Who's Tashi Namgyal, shepherd who alerted about 1999 Pakistan intrusions
Tashi Namgyal, the Ladakhi shepherd who was instrumental in alerting the Indian Army about Pakistani intrusions during the 1999 Kargil war, passed away on Friday at the age of 58. Namgyal died in his native village of Garkhon, located in Ladakh's Aryan Valley. Earlier this year, Namgyal had attended the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas in Drass with his daughter Tsering Dolkar.
Namgyal's pivotal role in the 1999 Kargil conflict
The Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps paid tribute to Namgyal on social media, calling him a "braveheart." The Army recognized his pivotal role during Operation Vijay in 1999, adding his contribution "shall remain etched in golden letters." In May 1999, while looking for missing yaks near his home in Garkon village, he had found Pakistani soldiers disguised as Pathans digging bunkers on the Batalik mountain range. Namgyal then immediately informed the Indian Army, forcing the latter to act swiftly.
Army's final farewell to shepherd hero
Namgyal's struggle for recognition and support
But despite his immense contribution to India's victory in the Kargil conflict, Namgyal struggled for years to get recognition from New Delhi. He had bemoaned the government's lack of recognition in an open interview with News18. "I have protected the honor of India and reported against the enemy, but I have received nothing. For my livelihood, I sell vegetables. The government should provide employment to my children," he said.
Centre assured him of receiving 'something big'
In a 2014 interview with the Hindu, he said that the Army had written to the Centre as early as August 2001, after which he was assured of "something big." 'But that 'something' has not yet come my way," he said at the time. He struggled to provide education to his three kids due to limited resources. His son Sanzin Dorjay also dropped out of school till Army officers recommended him to 'Sarhad,' an NGO aiding students from conflict zones.
He got ₹18,000 a month as a ration allowance
In his more recent interview with TOI in July, he said he got ₹18,000 a month as a ration allowance, and the Army takes care of him whenever he needs help. "Although 25 years have passed, I still hope the Centre will give me some civilian honor for my contribution to the forces," he said. Tashi is survived by his wife and four children, one of whom is a lecturer and a gold medalist in Hindi.
