By Anirban Paul
In a small breezy room, atop the hills of Madanrting, Paul Keishing Nongrum walks past assorted photographs narrating the story of his youngest brother — an unassuming boy from the hills whose passion for the nation drove him to sacrifice his life during the Kargil War in a quest to defeat the enemy.
“My elder brother and I had also thought of joining the army, but Clifford was very sure about it. During morning walks, the three of us usually walked past the Assam Rifles camp in Happy Valley. He used to be very excited seeing the personnel do their morning drills,” Paul says, pointing to a picture of Capt. Clifford K. Nongrum in Siachen.
“I don’t know if our parents were okay with the idea initially, but Clifford did not inform them before giving the Combined Defence Services exam. He cleared the written round and pleaded with them to appear for the interview. When he cleared that and was finally selected, our parents were very proud and happy,” a gleaming Paul says.
Capt. Nongrum is remembered with pride by Meghalayans every year, particularly on the Kargil Vijay Diwas, which is commemorated on July 26 to observe the victory of Indian forces over Pakistani troops, ousting them from captured mountain-top positions in Northern Kargil District, Ladakh in 1999.
Capt. Nongrum, or “Cliffy” as his batch mates called him during his training days at Officers Training Academy (OTA), gained martyrdom while leading an assault team of the 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, capturing the strategically important Point 4812 in the Batalik sector of Kargil.
A citation from the Maha Vir Chakra, which was awarded to him posthumously, narrates the events which took place on July 1, 1999:
The enemy pinned down the column of Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum with heavy and accurate automatic fire for about two hours. On seeing the futility of own fire against the fortified enemy position, Captain Keishing Nongrum, with utter disregard to his personal safety, charged through the fire zone. Closing in with the first position, he threw grenades into it and killed six enemy soldiers. He then tried to snatch the universal machine gun of the enemy from the second enemy position and received a volley of bullets.
This audacious action stunned the enemy, giving valuable reaction time to his troops to close in and finally clear the position. Though severely wounded, Captain Clifford K Nongrum refused to be evacuated and fought valiantly till he succumbed to his injuries. This act resulted in the ultimate capture of Point 4812.
Capt. Nongrum, who was promoted from Lieutenant just before leading the mission, is recollected by his batch mates and his brother Paul as a flawless player of harmonica and the guitar.
In a scroll written by his OTA batch mate for his family titled “This is the Longest Wait Ever that too Just for a Song”, his batch mate mentions the way he soulfully sang Elton John’s Sacrifice strumming his guitar throughout their time at the academy.
“I extracted a promise from him that he will sing ‘Sacrifice’ for me ‘one last time’ on the eve of our passing out also…We were to pass out on September 5…Unfortunately, we both could not even meet on the last day in Academy … I went to his room with the hope that I may see him one last time. I saw his empty bed and was informed by the caretakers that he had left,” he penned.
“Cliffy my friend wish you had sung ‘Sacrifice’ one last time for me on September 4, 1997… This is the longest wait ever. I will wait till we meet again in heaven. Cliffy till we meet again, I will remember you every day of my existence.”
Behind the humble and cheerful character, Capt. Nongrum was also a leader outside his uniform. His brother Paul recalled his deep concern for the underprivileged and his zeal to do something for them in any way possible.
“He started a football club called Kiew Shaphrang Sports Club in 1993. He found boys from labourers’ families and got them to play for this club. Clifford loved baking and he made donuts probably before it was popular in Shillong, so people bought it from him. With the money he made, he bought jerseys and boots for the boys in the club,” Paul said, pointing to a picture of the football team.
“The team competed in local leagues. But whether they would win or lose, Clifford would throw a big picnic for them at the end of the league. All the boys loved him and would rally around him wherever he went,” he said.
Some of Capt. Nongrum’s batchmates, many of whom are retired now, often visit his family. Most of them hand various mementoes, scrolls or framed photographs of their dear Cliffy as a gesture of remembrance.
His parents have now set up a museum in a room on the first floor of their home, where they have arranged and kept all such memorabilia, which narrates the story of how Capt. Nongrum went from a passionate young boy in Shillong to a legendary figure in the hearts of all patriots.
“When they got his martyred body home, the roads were full of teary and numb people standing on either side as the parade passed through. His body was kept in the Fire Brigade ground, where it seemed like the whole of Shillong was present to pay their homage,” Paul said.
“It was not a holiday that day. But the entire city was quiet. People shut their shops to come and gather in the ground. Students from all schools and colleges were present. Everyone paid respects in their own way,” he added.
Capt. Nongrum was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra in 2000 by the then President of India K.R. Narayanan. His father Keishing Peter collected the medal — the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra — in the presence of the commanding officer of 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Colonel V S Bhalothia.
He is fondly remembered by his family, especially his parents, by the last Christmas card he sent to his family in the winter of 1998. It reads:
To the best Papa and Mummy in this world,
The finest gifts of Christmas find their home within the heart, not in a box or sitting on a shelf. A smile, a hug, a thoughtful word — each gesture plays a part in giving the best gift of all — yourself.
…pray that I may one day be able to make you the proudest parents in the world. Thank you for everything.”
From your loving son,
Keishing Clifford Nongrum