Page 91 - Love Story of a Commando

something odd about everything. The unusual silence in the valley! There
were the usual rants by separatist leaders who appealed to the people not to
attend his events, but there was no major terrorist activity or bomb blasts
reported anywhere in Kashmir.
Kashmir looked deceptively peaceful and welcoming.
Tral was scheduled to be visited on the last day of his official tour
and by then we were all eagerly looking forward to meeting him. The
general worry was replaced by excitement. The entire school was decorated.
The Indian flag was installed in the school premises and the prime minister
was supposed to hoist it. The young kids looked bewildered and for them it
was like a long-awaited carnival which they rarely witnessed. Many of them
were seeing the Tiranga for the first time and were very happy.
The soldiers felt familiar by now. Many kids even befriended some
of them and would proudly flaunt the little goodies, chips or biscuits offered
to them by the security forces. One multi-layered security blanket was
thrown around the day the prime minister arrived at Tral, which was also
declared a no-fly zone for that day and a drone kept an aerial tab on the
security. The streets were blocked and identity cards were checked at every
step. More than a hundred CCTV cameras were installed across the village
and we could see many unfamiliar, non-Kashmiri people lurking around in
civilian clothes, which hinted at their being from the secret service.
There were sniffer dogs deployed and it felt as if that small Kashmiri
village had been shut down for the day. Early on Sunday morning, the prime
minister of our great nation arrived in his Air India One Mi-17 V5
helicopter. The huge rotor blades were spinning in the air and the vibrations
stirred the leaves on trees. Several men were running around in their black
suits, the crowd was shouting his name, the barricades were almost breaking.
People from far-flung areas of Kashmir had gathered for a single glance of
the man; the police, military and other security personnel looked alert.
He emerged out of his mechanical bird, smiling and waving to
everyone. Several high-profile Jammu and Kashmir officials had gathered to
receive him, and he shook hands with many.
Waving and applauding, he looked really generous, social and happy.
I was there along with five other children from the shelter to present
him a bouquet of flowers. We were to move straight to our school along with
the convoy. I had been briefed by an army major from RR just a day before
regarding the arrangements and about our expected ‘code of conduct’. He
was the in-charge of local security in Tral.
Just as the prime minister took a few more steps I saw those black
uniforms again!
Two of them jumped out behind him from the same helicopter and a
few more from other helicopters were jumping out like black cats…swift,