SECURING BORDERS DRIVE - EXPEDITION (PART 2 OF 7)

SECURING BORDERS- DRIVE 
A Salute to Martyrs.

(part-II)

Vadodra- Bhuj

The second day journey began with the flag off from Vadodra at the hands of the District Forest Officer Mr Jain.  He was accompanied by the Additional Collector of Mehsana. The event got adequate coverage in the local media, both electronic and print. Many Journalists from news papers like Gujarat Samachar and News Anchors from channels like JCBL had gathered to cover the event.  The team gave out media bytes to all the media personnal who seemed excited about the whole idea of the expedition.  The journey towards Bhuj involved driving on the Vadodra – Ahmadabad Express way at top speed. In the latter part of the day, the drive was on the single lane state highway. The team enjoyed local cuisines during breakfast and lunch and also used every opportunity to interact with the local populace. The drive across the ‘Small Rann of Kutch’ was a thrilling experience that put one and all in the exact frame of mind required for such an expedition. The sight of vast salt pans was really captivating.

 

The state of Gujarat seems to be very advance industrially with excellent road infrastructure, power lines, wind mills & large industrial units along the route. We saw lines an lines of wind-mills. Surely the state of Gujarat has made excellent investment in this eco-friendly source of power. We halted at a village for tea and took the opportunity to meet people there. We reached Bhuj just before sunset. We were really amazed to see how well Bhuj had recovered after the devastating earthquake ten years age. There was virtually no trace of the tragedy except for the memorials at different places.  We also found a large number of cattle on the roads which hampered traffic and were a hazard

 

The first half of next day was spent in mainly interacting with the local populace and obtaining permission for the visit to India Bridge and the Border Observation Post (BOP) at Vighakot from the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters. The DIG of the Border Security Force not only granted us the permissions but also agreed to flag off the expedition on its fourth day as a mark of recognition. Once the arrangements for the next day were in place, the team spent the second half of day visiting the various handicraft units in and around Bhuj. We were really tongue tied to see the various artifacts skillfully made by the craftsmen.  We visited units which produced articles like garments, leather goods, souvenirs etc. The villagers also spoke to the team about how they were affected by the earthquake ten years ago and how they have recovered from the tragedy, to put life back on track. 

One of the highlights of the third day was the interaction the team had with Mr. Vankar Bhimji, a national award winning craftsman from Bhuj. Mr Vankar showed to the team the shawl that he had woven, that had won him a national award for craftsmanship from none other than the Honorable President of our country.  It was indeed a special occasion for the team. The team also utilized the opportunity to interact with the small entrepreneurs and craftsmen working in the small units.   The students even got an opportunity to actually work on some of the looms laid out for weaving fabric.  The craftsmen were very happy to share with the students their knowledge about their skills.  The entrepreuners shared their valuable experience about the managerial and commercial issues in the handicraft business. One of the important things that really amazed us was the adaptation of new techniques by these craftsmen, without losing the traditional flavor.  It was felt by one and all in the team that a lot more needs to be done to ensure that the native skills and art of these craftsmen that have been handed down across generations are not lost in the era of technology.  The team later visited the Swami Narayan temple in Bhuj.

Bhuj- Vigakhot- Bhuj

The fourth day started with the flagging off ceremony at the hands of the DIG Border Security Force, Bhuj. The DIG and the entire battalion under his charge with all officers were present for the occasion. He addressed the team and spoke to them about various issues about the border and the Border Security Force.  He also appreciated the initiative undertaken by the team to pay tributes to the martyrs and understand the conditions in which our jawans of the Border Security Force guard our frontiers.

 

After the flag-off, the expedition travelled to the Border Security Force BOP at Vigakhot by crossing the India Bridge. The drive across the Rann was a thrilling experience with just plain uninhabited marshy land on both sides of the road. We saw quite a few nomadic camps and interacted with them. We saw many camel carts and locally fabricated three-wheelers called chagdas. The drive on India Bridge was an experience; very few civilians would have got in their lives. This is the last post where one gets to meet civilians, before the border.   The area between India Bridge and the Border is fully manned by the Border Security Force and the army.

The BOP of Vigakhot was about 100 km from India Bridge. The drive across the Rann through some really harsh terrain with no humans within sight was as thrilling as it was spooky. Here we were, in the middle of nowhere with no one to call upon for help. There seemed to be no trace of any flora or fauna within sight for as far as the eyes could see. But the team did have a few encounters with spring bucks and turtles. We were received by the officer in-charge of BOP Vigakhot who took us to the border.  This was the first experience that the team had at the border fence. The team members were also shown the Pakistani-ranger posts across the border and also the border pillar in the No-mans-land.

To see how our jawans of the Border Security Force stand guard for every inch of our land in such inhospitable conditions was a very humbling experience. Jawans from all corners of the country stand vigilant day and night when we let petty issues and differences get the better of us. We wished every Indian could get to see what we got, as it would definitely be a humbling experience that would remind one and all about how much we owe to our jawans for our freedom. 

From Vigakhot the team drove to the Kala Dongri, a high altitude area that offer a magnificient view of the Rann. The wide expanse of the Rann visible from the height at Kala dongri really left us spell-bound. The drive to Kala Dongri was a very narrow with serpentine curves and steep inclines.  These features put to test both, the capabilities of the cars and the skills of the drivers.  We were really that both cars and the drivers came out with flying colours in this test of ability and skill. En-route we also interacted with villagers.  One of the villagers was even hospitable enough to invite us into his traditionally made thatched hut and we made the most of the opportunity.  The team also visited one of the local schools in the area.  The little schools kids were thrilled to know about our expedition and felt elated to have us in their midst. It was really a very exciting moment for us to interact with the tiny – tots and end the day amidst shrieks and squeals. 

Bhuj - Dholavira

On the fifth day the Additional Collector of Bhuj Mr. Vaghela flagged off the team towards Dholavira. The flagging-off ceremony was covered in detail by ETV Gujarati. Dholavira is one of the sites where the ancient Indus Valley Civilization settlements have been excavated. Though many sites having remnants of the ancient Indus valley settlements had been excavated in the past, not many are presently in India as most of the sites of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa fell in the territory of Pakistan after partition.  Dholavira is one of the rare sites that were discovered in India after independence. The site is noted to have some special features, like an elaborate water management system, precise town planning and evidences of trade with civilizations of Mesopotamia and Greece. The to visit Dholavira was a inimitable experience for the team, as the site is a piece of history, preserved for eternity.

The drive from Bhuj to Dhilavira was again exciting as the team drove some beautiful scrub forests.  The team saw many wild animals like springbucks, sambhars, peacocks and a variety of reptiles. The rains had resulted in many pools of water on the road and it was fun to drive on these small pools of water. The terrain was very uneven, resulting in a roller coaster like ride. One thing that is worth noting is the quality of roads in Gujarat. Even in the remotest of places the roads did not have any potholes. Reaching Dholavira once again involved driving across the Rann where we saw large locks of flamingos feeding. 

The team reached the site at Dholavira after lunch. To see the excavated side that was one of the oldest settlements in recorded history was a great experience. The team was given a guided tour of the main areas of the site by the resident care taker. The team toured the entire site from one structure to another, and was amazed by the ingenuity of those who had built those structures in those historic times. The water tanks, gates, town planning, rainwater harvesting techniques which had been put in place hundreds of years before Christ left the entire team astonished. The museum provided valuable insights into the heritage value and historical importance of the site. From Dholavira the team left for the Jaisalmer and  camped for the night at Radhanpur.

(to be continued)

______________________________________________________________________

Article by 

Prof Shivaprasad. M,

Expedition Coordinator,

‘Securing Borders Drive’.

This article is the copyright of the author and cannot be reproduced for any commercial purposes without  permission.