New Delhi

The Balti-speaking people living on the line of control in Turtuk in the Shyok river Valley of Kargil are reminding the Narendra Modi government of an important date in modern history that the nation seems to have forgotten too soon.

It was in the night of December 13/14 in 1971 that the Indian Army had marched into Turkut village in Nubra after defeating the Pakistani Army in an operation that lasted four days. The area, part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, was captured by the Army for its strategic value.

Back then these six villages were part of Pakistan’s Northern areas and historically and culturally of Balti-speaking people and called Baltistan.

In the morning of December 14, when Major Rinchen of Ladakh Scouts of the Indian Army approached the menfolk in Turtuk village who were hiding in their homes as the battle between two Armies had raged overnight. He allayed their fears of reprisals.

On his assurance that everyone will be treated as “our own people,” the women and children hiding in a nearby nullah, returned to their homes.

The memory of Major Rinchen speaking in Ladakhi to the menfolk in the morning of December 14 is etched in the minds of many villagers, who were either young children back then or have heard about him from their elders. He said in chaste Ladakhi, "The Indian Army will help you in all respects. Bring back your womenfolk and children. They are like our mothers and sisters. I will be responsible for their safety, if there is any misbehaviour on the part of any soldier or civilian who has come with us, I shall take disciplinary action against the person who misbehaves."

The army had then captured other villages in the next two days without facing any resistance as the Pakistani army men had abandoned their posts and taken the capture of the area by Indians as a fait accompli.

These six villages Chulunkha, Turtuk You, Turtuk Farool, Tyakshi Groud, and Tyakshi Pancthang, Thang, are today inhabited by some 6,000 people.

Shireen Fatima Balti, a young singer whose songs have become a rage across the line of control in Baltistan is one of the most famous persons from the area.

A letter asking the Prime Minister to declare December 16 as Turtuk Liberation day has been sent.

The letter is signed by Abdul Hamid, Numbardar (revenue official) of Tyakshi Pachathan, Haji Abdul Qadir, Numberdar, Tyakshi Groud and Ghulam Hussaini a local social activist to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sent.

The letter says that this day is as important as Vijay Diwas and other commemorations. “December 16 should be declared as Turkut liberation day in memory of soldiers who laid down their lives in that war,” it says.

However, on the same day, a human tragedy had also unfolded as many families got divided in these villages.

The three leaders have also asked the government to work with Pakistani authorities for evolving a mechanism whereby the divided families could meet at a designated place on the banks of Shyok river. At present, the locals have to travel all the way to Delhi or Amritsar and either take a flight or train to Pakistan to meet their relatives on the other side.