Men in camouflage gears were busy on Monday as they packed and loaded their things including weaponry and furniture for their departure in a special train from here to Jammu and Kashmir on being inducted for field operations in the border districts of that State.
The troops of the 122 Infantry Battalion (Madras Regiment), the lone Territorial Army unit in the State stationed here completed the packing and loading work by afternoon as the special train for the rail move of the battalion personnel and their entire battalion to the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir reached the Kannur South railway station here by noon.
By late evening, the train carrying the battalion unit left the station. The preparations for the rail journey had begun a few days ago.
“It will take nine to 10 days for the troops to reach their destination and they will remain in the sensitive regions near the border for two to three years,” said battalion Commanding Officer Rajesh Kanojia.
A few companies of the battalion were already stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. Around 800 men of the battalion would be in that State for the operational tasks, he added.
Though the battalion had been initially raised as the 51 Light Armoured Regiment at Ambala in 1949, it was later affiliated to the Madras Regiment.
The battalion that have been stationed here for the past 39 years is also known as Kannur Terriers. Actor Mohanlal’s honorary commission as a Lieutenant Colonel into the battalion earned it popularity.
Brand ambassadors
“We are like brand ambassadors of Kannur in the whole of the Indian Army,” said Lt. Col. Gurmeet Singh, who is second-in-command of the battalion.
Nearly 90% of the personnel in the battalion were from Kannur and nearby areas in Kasaragod, he informed. The region was the catchment area for recruitment, he added.
The TA battalion is deployed for operational tasks every two to three years. They had been deployed in Sri Lanka in 1989-1990 as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, and in Kashmir Valley in 1991-92 for Operation Rakshak.
When the unit was not sent for operational duties, it excelled in sporting activities, especially volleyball and basketball. Now the unit is also conducting Kalaripayattu martial arts training programme for men in the Madras Regiment.
The battalion also reaches out to people with various social and charitable activities.
