A Story Of Positive Contribution

The positive contribution by our Bank Guards when serving with the armed forces is a matter of great pride to all SBI Citizens and a thing to be much applauded .Their contribution in the bank is also not fully acknowledged though they render great service to many customers. Many of our guards have served in extremely difficult areas as Siachin ,Nagaland,as members of IPKF in Sri Lanka etc for the cause of the nation.

One such example is of Shri Kundan Lal Mali presently working at our Madhav Nagar branch Ujjain .During the course of his routine duties he serves numerous customers and is always ready to do more.

Shri Kundan Lal Mali served in the army from 1977 to 1994 of which some were in very difficult areas in the higher reaches of Jammu & Kashmir namely near Kargil and Leh. Shri Mali was serving in the ASC Core as a driver by trade during which he was involved in many rescue operations and other routine duties.

In one such incident Shri Mali was deputed as driver in a convoy from Srinagar to Leh .The convoy of 100 to 150 vehicles carried rations for the troops in Leh, Kargil and the higher reaches and on return they would bring back empty oil barrels and also the troops returning on leave or transfers and drop them to the nearest transit camps.

On 14th of November 1986 the convoy left Leh for their return journey to Srinagar with Shri Mali as one of the drivers in the convoy. On that fateful day there was a heavy snowfall in the region (about 16 ft in an hour) .Some vehicles were stopped before they left Leh but unfortunately Shri Mali’s vehicle and many others were stuck in the snow which had nearly covered them. Not losing hope Shri Mali helped about 20 troops in his and nearby vehicles to safety to a nearby base of a Signals unit through the treacherous snow mountains In the process Mali and 7 others including one JCO (who breathed his last in the hospital after being rescued) were separated from the others of his group in a landslide.

They were stranded in a ditch in the snowy mountains without food and water except for their backpacks and the clothing on them and with heavy snowfall all around them .The ditch was so deep that they could not see the land outside. Their biggest fear was of being buried alive in the snow. Search parties were organized by the Signals unit but they failed to locate them because of the heavy snowfall. They were stuck for 15 days during which time they kept themselves alive by walking around the ditch continuously to harden the snow that had fallen so that slowly they would come out of the ditch. Their only way of knowing the time was from the cycle of the sun which they could only feel as some brightness outside. Sitting and resting in the ditch would have meant a sure death as they would have frozen to death. Due to the extreme cold they did not feel the hunger and thirst. Some thirst was allayed by melting the snow with salt in their bags and wetting the mouth and lips.

Helicopters sent on rescue missions could not see them as they were stuck deep down in the ditch The final rescue came after 15 days when they were shifted to Chandigarh hospital (The closest hospital was in Srinagar but could not be reached ‘cause of heavy snowfall).Sri Mali only remembers the fact that they finally reached the safety of the hospital. The 15 days had taken a great toll physically and mentally as he still feels that his memory has weakened .Their feet were swollen with the extreme cold and their shoes had to be cut open.

The group was rewarded by a visit in the hospital by the then Prime Minister Shri Rajeev Gandhi and an extra 2 months leave in addition to their normal leave and a certificate from their Commanding Officer.

Contributed by Ms Smita Kalve, Facilitator, SBLC, Indore