The military operation to remove foreign militants from Bhutanese soil was heralded by the Geminid meteor shower
History: In 2003, Bhutan had to go to war. On the eve of battle, the militia company based in Gelephug was ready. It was December 14 and 132 of us were waiting anxiously to play our part.
The exact time set for the operation was a closely guarded secret. The only cue was the movement of the mortar company. When we heard they had started moving, we realised that the moment was rapidly approaching.
Without any standard operation procedure, all we could do was wait in the trenches. Nothing seemed to be happening. As usual in the Himalayas, the winter sky was filled with stars. We passed our time gazing at them. Suddenly, dozens of fireballs with tails streaked across the heavens.
We assumed that the battle had commenced, and that the Bhutanese mortar company had started firing their 81mm mortars. But oddly enough no sounds followed the fireballs.
We waited and, as nothing happened, broke for breakfast. We consoled ourselves and considered to be among the fortunate to see the celestial signs that foretold a good ending.
After breakfast, we carried out our chores for the day. Armed with shovels and spades, we filled sacks with mud to build a bunker in Shatighari on the bank of the Mao Khola river.
The militants used this area as a thoroughfare. The NDFB, one of the insurgent groups, had built their camp, Tsengkar, on top of a hill in the vicinity.
The 15th of December was a sunny day. At 10 am, we suddenly heard deafening explosions. The noise was loud enough to scatter the cattle and the birds in the vicinity.
This time, our commanding officer ordered to rush back to base. He briefed us on the standard operating procedure, and confirmed that the mortar company had started shelling the Tsengkar camp.
The Indian Militants
The operation was directed towards three Indian militant groups. They had established 30 camps on Bhutanese soil and threatened our security and undermined the sovereignty of our country.
During the ten years, prior to the operation, our fourth king had trekked to each of the camps. Over the years and, at great risk to his own life, our king took the lead in negotiating the peaceful dissolution of the camps. He had met all the militant leaders.
In support and in hope of a peaceful outcome, our monk body chanted many prayers. Yangbi lopen, one of the senior monks, who accompanied our king during the operation, said that, sensing possible conflict in 2003, the monk body had performed prayers. They had read the 108 volumes of Kanjur, recited over 100 million chants of Guru over a two-month period. They also performed special prayers to the main protective deities of the country, Yeshey Gonpo and Pelden Lhamo.
Sadly, when the peaceful negotiations failed, our king, as the supreme commander of the army, had no choice but to lead the 6,721 soldiers and militia into battle. In guerrilla warfare like this, the standard ratio is 1:10
Bhutan was short of 23,279 soldiers and forced to respond using unusual tactics. Our Je Khenpo, the head abbot, summed up the situation, it was ‘like a meteor crushing a cliff.’
Namcha Dhendup – Bhutan’s Mortar Company
The key to the success of the 2003 operation is attributed to the wise leadership of our supreme commander, the clever strategies and the strength of the mind to execute the plan. One of the strategies was how the mortars were used.
The Bhutan army does not have artillery. The 81 mm mortar is the only long-range support weapon available in our army’s arsenal.
A mortar is an area weapon, most effective in areas without any forest cover. Army strategists use it for neutralising enemy defenses.
Most of the time, it is hard to obtain the accurate positions of the enemy. Conventional military wisdom would discourage the use of mortars in Bhutan, because of the rolling hills and the thick tropical forest. It makes it impossible for mortars to destroy the enemy. In an environment like this, the mortars explode on treetops and the splinters scatter on the ground.
The intention of our supreme commander was not to harm the militants. But to use it skilfully and accurately to warn, frighten and disperse the Indian militants, by giving sufficient time to flee south back into India.
On the morning of the 15th, the Bhutanese mortar company, consisting of 400 soldiers and 18 officers, pounded most of the 30 insurgent camps.
Within thirty minutes, 9,720 shells were fired with great accuracy. This was possible because, during the 10 years, our king had taken GPS readings of all the camps.
After the mortar barrage, the forward elements of the Bhutanese armed forces swept into the camps, and found most of them empty. The militants had deserted their camps in panic, as intended by the mortar tactics.
By mid-day the Bhutanese troops, led by our supreme commander, overran the central headquarters, and the following day, the general headquarters of the militants. The cleanup action continued across all the militant camps and, within two days, we achieved our objective. It was the most improbable victory.
Our king had flushed out all the Indian insurgents and destroyed all 30 camps. Our king had removed the threat to the security and further strengthened our sovereignty.
Kami Duwha Jhub
What were those fireballs? Our elders call it Kami Duwha Jhub. They describe it as a fireball with a long tail.
Mark Talley, an astronomer based in Bangkok, said that the fireballs we saw that night are known as the Geminid meteors. It is the single most active and consistent meteor shower of the year, often appearing as very large fireballs.
It gets its name “Geminid” because it appears to radiate from the constellation Gemini. The meteors can be seen from December 6 to 18 and the shower peaks on the night of December 14. It is one of the favourite nights for star gazers and never lets observers down.
Conclusion
By the end of the Two Day War, 500 rifles, 328 assorted weapons and an anti aircraft rifle were seized. Our king distributed most of these weapons to the monasteries. This was a symbol of surrender of arms, with the prayer that such necessity for violence may never arise again.
Today, one of the few visible traces of the operation are the weapons that can be seen hanging on the walls of various lhakhangs in the country.
Most of those, who catch sight of these rifles and mortars, are intrigued. Visitors find it strange, as the weapons violate the serenity radiated by the spiritual sanctity and contemplative space. It is also a repulsive thought that an instrument designed to kill should infringe upon such pious space.
Throughout this well-planned and executed battle and in the aftermath, our king was never triumphal. He vetoed any victory parades, and played down the scale of the sweeping victory. As a result, the outcome has stood the test of time and peace has returned.
The military operation to remove foreign militants from Bhutanese soil was heralded by the Geminid meteor shower
History: In 2003, Bhutan had to go to war. On the eve of battle, the militia company based in Gelephug was ready. It was December 14 and 132 of us were waiting anxiously to play our part.
The exact time set for the operation was a closely guarded secret. The only cue was the movement of the mortar company. When we heard they had started moving, we realised that the moment was rapidly approaching.
Without any standard operation procedure, all we could do was wait in the trenches. Nothing seemed to be happening. As usual in the Himalayas, the winter sky was filled with stars. We passed our time gazing at them. Suddenly, dozens of fireballs with tails streaked across the heavens.
We assumed that the battle had commenced, and that the Bhutanese mortar company had started firing their 81mm mortars. But oddly enough no sounds followed the fireballs.
We waited and, as nothing happened, broke for breakfast. We consoled ourselves and considered to be among the fortunate to see the celestial signs that foretold a good ending.
After breakfast, we carried out our chores for the day. Armed with shovels and spades, we filled sacks with mud to build a bunker in Shatighari on the bank of the Mao Khola river.
The militants used this area as a thoroughfare. The NDFB, one of the insurgent groups, had built their camp, Tsengkar, on top of a hill in the vicinity.
The 15th of December was a sunny day. At 10 am, we suddenly heard deafening explosions. The noise was loud enough to scatter the cattle and the birds in the vicinity.
This time, our commanding officer ordered to rush back to base. He briefed us on the standard operating procedure, and confirmed that the mortar company had started shelling the Tsengkar camp.
The Indian Militants
The operation was directed towards three Indian militant groups. They had established 30 camps on Bhutanese soil and threatened our security and undermined the sovereignty of our country.
During the ten years, prior to the operation, our fourth king had trekked to each of the camps. Over the years and, at great risk to his own life, our king took the lead in negotiating the peaceful dissolution of the camps. He had met all the militant leaders.
In support and in hope of a peaceful outcome, our monk body chanted many prayers. Yangbi lopen, one of the senior monks, who accompanied our king during the operation, said that, sensing possible conflict in 2003, the monk body had performed prayers. They had read the 108 volumes of Kanjur, recited over 100 million chants of Guru over a two-month period. They also performed special prayers to the main protective deities of the country, Yeshey Gonpo and Pelden Lhamo.
Sadly, when the peaceful negotiations failed, our king, as the supreme commander of the army, had no choice but to lead the 6,721 soldiers and militia into battle. In guerrilla warfare like this, the standard ratio is 1:10
Bhutan was short of 23,279 soldiers and forced to respond using unusual tactics. Our Je Khenpo, the head abbot, summed up the situation, it was ‘like a meteor crushing a cliff.’
Namcha Dhendup – Bhutan’s Mortar Company
The key to the success of the 2003 operation is attributed to the wise leadership of our supreme commander, the clever strategies and the strength of the mind to execute the plan. One of the strategies was how the mortars were used.
The Bhutan army does not have artillery. The 81 mm mortar is the only long-range support weapon available in our army’s arsenal.
A mortar is an area weapon, most effective in areas without any forest cover. Army strategists use it for neutralising enemy defenses.
Most of the time, it is hard to obtain the accurate positions of the enemy. Conventional military wisdom would discourage the use of mortars in Bhutan, because of the rolling hills and the thick tropical forest. It makes it impossible for mortars to destroy the enemy. In an environment like this, the mortars explode on treetops and the splinters scatter on the ground.
The intention of our supreme commander was not to harm the militants. But to use it skilfully and accurately to warn, frighten and disperse the Indian militants, by giving sufficient time to flee south back into India.
On the morning of the 15th, the Bhutanese mortar company, consisting of 400 soldiers and 18 officers, pounded most of the 30 insurgent camps.
Within thirty minutes, 9,720 shells were fired with great accuracy. This was possible because, during the 10 years, our king had taken GPS readings of all the camps.
After the mortar barrage, the forward elements of the Bhutanese armed forces swept into the camps, and found most of them empty. The militants had deserted their camps in panic, as intended by the mortar tactics.
By mid-day the Bhutanese troops, led by our supreme commander, overran the central headquarters, and the following day, the general headquarters of the militants. The cleanup action continued across all the militant camps and, within two days, we achieved our objective. It was the most improbable victory.
Our king had flushed out all the Indian insurgents and destroyed all 30 camps. Our king had removed the threat to the security and further strengthened our sovereignty.
Kami Duwha Jhub
What were those fireballs? Our elders call it Kami Duwha Jhub. They describe it as a fireball with a long tail.
Mark Talley, an astronomer based in Bangkok, said that the fireballs we saw that night are known as the Geminid meteors. It is the single most active and consistent meteor shower of the year, often appearing as very large fireballs.
It gets its name “Geminid” because it appears to radiate from the constellation Gemini. The meteors can be seen from December 6 to 18 and the shower peaks on the night of December 14. It is one of the favourite nights for star gazers and never lets observers down.
Conclusion
By the end of the Two Day War, 500 rifles, 328 assorted weapons and an anti aircraft rifle were seized. Our king distributed most of these weapons to the monasteries. This was a symbol of surrender of arms, with the prayer that such necessity for violence may never arise again.
Today, one of the few visible traces of the operation are the weapons that can be seen hanging on the walls of various lhakhangs in the country.
Most of those, who catch sight of these rifles and mortars, are intrigued. Visitors find it strange, as the weapons violate the serenity radiated by the spiritual sanctity and contemplative space. It is also a repulsive thought that an instrument designed to kill should infringe upon such pious space.
Throughout this well-planned and executed battle and in the aftermath, our king was never triumphal. He vetoed any victory parades, and played down the scale of the sweeping victory. As a result, the outcome has stood the test of time and peace has returned.
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