Sentinels of the Thar

SENTINELS OF THE THAR

From Deccan Herald, 23 April 1999

A BSF Jawan keeps the vigil by day and by night

Braving the blazing sun in the vast stretches of the Thar desert and maintaining a constant vigil on camel-back at the Rajasthan-Gujarat border, Jawans from the Border Security Force (BSF) are a perfect picture of commitment and a vigorous spirit of kinship & adventure. No wonder that their motto is "DUTY UNTO DEATH!" They fight a tough battle along the 1547 km long Indo-Pak border in the districts of Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan, and Banaskantha and Kutch of Gujarat. As border areas are never free from the problems of infiltration, smuggling, or cropping up of madarsas, there is no rest for them. The responsibilities of BSF are manifold. BSF Jawans on the border of Rajasthan keep a check on infiltration activities and smuggling on the Indo-Pak border. Only last year several infiltration attempts were foiled by the vigilant BSF and suspected militants were killed in various encounters. They could perform more efficiently if one-third of the BSF Jawans, currently deployed in Jammu & Kashmir, could return to the border. Still, the BSF has considerably checked the activities of militant camps across the border from where trained agents fully equipped with detonators and other devices are sent. A Pakistani agent thus fully equipped was killed in May 1998 at the Sriganganagar border in an encounter with BSF while entering India from Pakistan.

A BSF Jawan during training

The number of militant camps is also said to have gone down as compared to 1989-90, but the present concern for the force is the smuggling of RDX from across the border. AK-47/56 rifles no longer top the list of smuggled arms nowadays. The increased inflow of highly explosive RDX has become a cause of concern to the BSF. The smuggling of narcotics drugs and weapons are considerably under control by the strict vigilance and fencing on the border, but the growing penchant for RDX has raised an alarm. Despite a strict vigil and the risk involved in carrying the cyclotrimethylene trinitroamine, the smuggling continues unabated. The BSF recovered 10 kg of RDX in 1995, followed by 20 kg in 1997 and 30 kg in 1998. The biggest ever recovery was made in 1996 in Barmer when 63 kg of RDX was recovered. The accessories required for explosion like time-devices or time-pencils are also being smuggled. The BSF intercepted the advances of hundred of suspects last year including 13 Pakistani, 29 Indian, and other nationals. The Jawans also seized a number of arms and ammunitions including AK-47/56 rifles and other weapons. Over the years the BSF Jawans have rendered a commendable job on the anti-smuggling front, seizing precious items & narcotics including gold, silver, cocaine, heroin, and charas.

The BSF's Camel Corps posted in the Thar Desert

After the nuclear blast at Pokharan, the BSF is more cautious and vigilant on guarding the Indo-Pak border. The dedicated BSF Jawans perform their duties in most adverse circumstances. Even in the sweltering heat when mercury touches a record high, the BSF men guard the far-flung desolate border outposts. To them civic amenities are a distant dream and they can't even think of having a glass of cold water. Since the Thar desert is so vast and the journey so arduous, at times when taken ill, many Jawans succumb to the extreme weather conditions because it gets too late by the time medical aid reaches them. The comfort oriented youths could probably never think of leading such a tough life, but the BSF Jawans have learnt to live with the hostilities of nature. They have developed a strong will to bear the blazing sun of the desert, the blinding simmer of the Rann of Kutch, and the freezing cold in the green belt alike.

A BSF Jawan is all smiles for the camera

In this arduous lifestyle, the camel - the ship of the desert - is a perfect companion for the BSF men. The camels provide vital mobility to BSF troops while patrolling the border areas. It also helps in carrying drinking water, ration and other essentials in the desert. But camel handling is an art and needs considerable experience and training. The new Jawans posted on the Rajasthan Gujarat border are given special training in camel riding so as to avoid cases of camel bites and injuries due to fall from camel backs. BSF Jawans - Sentinels of the Border - thus perform their duty to the motherland with a rare devotion. For them it's a "DUTY UNTO DEATH!"