Braveheart Chandra Shekhar Harbola’s body being brought to his hometown Haldwani after 38 years. Will be given final adieu with full state honours !

After a protracted wait of thirty eight long years, finally the dead body of our brave heart Lance Naik who’d sacrificed himself in 1984 in operation Meghdoot at Siachin was found by the Army petrol and is being brought to his native place with full honours on 16 th August, a day after the 75 th national independence day. Sounds unique and strange that the traumatic family who’d already done rituals of the departed soul 38 years ago in the absence of the dead body of martyred soldier Chandra Shekhar Harbola, a brave heart of 19 Kumaon regiment would now be able to see his face and perform the last rites with full honour and religious rituals with his wife and two daughters feeling privileged to have his last Darshan and pay their obeisance. This is really a very tragic and emotional story of a traumatic and anguished family whose tears have now become hard n dry. When merely twenty eight years old Chandra Shekhar Harbola of 19 Kumaon regiment died in an avalanche during operation Meghdoot in 1984 his two daughters were merely 1.5 years and four years old respectively, who had almost forgotten how their father looked like. His wife who was merely twenty six years old then has now turned 64. Had Chandra Shekhar Harbola been alive, he would have been of 66 years by now. Kindly recall that during the operation Meghdoot on 29 th May, 1984, due to an inclement and freezing weather with a strong thunderstorm , nineteen jawans had been buried under the snow several feet deep, with no trace of them. Only the dead bodies of five jawans could be traced after immense efforts. As a result, the family members of all the martyred soldiers in Meghdoot operation at Siachin were informed including the family of Chandra Shekhar Harbola of 19, Kumaon Regiment about their missing or dead bodies not found. The traumatic and anguished family lost all hopes and had no option but to perform his last rites. On 16 th August Late Harbola’s wife Shanti Devi who had been living in Haldwani, having shifted from Ranikhet in 1993 and her two married daughters and her grand children will see their husband, father and grandfather and give him final ceremonial adieu, though in a shocking state, losing him so tragically 38 years ago from now. One of Harbola’s daughters was married after passing 12 th standard while another one after passing BSC. The widowed mother had to face tremendous challenges and odd circumstances to raise both the daughters whose father had died at such a young age leaving them in the state of distress – financial and other wise. The Meghdoot operation was organised by Indian Army to capture Siachin glaciar . It was commenced on 13 April, 1984. This unique Army operation ( mission) was organised at the highest warfare. As a result the Indian Army had captured the entire Siachin glacier. This warfare was so intense that about thirty five Army Officers and 887 God ORS had laid down their precious lives fighting the enemy forces. The then chief of Pakistan Army Parvez Musharraf had accepted Pakistan’s defeat in which valiant India Army had captured over one thousand square kilometres of area of Siachin. When the Indian Army was informed about the capture by Pakistan of the most inaccessible war zone at Siachin glaciar, a team of 19 daredevil bravehearts of 19 Kumaon regiment were deputed on this mission. All of them walked on foot to reach Siachin. On 29 May, 1984 at 4.00 AM an avalanche occured burying all the 19 bravehearts underneath the snow. During this warfare, the brave Indian Army Jawans had captured the Gyongla glacier of Siachin. The state government has assured the bereaved family of full state honours to martyred Chandra Shekhar Harbola after several of the senior officers of state administration reaching their house and meeting the traumatic family. According to a tweet of Northern Command Indian Army : A petrol of # Indian Army recovered the mortal remains of Lance Nayak ( Late) Chandra Shekhar who was missing since 29 th May 1984 while deployed at # Glacier due to an # Avalanche.

Jai Hind.