TOIC – Blooded in battle and fighting in the shadows
On November 14, the elite Special FrontierForce (SFF) will turn 58. For an organisation thathas served India for close tosix decades and played some pivotal roles in key momentsof Indian history, from liberating Bangladesh to fightingin the Kargil war, the SFF has scrupulously stayed out ofthe headlines.The death of an SFF soldier on August 30, who wasdeployed along the recentlytense Line of Actual Control(LAC) that separates Indiaand China, has now shed thespotlight on the SFF and its predominantly Tibetan soldiers. Company Leader Nyima Tenzin was killed in anaccidental mine blast whenhe stepped over a vintage 1962 minefield during patrolling in Ladakh, accordingto Army sources.His untimely death, andthe deployment of the SFFamid the recent tensionswith China, has not onlybrought unexpected attention to the highly trained andelite force, but also emergedas a source of pride for India’s Tibetan community, asunderlined by a video fromSeptember 4 that showed Tibetans in Shimla gathering,singing, and tying their traditional khatas(white scarves)to a departing convoy as theywaved goodbye to SFF personnel headed for the Ladakh front.The limelight is certainlyunusual for an elite outfittrained to working in the shadows. And it’s in the shadowswhere the SFF has mostly operated since its creation in1962. The SFF’s antecedents,in fact, even predate 1962.This is a story that goes backto the mid1950s, when Tibetan resistance fighters begancrossing over into India starting with the 1956 uprising.More fighters would follow,in the wake of the faileduprising three years laterand the Dalai Lama’s exile toIndia. The first challenge was finding a base, recalls his son Inspector General (IG) GurdipSingh Uban (retd), who wasthen a Second Lieutenant,aged 22, and decided to helpout his father. “We hired ataxi from Delhi and drove toChakrata [Uttarakhand]where my father knew wasan old Gurkha trainingcentre that was lying vacant,”he told TheHindu. “It had allthe wherewithal — barracks,training grounds, and mostimportantly, it had trainingareas such as rock climbingand was at a height of 7,000feet. And there the storybegan.”The unit was raised on November 14, 1962 — on Nehru’sbirthday. Exactly a week later, China would announce its “unilateral ceasefire”, so the unit would see no action in the war. In any case, theywere hardly ready for action.Mr. Uban said his fatherfirst called the outfit Establishment 22, named afterhis old Mountain Regimentthat he was particularly fond of. The ‘twotwos’, as theywould be known, would beall paratroopers — an eliteunit capable of highaltitudwarfare, special operations, and fighting behind enemy lines. They would report to the Cabinet Secretariat, andwere not part of the Army. Awomen’s wing was also created. He recalled the passion ofthe first cohort. “What reallystruck me was both the angerand shame, of what happened to Tibet and the Dalai Lama, who was a god for them,” he said. “And alsotheir incredible athleticism. Ithink Tibetans are blessedwith genetics, which is whythe PLA was always afraidthey couldn’t compete withthem.” In 1967, Establishment 22 was expanded and renamed the Special Frontier Force. Mr. Uban revealed the storybehind the name. “Special,because they were SpecialForces [Commandos]. Weused the word ‘frontier’ because my family belonged to the Hazara district of the then North West FrontierProvince of undivided India,”he recalled, and not becauseof any intent to limit wherethey would be deployed.They would finally see action in the 1971 war. Theywere deployed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and foughtwithextraordinary valour.More than 50 would laydown their lives, a sacrificethat was, given the secrecy ofthe outfit, never given its due recognition.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
Elite(noun) – A select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities
Synonyms – Exclusive, Noble, Cream of society, Choice, Greatest
Antonyms – Second late, Poor, Inferior, Ordinary, Worst
Pivotal (adjective) – Success of something
Synonyms – Central, Cardinal, Vital, Critical, Essential
Antonyms – Secondary, Unimportant, Uncritical, Minor, Unsubstantial
Scrupulously (adverb) – In a very careful and thorough way
Synonyms – Carefully, Precisely, Flawlessly, Meticulously, Accurately
Antonyms – Careless, Slapdash
Predominantly (adverb) – Mainly
Synonyms – Broadly, Generally, Extravagantly, Liberally, Magnificantly
Antonyms – Incompletely, Partially, Insufficently
Vintage (noun) – The time that something of quality was produced
Synonyms – Best, Claasical, Mature, Ripe, Selected
Antonyms – Wrost, Inferior, Minor, Unimportant
Convoy (noun) – A group of ships or vehicles travelling together
Synonyms – Attendance, Companion, Protection, Escort, Guard
Antonyms – Loss, Betrayal, Capture, Interception
Antecedent (noun) – A thing that existed before
Synonyms – Anterior, Foregoing, Former, Preceding, Previous
Antonyms – Incidental, Subsequent, Concomitant, Posterior, Resultant, Sequent
Wherewithal (noun) – The money or other means needed for a particular purpose
Synonyms – Assets, Financing, Money, Resources, Wealth
Antonyms – Debt
Unilateral (adjective) – Performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a situation without the agreement of another or the others
Synonyms – One-sided, Independent
Antonyms – Multilateral, Many-sided, Bilateral
Fond (adjective) – Having an affection or liking for
Synonyms – Adoring, Devoted, Doting, Affectionate, Warm, Tender, Solicitous
Antonyms – Cool, Hating, Cold, Hostile
Cohort (noun) – A group of people with a shared characteristic
Synonyms – Companion, Aide, ally, Mate, Regiment, Confrere
Antonyms – Foe, Enemy, Adversary, Opponent, Antagonist
Athleticism (noun) – The physical qualities that are characteristic of athletes, such as strength, fitness, and agility
Antonyms – Weak, Frail
Revealed (verb) – Make known to others
Synonyms – Admit, affirm, Expose, Inform, Notify, Leak
Antonyms – conceal, contradict, disavow, dissent, refuse
Intent (noun) – Purpose, Determined to do something
Synonyms – Decided, Eager, Steady, Decisive, Piercing
Antonyms – Reluctant, Half-hearted, Neglect, Ignore, Disregard
Valour (noun) – Great courage in the face of danger
Synonyms – Bravery, Prowess, Heroism, Intrepidity, Boldness, Gallantry
Antonyms – Caution, Carefullness, Fear, Cowardice, Inactivity
Recognition (noun) – Identification of someone, Acknowledgement of the existence
Synonyms – Acceptance, Apperception, Recollection, Recurrence, Tumble
Antonyms – Disregard, Neglect, Obliviousness, Unawareness.
