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Captain Haneef Uddin, VrC
Captain Haneef Uddin was only 25 when he died from multiple bullet wounds in the border town of Turtuk during the Kargil war of 1999.
When then Army Chief General Ved Prakash Malik visited Mrs Hema Aziz, Haneef's mother, and told her the body could not+
Captain Haneef Uddin was only 25 when he died from multiple bullet wounds in the border town of Turtuk during the Kargil war of 1999.
When then Army Chief General Ved Prakash Malik visited Mrs Hema Aziz, Haneef's mother, and told her the body could not+
retrieved because the enemy was firing constantly, she met his eyes bravely and said she did not want another soldier to risk his life to get her son's body back. His body was retrieved after 43 days.
"After the war is over I would like to go and see where he died," she said.
General Malik assured her that she would be able to.
Haneef's body was eventually retrieved. He was buried with full military honours in Delhi. Mrs Hema Aziz made the pilgrimage with her other two sons+
General Malik assured her that she would be able to.
Haneef's body was eventually retrieved. He was buried with full military honours in Delhi. Mrs Hema Aziz made the pilgrimage with her other two sons+
to Turtuk, going all the way to see where her son, who used to laughingly complain that she never had time for him, had given up his life for his country.
This time, he was not around to see her.+
This time, he was not around to see her.+
By 7 July, nearly a month after Haneef died, 11 Rajputana Rifles completes its Siachen tenure and is de-inducted from the glacier. Colonel Bhatia (the commanding officer) is furious about the loss of his men and is raging like an injured lion.+
The unit reaches Turtuk on 10 July. Colonel Bhatia moves to Zangpal, takes a week to study the position of the enemy posts, and then gives himself his first task.
"We shall retrieve the bodies of our martyrs," he tells his men.
Operation Amar Shaheed is launched.+
"We shall retrieve the bodies of our martyrs," he tells his men.
Operation Amar Shaheed is launched.+
On 18 July, 43 days after Haneef dies, Captain S K Dhiman, Major Sanjay Vishwas Rao, Lieutenant Ashish Bhalla, Havaldar Surinder and Rifleman Dharam Vir volunteer for the task and leave Zangpal at last light, crossing over to the glacier nearly 6 km away.+
Carefully negotiating the deadly precipices, the soldiers manage to locate Haneef and Parvesh, and extricate the frozen bodies. Dragging them behind boulders, and then carrying them on their backs, they walk quietly through the night, reaching Zangpal by 7 am.+
A helicopter lands the next morning and carries the bodies away as Colonel Bhatia watches the body bags with moist eyes. Subedar Mangesh's body still lies in a crevasse.
"We will get you soon, Mangesh," Colonel Bhatia makes a silent promise to the dead soldier.+
"We will get you soon, Mangesh," Colonel Bhatia makes a silent promise to the dead soldier.+
That promise is fulfilled when the battle is finally over.
The troops of 11 Rajputana Rifles now plan to avenge the deaths of their comrades by attacking and capturing Point 5590.
Colonel Bhatia starts planning the assault on Point 5590 which is to be called Operation Haneef.+
The troops of 11 Rajputana Rifles now plan to avenge the deaths of their comrades by attacking and capturing Point 5590.
Colonel Bhatia starts planning the assault on Point 5590 which is to be called Operation Haneef.+
Though a very high casualty rate had been expected, 11 Rajputana Rifles loses one man in this operation. This in spite of the fact that the unit had been at a complete disadvantage -- the soldiers were fatigued and were climbing up to fight a well established enemy, they had+
no intelligence on how many soldiers waited for them on the heights and with what weapons.
Since the war has been declared over by the time this daring operation takes place, the unit does not get many gallantry awards.+
Since the war has been declared over by the time this daring operation takes place, the unit does not get many gallantry awards.+
"We avenged our comrades, that was our greatest reward," says Colonel Bhatia.
“Soldiers don't go to the battlefield to die, they go to fight. Haneef had opted to be a soldier. He had taken a pledge to always place his country before his own self; he had to honour it,”+
“Soldiers don't go to the battlefield to die, they go to fight. Haneef had opted to be a soldier. He had taken a pledge to always place his country before his own self; he had to honour it,”+
says Haneef’s mother.
"I am proud of my son. There cannot be a greater statement on his valour than his death which came while fighting the enemy. There are so many soldiers who came back alive from the war. I am happy for them. It was Haneef's destiny to not return and I+
"I am proud of my son. There cannot be a greater statement on his valour than his death which came while fighting the enemy. There are so many soldiers who came back alive from the war. I am happy for them. It was Haneef's destiny to not return and I+
accept it. He has been an inspiration to so many. Even though his life was short, it was meaningful,"
(Capt Haneef's mother and brother at his passing out parade at the IMA in Dehradun two years before his martyrdom. He was the youngest officer of the battalion during the war.)
(Capt Haneef's mother and brother at his passing out parade at the IMA in Dehradun two years before his martyrdom. He was the youngest officer of the battalion during the war.)
