TRIBUTE TO SQN LDR AJAY AHUJA ,VrC & OP SAFED SAGAR -Lt Col Noel Ellis

Lt Col Noel Ellis
10 minutes ago
5 min read

AUTHOR'S NOTE :

Watching Operation Safed Sagar brought back memories I had carried for decades.

In 2018, I met my 66 NDA course mate Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja's wife, Alka, and his son Ankush. I tried to offer my condolences, but when I stood before them, words simply failed me.

Ajay and I had shared some memorable moments during our service days. His martyrdom during Kargil brought those memories flooding back.

This is my personal tribute to Hercules 1, to Alka and Ankush, and to every air warrior, soldier, sailor and military family who stood behind India during the Kargil conflict.

Farewell, Hercules 1. We shall always be in communication; in a language no one will understand.

If today’s story made you pause and remember someone, pass that thought on.

🇮🇳JAI HIND🇮🇳

-Lt Col Noel Ellis

FAREWELL HERCULES ONE

NOEL ELLIS REFLECTION

“Years may separate course mates, but the bonds forged in the fauj know no distance, no time and no farewell. Some comrades leave us, yet remain forever in a language only we understand.”

It was in 2018 that we, as 66 Course, got together at our Alma Mater, NDA, Khadakwasla. It was the first time after passing out on 02 June 1984 that we were going to meet each other.

A few of us had become grandparents by now. Some had risen to the ranks of Major General and equivalent ranks in the Navy and Air Force. Our Naval course mate, Dinesh Tripathi, who went on to become the Navy Chief, was there too.

It was during lunch at the NDA stadium that we first broke the ice, meeting course mates, most of whom were still in service, while some, like us, were serving in the corporate sector. Some had been decorated for gallantry, but it was sad to learn that so many of our course mates had faded away, leaving behind their names engraved in the Hut of Remembrance.

Japphies and pappies, of course amongst course mates and not with their better halves, continued unabated. It was as if we had returned to our training days as teenagers.

That was when I met Alka, wife of Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja, Vir Chakra. A calm, quiet and serene lady, without an iota of grief showing on her face, notwithstanding all that she had gone through. She had taken it in her stride and given her beloved husband to the nation. She stood tall amongst the ladies that day.

Her son, Junior Ahuja, Ankur to be precise, was there too. I walked up to her to share my deepest condolences, though belated. My heart was also with my course mate, whose call sign was “Hercules 1.”

I broke down and cried in front of her. My lips wanted to speak, but they simply refused to utter a word. I gave a hug to the young man and moved away, unable to control my emotions.

She may not remember it, but I can recall every second spent in her august company that day. Having met such a brave and courageous lady was not only a privilege but also a matter of honour for me.

Then came the “tipsy pudding” and we all became second termers again and attacked. That grief was temporarily pushed aside, but the emotion stayed.

Fast forward to yesterday, when I finished watching the serial Operation Safed Sagar.

It brought back memories of Operation Vijay, conducted by the Indian Army in Kargil, Batalik, Dras, Mushkoh and other sectors of Ladakh in 1999.

During Op Vijay, I was posted in the Gharsana Mandi sector. Fresh from Staff College, trained to do staff work and now waiting for orders to go to war with the company I was commanding. The sector was new to me, and one had to know it by heart at the earliest. That is a story for another day.

We would be glued to the radio and hear about the Army casualties. The news of Ajay’s capture, and later of his torture and death in custody, just broke my heart. That day, I did not go out for my usual reconnaissance but confined myself to my tent.

The next day, during my usual interaction with my company, I broke the news to them about the incident. Our blood was boiling. We wanted to take revenge, but we did not have the political clearance. We kept waiting. The orders never came.

I remembered Ajay very fondly. Though we were not from the same squadron at NDA, whenever we met, it was great fun interacting with this lively and jovial person.

While posted at Jaisalmer, I had become a “Barsati Captain”, and our 2IC invited a MiG-21 squadron of the Air Force to the mess for a glass of beer, as it was being commanded by his course mate. The course spirit, you all know.

As luck would have it, Ajay Ahuja, who was still a Flying Officer at the time, walked in.

It was balle-balle thereafter.

It is very rare that you get to meet your course mates from other services after leaving NDA. We gave them a ride of their life on the BMP. The next day, they reciprocated with a low-level pass over the unit, breaking the sound barrier, which shattered every window pane. It took the MES ages to replace them.

Those were the days when we had no mobiles or even STD facilities, and we gradually lost touch.

Then came the heartbreaking news of his martyrdom, and all those memories came flooding back.

Thanks to this serial, we came to know and understand what the Air Force went through during the Kargil conflict. Half of us probably did not even know that the IAF operation was called Operation Safed Sagar.

I only hope someone makes one on Op Talwar, the naval equivalent.

The serial is worth a watch for every Indian.

People must know that though we may fly fighter jets, deep inside every air warrior is a normal human being, a loving father, a caring husband, a loyal colleague, a disciplined subordinate, a devoted co-worker and a trustworthy team-mate, who has to take a split-second decision to annihilate the enemy and also be prepared for the worst, as Ajay Ahuja was.

People must also know that when a warrior leaves his home, the better halves and children have an important role to play. Simple things like smiling when the husband leaves for a sortie, keeping a fight for another day, or waiting anxiously for his return from a flying mission are things that no one realises. Their sacrifice is equally important.

Ajay, your memories are forever etched in my mind. It is from one course mate to another.

Alka and Ankur, God bless you always. You have faced the toughest pain of losing someone you loved dearly, but his sacrifice made way for India to win the battle. You stood like a rock.

Thank you, air warriors, for your role. Not just the fighter aircraft, but every aircraft that took part, including the transport and helicopter fleets, the ground technicians and every man in blue who planned and executed each sortie.

Thank you to all the families who kept waiting for the safe return of their husbands, sons and daughters.