic Tent which is supposed to have a difference of 20°C + from the ambient but can not protect against enemy shelling or the underground bunker which will be cold and damp but can protect against the enemy shelling. I chose the tent because Pakistani shelling was not very accurate on the Base Camp as it is surrounded 80% with soaring and closely packed mountains. The Nubra river originates at the Base Camp from the melting ice of the Siachen Glacier and in Jan 2000, it was completely frozen.  

On the new year day of 2000, the Army Aviation and the IAF helicopters brought stacks of boxes of Bangalore’s Nilgiri’s cakes to the Siachen Base Camp. And George Fernandes visited the Camp, spoke with everyone and distributed the Nilgiri’s New Year cake to the soldiers and officers. Later, we came to know that he had also paid for the cake distributed to the soldiers from his own pocket. He went on to visit 2-3 forward posts located in the Central and Southern Glaciers at heights ranging from 19000 ft- 20500 ft MSL, of course he was wearing his kurta-pyjama  but now with a parka on. In that  year, he visited the Siachen Sector roughly 12 times, by far the most frequent by any minister. Again, the year 2001 started with the Nilgiri’s cake present by the Defence Minister to all the soldiers.  He made it a point to visit the Siachen Base School (SBS) which trains us in the use of mountaineering equipment essential for survival in the Siachen Glacier Sector. A keen observer, he would ask the soldiers about the quality of the equipment available, the food stuff being supplied and actions being taken to improve the living conditions in those harsh conditions. Even a passing mention by a soldier would result in observable effort to solve the problem. No wonder that every soldier who had seen George Fernandes in action fondly remembers his commitment, involvement and effectiveness as the Defence Minister of the Country.

My direct interactions with George Fernandes were during his visits to our unit at the Siachen Base Camp and at the Siachen Brigade HQ at Partap Pur.  On coming to know that I am from Mysore, he would inquire in Kannada about the unit life.  Being a polyglot, Fernandes could speak several languages fluently and would interact with our soldiers in their language. In those cold, snow clad, bright days, he would not accept tea or coffee in cup and saucer but would ask for it in a glass which warms the palm, like everyone else. Sometimes he would remember an equipment for which someone higher up had passed on a request to him, he would ask whether that has arrived and working? I specifically remember his interest in the problems with the Snow Mobiles which were the life line of the Glacier and on which I was working.

George Fernandes as we had come to know from his Emergency days was a fierce, physically fit, angry, demanding leader. On meeting him the first time in that field conditions, we were convinced that he is a fine, down to earth human being who was a committed and dedicated professional.  His demeanour as the defence minister was calm, courteous and friendly.

 The Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun’s ‘Chetwode Motto’ (named after Field Marshal   Philip Chetwode) etched on the pantheon under which every passing out Gentleman Cadet goes on to earn the commission as an Officer of the Indian Army, goes like this,

   “First, the safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time

 Second, the honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.

 Third, your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time”

The least I can say about George Fernandes is, he epitomized this motto in letter and spirit and will forever remain in the hearts of the Indian soldiers.