As Netflix brings the 1999 Kargil air war back into focus with Operation Safed Sagar, Bathinda has a reason to look at the series differently. The mountains of Kargil may be far from Punjab, but one of the Indian Air Force units that played a crucial role in the conflict had a direct connection with the city. Air Force Station Bhisiana, near Bathinda, was home to No. 17 Squadron, the famed Golden Arrows.
Operation by the Golden Arrows
The Golden Arrows were operating MiG-21 Type 96 aircraft when the Kargil conflict broke out. As the war intensified, the squadron was moved forward to Srinagar and became actively involved in Operation Safed Sagar, undertaking reconnaissance and strike missions against enemy positions in the difficult mountainous terrain. The squadron was later awarded Battle Honours for its role in the operation.
Bathinda: Home to No. 17 Squadron
For Bathinda, this means the story of Safed Sagar did not begin in the mountains. It began, in part, at an air station on the city's outskirts, where the Golden Arrows were based before heading towards the conflict zone.
One of the most remembered pilots of the squadron was Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, the unit's Flight Commander. On May 27, 1999, Ahuja was involved in efforts to locate Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa after he ejected from his aircraft. Ahuja's MiG-21 was subsequently hit and he was killed. He was later awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously for his actions.
Ahuja's story is particularly significant for Bathinda because the city became connected to his final journey as well. His mortal remains were brought to Bhisiana, where his last rites were performed. The same air station associated with his squadron thus became a place of mourning for one of its own air warriors.
Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024
The connection did not end with 1999. Bathinda's Air Force Station has repeatedly been used to remember the Golden Arrows and the air warriors of Kargil. During the 25th anniversary commemorations of Kargil Vijay Diwas in 2024, Bhisiana hosted a remembrance ceremony, attended by veterans, serving personnel and families of fallen air warriors. A Missing Man formation was also flown as a tribute to those who never returned.
For most Indians, Operation Safed Sagar is a story of fighter jets battling over Kargil. For Bathinda, it is also a story that once took off from home.
Before the Golden Arrows became part of Kargil history, they were Bathinda's squadron.
