The lesson Indian soldiers learned at the Karnan camp
The lesson Indian soldiers learned at the Karnan camp
The camp of the Indian army at Kumulamunai was located on a high hill. From the guard post in that camp, this tea shop and many other areas in the vicinity could be observed well. The soldiers could be rounded up and arrested in the evening. As usual, both the soldiers came to have tea in the evening, which was very convenient for the freedom fighters.
That day, as usual, both the soldiers had come to have tea. When they both arrived, some civilians were also drinking tea there. The freedom fighters, considering this to be the right moment, started the operation to round them up.
Only one of the two soldiers had an SMG rifle. Only if that rifle was taken away or if it was rendered inoperable, could the soldiers in the camp be rounded up and arrested without the soldiers in the camp getting scared. If the soldiers in the camp got scared, it would be impossible to take both alive. The gun that was slung over the soldier’s shoulder had to be snatched away.
The freedom fighters realized that the gun that was slung over the shoulder could not be snatched away easily. SMGs can automatically fire (auto-charged) if they are shaken. Therefore, they had to be handled very carefully. Rather than snatching it away, it was more important for the freedom fighters to disable it first.
Therefore, it was decided that Cheran would defeat Captain Bavu to disable the gun in the soldier’s possession. As if going to a tea shop to drink tea, the two freedom fighters went there, hiding their hand grenades, pouring tea, and then Lt. Bavu set about disabling the gun in the soldier’s hand.
The freedom fighter slowly approached the soldier and stood near him. The SMG rifle had a magazine full of bullets that could be released automatically by pressing a button. Captain Bavu, who had been waiting for the situation to be favorable, pressed the button when the moment was right and the magazine fell. The soldier, who had not expected this, was startled. While the ‘magazine’ was being taken by Bavu, Cheran took his hand grenade in his hand, pulled out its clip, and the two soldiers rushed to hold the grenade directly at the soldier’s face.
In the meantime, the people who were drinking tea there surrounded and hugged the two soldiers, snatched the rifle from the soldier’s shoulder and handed it to Captain Bavu. They also acted quickly and tied the hands of the two soldiers. With the help of the people, the freedom fighters who defeated the two soldiers took the two soldiers and left from there. At the same time, people standing there were very happy. People who were scared when the soldiers were there were now happy that the freedom fighters had caught them. Since they could not find the two soldiers, other soldiers could come searching for them, people slowly dispersed from there.
Meanwhile, the freedom fighters who had arrested the two soldiers brought them to the Keppapulavu Karnan camp. The Indian forces could always attack the Karnan camp. Since the arrested soldiers could be targeted and killed during the attack, Balraj had already ordered them to build a bunker and keep them inside for the safety of their lives. The freedom fighters who had built a special bunker for them imprisoned the two soldiers in that bunker.
The Indian forces, who had not found the two soldiers, had started searching throughout the Kumulamunai area since that night. They went to the houses in those areas and conducted intensive interrogations with the people. Since the soldiers could not find the bodies of the two or any signs of their disappearance, they believed that the LTTE must have done something to them. The Indian forces thought that the LTTE must have abducted them. The soldiers, thinking that they might be taken to areas where the LTTE could move more, started searching for such areas. It was then that the Indian soldiers came to know that the LTTE had a camp in Vattarappalai. The soldiers had also started an operation to lay siege to that camp.
A few days after the arrest of the two soldiers, Balraj came to the Karnan camp to visit them. He had visited the soldiers there and talked to them and stayed at the Karnan camp that night. Balraj, who said that the people should appreciate the help they were giving in the struggle, had also urged the freedom fighters to personally visit the people who had helped in capturing the soldiers and express their gratitude.
The next morning, some freedom fighters went to the nearby garden well in Kachanpula to draw water for the camp. When they went to the well to draw water for the second time, they were shocked to see some Indian soldiers standing at the well. The soldiers were standing around the well, investigating something, so they did not notice the freedom fighters coming.
They must have seen the signs of drawing water from the well at that time. They must have decided to attack by following the signs that were spilled while carrying water. Understanding the situation, the freedom fighters launched an attack on the soldiers without receiving orders from the commander. The soldiers, who were disoriented by the sudden attack, instead of attacking, started running and finding safe areas to take up positions.
Meanwhile, Balraj, realizing that the soldiers were approaching the camp area, immediately organized the fighters and divided them into different parts. Although he told the fighters the attack plan very quickly, his attack plan was such that many fighters would attack from many places. At the same time, he ordered a few fighters to stand guard in the camp to guard the soldiers who were arrested, and Balraj took his team to one area and left.
When the soldiers stationed at the well attacked the freedom fighters, the freedom fighters also started a counterattack. While the freedom fighters were carrying out a fierce attack, Balraj and the freedom fighters standing with him went from another side and attacked. In the attack carried out by Balraj and his team, six soldiers were killed on the spot, and the other soldiers abandoned the bodies and weapons of the dead soldiers and started fleeing by another route. As the freedom fighters seized the bodies and weapons of the soldiers, Balraj contacted the Indian soldiers’ walkie-talkies…….
Today is the Memorial Day of Brigadier Balraj.
A tribute to maveeran Leema
Edited by: Tamilarasan Abdulkadhar
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
0 Comments