Troops of the Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army, headquartered in Sukna on the outskirts of Siliguri, conducted a route march with full battle load across the challenging terrains of Sikkim and reached up to an altitude of 17,000 feet in the mountain state on the India-China border.
The march was held for six days from September 9 to 15.
“Technology enhances our capabilities, but it is the soldier’s grit and teamwork that ultimately win battles. This march reinforces confidence in our ability to fight and prevail in the harshest conditions,” said Lt Gen Zubin A. Minwalla, the GOC of Trishakti Corps.
Army sources said that the soldiers who joined the march walked during day and night hours through steep gradients, icy winds and rugged tracks.
Army personnel cross a high-altitude terrain in Sikkim
“Each soldier carried his full operational load, which included weapons, equipment and survival gear, replicating battlefield conditions in high-altitude areas. The march was a test of the physical stamina, mental resilience and collective spirit of the soldiers,” said a source.
An army official said that although the army continues to integrate modern technology, drones and smart logistics into its operations, such exercises remain indispensable.
“These exercises ensure that soldiers are prepared to operate even in situations where there may be constraints in using technology. It reaffirms the primacy of human endurance and adaptability,” he said.
Over the past few months, the army and the defence forces as a whole have been conducting various exercises in the surroundings of the Siliguri corridor, a strategic area of the country.
“A successful completion of this march reflects the Trishakti Warriors’ commitment to operational readiness and their role in safeguarding the nation’s frontiers in the eastern Himalayas,” said a source.
CDS to visit
Gen. Anil Chauhan, the chief of the defence staff of the Indian armed forces, will visit a SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (RAKSHA) outreach to be held at the Bengdubi military station on the outskirts of Siliguri on September 18.
The event will be hosted by the controller of defence accounts, Patna, under the controller general of defence accounts, New Delhi, to help pensioners of ex-servicemen and retired employees of the Union defence ministry and also resolve their pension-related problems, said sources.