25th Kargil Vijay Diwas: Stories from Sarsawa, only AFS in U.P. that saw action
Sarsawa Air Force Station in Uttar Pradesh saw key action during Kargil War. Families of airmen recall sacrifices on 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas.
The Sarsawa Air Force Station in Saharanpur was the only air force station in Uttar Pradesh that saw action during the Kargil War, recalled airmen and their families on the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas. Several operations were undertaken from this base which holds an important chunk of history from one of the defining conflicts the country has seen.
The Indian Air Force had the lowest number of casualties during the war, losing five airmen - four of whom flew from Saharanpur. The Saharanpur Airfield was the base for Operation Safed Sagar, which was what the air operations of the Kargil War were collectively called.
“I have heard of my father’s bravery and sacrifice for as long as I can remember” - Dhruv Muhilan
“After a homemade cake my mother sent my father did not reach him, we were told shortly after that my father’s aircraft had gone missing. A few days later, we were given the news of my father’s final sacrifice,” said Dhruv Muhilan, son of Flt Lt S Muhilan. Dhruv was a mere infant at the time.
Dhruv Muhilan lived at the Sarsawa Air Force Station for the first few months of his life, and was 1 year and 2 months old, when his father laid down his life for the country. “I have heard of my father’s bravery and sacrifice for as long as I can remember, I was too young to understand the gravity of it at first as I was an infant at the time.”
After the war, the Muhilan family shifted to Belgaum, where they are still residing. Dhruv and his mother Bina have graced many memorial ceremonies and tribute events in the name of his father, the most recent being the ceremony that was held at the Sarsawa Air Force Station in memory of the fallen airmen of the Kargil War. The family continues to run the petrol pump that was given to war widows by the government.
“I have met many of his friends over the years who have related stories of my father’s years in service in great detail. He was a patriot and he died for his country,” said Dhruv.
We would see the number of coffins increasing: Wg Cdr Sanjeev Kumar
Wing Commander Sanjeev Kumar Verma, recalls the Sarsawa air base clear as day, when he was unexpectedly asked to serve here in Operation Safed Sagar during the Kargil War. Only 24 years old at the time, Verma was tasked with replacing one of the only Indian fighter jets that were shot down from the sky during Kargil.
It was on a routine visit to Sarsawa base to the aircraft workshop there, that he was held back and asked to be a part of the operation on account of his prior experience in the area.
Sanjeev Verma, now residing in Faridabad, recently visited the Sarsawa Air Force Station as well, to observe the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas upcoming on Friday, with other men and families of those who served in the Air Force at the time of the war that lasted three months.
“When Squadron Leader R Pundir’s aircraft was shot down, I was called upon to fill up that gap in the formation that was proceeding for a strike in Tololing - the formation required six aircraft, of which one was now missing,” he explained.
“We flew our Mirage aircraft at heights that had never been tested before,” he said, “We were flying at 3800 m, knowing full well that we would have to commit to this mission not knowing if those aircraft would function as expected.” He spent 33 days flying many missions from Saharanpur, including rescue missions, sorties, and strike missions.
“We spent some really scary days at the Air Force Station, we would see the number of coffins increasing at the base, choppers, fighter jets, and other aircrafts taking off to the skies all day long,” he recalled.