‘Sons of Soil’ from Ladakh Scouts Ready for the LAC Challenge

Amid the India-China border tension, there is no dearth of young Ladkahis enlisting to join Indian Army’s Ladakh Scouts.

The next batch of 120 scouts is almost done with training and is all set to be deployed in the forward areas at Line of Actual Control by September.

Over the next year, 400 recruits will be joining the infantry regiment.

The gentle and polite troops can be ferocious warriors. Called the ‘sons of the soil’, these young men are well acquainted with the treacherous mountain terrain making them lethal at heights that are inhospitable.

“They are tough soldiers and along with their warrior skills they also understand the terrain and are the eyes and ears of the army as they understand the ground realities,” said an official.

In June, 127 youth had completed their training and joined the Ladakh Scouts.

Officials say the numbers of those applying are much more the requirement of the regiment.

At the regimental centre in Leh, the young recruits ready themselves for the challenges that lie ahead.

In a real-time battle scenario, the Ladakh Scouts can accomplish the task of taking over an enemy bunker at a hill too by climbing the rugged mountains under the harsh glaring sun.

“Obstacles here are exactly like those that they might face in battle. This will prepare them for real challenges,” the official added.

The Ladakh Scouts played a significant role during the Kargil conflict in 1999 as the troops understood the finer nuances of high mountain warfare.

The current circumstances at the Line of Actual Control are similar where they might face Chinese aggression at heights more than 14,000 feet.

It got the infantry refinement status in 1999 but Ladakh Scouts has a long legacy. It was raised in 1963 with new nomenclature, changing the old name of Nubra Guards formed in 1948 that included locals who took on the Pakistani tribal raiders who intruded Jammu and Kashmir after independence.

There are already many troops of Ladakh Scouts serving in the forward areas in the current standoff at the LAC which has been continuing for over two months now.

India Today TV visited a village with only 63 homes in Ladakh about 20 km from Leh, where almost every household has men serving in the Indian Army. Many are currently posted in the forward areas at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) amid the ongoing India-China tussle.

For generations, men from the Chushoth village have served the army and are part of the Ladakh Scouts infantry regiment. There are many such tales of valour and sacrifice from small nondescript areas of the Ladakh from where men continue to keep the legacy of Ladakh Scouts alive.

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Source: India

Image Image :MyGoodTimes

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