M S Nazki
I just want one person I can rescue and I want one person who needs me. Who can’t live without me. I want to be a hero, but not just one time……………
And books, they offer one hope — that a whole universe might open up from between the covers, and falling into that universe, one is saved………I think Major General Puneet Doval must have read the same
-One suffers from survivor’s remorse. He won’t admit it because he doesn’t see it. Can’t recognize it in himself. He overcompensates for coming back alive, when so many didn’t. He’s got issues. You’ve got issues. Everyone has issues. But issues are a part of life. And whether we like it or not, even bad things happen for a reason……….Just think about those who were in the cable car!……Major General Puneet Doval!
-Everything has a history:
-Throughout history, while many commanders directed battles from the rear, a select few distinguished themselves by fighting alongside their soldiers.
-These front-line leaders chose to share the direct risks and hardships of the battlefield, becoming legendary for their personal bravery and ability to inspire troops.
-Alexander the Great The King of Macedonia set the ultimate standard for ancient leadership. He famously fought at the head of his cavalry, the Companion Cavalry, and was repeatedly wounded while charging directly into enemy ranks. His personal valor is detailed further in Termination Alexander the Great analysis.
-Julius Caesar wasn’t just a brilliant strategist; he was a warrior who understood his legionaries. In several tight spots, like the Battle of the Sambre and the Siege of Alesia, he grabbed a shield, rallied wavering troops, and fought on the front lines to prevent routs. You can explore his early military career further in the Weekly Julius Caesar Profile.
-Genghis Khan: Even after building the largest contiguous empire in history, this Mongol leader routinely rode at the vanguard. Well into his sixties, he shared the physical hardships of his warriors and personally directed the most dangerous phases of his campaigns.
-Napoleon Bonaparte Known affectionately by his men as the “Little Corporal,” Napoleon was famous for his proximity to danger. Whether repositioning French artillery under heavy fire at the Bridge of Arcole or standing steadfast during artillery barrages, he proved to his troops he would endure exactly what they endured.
-Khalid ibn al-Walid: Heralded as the “Sword of Allah,” this undefeated Muslim general led from the front in over a hundred battles against the By zantine and Sassanid empires. His exceptional bravery meant he was frequently engaged in intense frontline combat, breaking enemy lines through sheer personal force and tactical flexibility.
-Erwin Rommel: Known as the “Desert Fox”, this German Field Marshal famously commanded from near the front lines in World War II. Rather than safely directing the North Africa campaign from a distant headquarters, his frontline presence drastically improved his situational awareness but also put him in severe danger.
-George S. Patton: A definitive “soldiers’ general” of World War II, Patton believed leaders must exemplify bravery. He frequently visited and commanded from the front lines, leading his Third Army across Europe with immense speed and personally sharing the risks of his tankers and infantry.
-George Washington: During the American Revolution, the General of the Continental Army proved to be a fearless frontline leader. At the Battle of Princeton and during the crossing of the Delaware, he exposed himself to direct enemy artillery and musket fire to reorganize his retreating and disorganized men.
– King Richard I (The Lionheart): During the Third Crusade, Richard led from the front with incredible ferocity. He fought shoulder-to-shoulder with his knights and common soldiers in the thick of the fray, becoming a terrifying symbol of martial prowess on the battlefield.
– Georgy Zhukov: The legendary Soviet Marshal was the “crisis manager” of the Red Army. Throughout World War II, he was known for personally visiting the most perilous and chaotic sectors of the Eastern Front to assess situations and take direct command, ensuring objectives were met under immense pressure.
-The greatest and largest humanitarian rescue operation executed by the Indian Armed Forces:
-Operation Rahat and its concurrent Army counterpart Operation Surya Hope, launched in June 2013 in response to the devastating flash floods and landslides in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
-The mission remains the largest heliborne civilian rescue operation in world military history. Deployed into incredibly hostile, mountainous terrain with severed road and bridge connections, the Indian Army, alongside the Indian Air Force and paramilitary forces, successfully achieved the following:
-Massive Evacuation: Airlifted and rescued over 100,000 stranded pilgrims and tourists.Relief Distribution: Air-dropped and distributed thousands of tons of relief material, including prepared food, medical supplies, and heavy-duty oxygen regenerators.
-Infrastructure Rebuilding: Constructed dozens of makeshift footbridges and helipads in inaccessible gorges to re-establish supply lines to marooned villages.Other Monumental Rescue & Relief Missions
-While Operation Rahat stands out for its scale, the Indian Military has executed several other globally recognized rescue operations:
-Operation Raahat (Yemen, 2015): A daring joint mission by the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force to rescue over 5,600 people—including 4,640 Indian citizens and nearly 1,000 foreign nationals from 41 countries—amidst the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.
-Operation Madad (2004): Following the catastrophic Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force launched massive search, rescue, and medical aid missions across the southern Indian peninsula and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
-Operation Ganga (2022): The multi-agency effort, spearheaded by the IAF and external affairs, to evacuate thousands of Indian nationals trapped in conflict zones across Ukraine.
-This one was on a frozen zone!
-Operation Thunderbolt:
-Operation Thunderbolt (also known as Operation Entebbe) is widely celebrated as the greatest and most daring military hostage rescue in history. In 1976, Israeli commandos flew 4,000 kilometers over hostile territory to Entebbe, Uganda, to rescue 102 passengers held by terrorists, neutralizing the captors and securing the hostages in just 90 minutes.
-Because military history holds several breathtaking rescue operations tailored to different scenarios, “greatest” often depends on the type of mission. A closer look at history’s most notable military rescues highlights these categories:
-1. Greatest Long-Range Hostage Rescue: Operation Thunderbolt Where: Entebbe, Uganda When: July 4, 1976
-What Happened: Palestinian and German terrorists hijacked an Air France flight and diverted it to Uganda, where they were supported by dictator Idi Amin. In a meticulously planned and executed operation, Israeli commandos flew transport planes undetected into the Entebbe. They stormed the terminal, killed the hijackers, and rescued 102 hostages while destroying Ugandan fighter jets on the ground to prevent a counter-attack.
-2. Greatest POW Rescue: The Raid on Cabanatuan Where: Cabanatuan, Philippines When: January 30, 1945!
-What Happened: During World War II, elite U.S. Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas penetrated deep behind Japanese lines to liberate the Cabanatuan POW camp. Warned that the Japanese frequently executed prisoners, the raiding force caught the enemy completely off guard, freeing 513 Allied prisoners, including many survivors of the Bataan Death March, with minimal American casualties.
-3. Greatest Humanitarian Evacuation: Operation Raahat:
-Where: YemenWhen: April 1–11, 2015
-What Happened: Following the outbreak of the Yemeni crisis, the Indian Armed Forces executed a massive, coordinated effort to safely evacuate citizens caught in the crossfire. Using naval vessels and heavily coordinated airlifts, India successfully rescued over 4,600 Indian citizens and 960 foreign nationals from 41 different countries.
-4. Greatest Mass Evacuation (Non-Combatant):
-Operation Dynamo: Where: Dunkirk, France When: May 26 – June 4,
-1940 What Happened: Following the devastating Allied defeat in the Battle of France, over 338,000 British and French troops were trapped by the advancing German army. In a desperate measure, the British Royal Navy orchestrated the largest evacuation in military history, utilizing everything from naval destroyers to a fleet of hundreds of civilian “little ships” to pluck stranded soldiers from the beaches under heavy fire
-Our behavior is different. How often have you seen a headline like this?–TWO DIE ATTEMPTING RESCUE OF DROWNING CHILD. If a man gets lost in the mountains, hundreds will search and often two or three searchers are killed. But the next time somebody gets lost just as many volunteers turn out.
Poor arithmetic, but very human. It runs through all our folklore, all human religions, all our literature–a racial conviction that when one human needs rescue, others should not count the price…………….!
Gulmarg Gondola
Gulmarg Gondola in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, is the second longest and second highest cable car in the world. Higher lines include the Mi Teleférico in Bolivia and at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
-The two-stage gondola lift ferries about 600 people per hour to and from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Apharwat Peak (4,260 m (13,976 ft)). The ropeway project is a joint venture of the Jammu and Kashmir government and French firm Pomagalski. The first stage transfers from the Gulmarg resort at 2,650 m (8,694 ft) to Kongdoori Station in the bowl-shaped Kongdori valley. The second stage of the ropeway, which has 36 cabins and 18 towers, takes skiers to a height of 3,980 m (13,058 ft) on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (4,200 m (13,780 ft)).
-The second stage was completed in a record time of about two years at a cost of 180,000,000 Indian Rupees (i.e. some US$4.5 million) and opened on 28 May 2005. The French company had also built the first phase of the gondola project, connecting Gulmarg to Kongdoori, in 1998.
-The timing of the gondola is 10 AM (IST) to 5 PM (It’s highly dependent upon the weather at both stages). A gondola can carry six people at a time.
-An accident occurred on 15 June 2017 due to an enormous pine tree being uprooted by a gust of wind and breaking the perspex windows on one of the gondola cabins. The gondola swung violently and its seven occupants fell 100 ft (30 m) to the ground; all were killed.
-HAWS:
-HAWS stands for the High Altitude Warfare School, an elite, specialized Indian Army training and research establishment located in Gulmarg.
-Established initially as a ski school in 1948 and officially designated in April 1962, it is considered one of the premier mountain and winter warfare training institutions in the world.
-Key Details and Capabilities:
-The Mission: It trains soldiers in snow-craft, ice-craft, extreme cold weather survival, and patrolling on skis to operate in the world’s most severe and unforgiving mountain terrains, such as the Siachen Glacier.
-Global Reputation: The school’s highly demanding courses train over 500 “mountain warriors” annually. Because of its elite status, selected soldiers and special operations teams from friendly foreign nations—including the US, UK, and Germany—regularly attend for training.
-Disaster Management: Beyond military operations, HAWS is a crucial regional asset for managing extreme-environment emergencies and operates educational programs alongside institutions like the University of Jammu.
-When the Commander Himself Took Charge on Ground During the Rescue Operation Major General Puneet Doval, SM, Commandant of the prestigious High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), personally played a key role during today’s Gondola cable car rescue operation in Gulmarg. He motivated the rescue troops and reassured the stranded civilians, setting a remarkable example of leadership from the front! This was the extract of the story which we got:
Over 300 tourists stranded in Gulmarg Gondola in J&K rescued after technical snag halted its operations
-In Jammu and Kashmir, all tourists stranded in cabins of the Gulmarg Gondola ropeway have been rescued safely after a major technical snag halted operations at the famous tourist resort.
-Officials said more than 300 tourists were trapped inside 65 cabins of the cable car, some hanging nearly 500 feet above the ground, triggering panic among tourists, including women and children. Emergency evacuation protocols were activated immediately.
-A massive seven-hour rescue operation was launched jointly by teams of the NDRF, SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army’s Chinar Corps, and local administration. All passengers were brought to safety without any injuries.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he monitored the rescue operation continuously and directed senior officials, including the DGP, to oversee rescue efforts on the ground.
-Managing Director of the Cable Car Corporation, Syed Qamar Sajjad, said the incident was caused by a technical glitch and there was no major issue. Operations were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure.
-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced a probe into the malfunction and said action would be taken if any lapses were found. He also praised the coordinated efforts of all rescue agencies involved in the operation.
-Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the successful rescue of 3 hundred tourists stranded in cable cars in Gulmarg by a joint rescue team comprising the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, NDRF, SDRF, and civil administration reflects the swiftness, professionalism, courage, and coordination of India’s disaster response agencies.
-In a social media post, Mr Singh lauded the efforts of the joint team for carrying out the challenging operation with efficiency and resolve.
-The Defence Minister noted that the nation acknowledges and applauds the dedication and service of all personnel involved in this rescue operation.
-The Indian Army is continuously deployed across Jammu & Kashmir to conduct disaster response and civilian rescue operations. From mid-air cable car evacuations and helicopter snags in Gulmarg to saving civilians swept away in flooded rivers and rescuing snowbound travelers, the Army acts as the primary first responder in the region’s harsh terrain.
-Notable rescue acts by the Indian Army in J&K include:
The Army’s Avalanche Rescue Teams operate in treacherous areas like Kupwara and Banihal, saving teenagers buried under feet of snow, and routinely rescuing stranded students, teachers, and motorists caught in heavy blizzards and landslides.
-Flash Flood and River Rescues: During sudden rises in water levels in the Kishanganga, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers, the Army—along with civilian divers and police—deploys swift-water rescue teams to evacuate marooned villagers, rescue individuals swept away by currents, and plug breaches to protect low-lying areas.
-High-Altitude Highway Rescues: Formations like the Romeo Force regularly rescue hundreds of civilians, including tourists and pilgrims, stranded in heavy snowfall along critical mountain passes and highways like the Jammu–Poonch route.
-The Indian Armed Forces maintain a heavy operational footprint for humanitarian and disaster relief across India.
The last few lines: Walk a bit further. There is a different land not far away. The people in it have the magic to break the icy fingers of the great death. I heard that you don’t even have to pay. However, you have to find their door. It is only found by those who pay the other price……..Think it over………..!!
