Exclusive Excerpt: Kashmir in the Line of Fire: A Soldier’s View from the World’s Most Volatile Frontier

This excerpt is from a chapter in the book named: The Line of Control between

India and Pakistan.

“The LC is not just a line, but a battlefield, with troops of both countries deployed eyeball to eyeball. The terrain is the most challenging aspect here, with high altitude mountainous areas, dense forests interspersed with streams, and broken ground that assists the infiltration of terrorists. There are no rules on the LC, only temporary understandings that result in no-holds-barred engagements between both sides with lethal consequences.

The sanctity of this LC has been maintained through extensive sacrifices, and its history is written with the blood of brave hearts with indomitable spirits and unimaginable courage. The LC regularly witnesses heavy exchange of fire due to frequent ceasefire violations by the adversary.

For the Army deployed on the LC, the sound of machine gun fire and mortar bombs is a mere alarm that rings, transforming their rest hours into an immediate active position, returning fire with fire in a matter of seconds. A quiet day on the LC can turn into a barrage of rockets and bombs in the blink of an eye, and then it dawns on the soldiers deployed there that the LC never sleeps, and the same applies to them.

My first brush with this kind of experience dates back to 1991, when our battalion was in reserve and tasked with the reconnaissance of various Key Defensive Localities (KDLs) along the LC. Unlike conventional movements, our orders required us to take unorthodox, less predictable routes. During one such mission, as we were nearing a KDL, our movement was somehow detected by the enemy. Just as we were entering the post, a heavy artillery barrage began. Shells rained down across the entire area ‒ including direct hits on the cookhouse

- which was completely destroyed, leaving us without food or even drinking water. Thankfully, our side returned fire swiftly, compelling the enemy to cease their shelling. We were utterly exhausted, having climbed rugged terrain for nearly six hours. That night, we stayed packed inside bunkers, and by early morning, we moved again ‒ carefully staying out of enemy sight. It was a memorable and formative experience ‒ one that I didn’t realise at the time would come full circle when, years later, I would find myself commanding the brigade in that very region.”

This passage moves beyond headlines and political debates to reveal the lived reality of the Line of Control (LC), the tense military divide between India and Pakistan. Far from being a static line on a map, Maj Gen Ranjan Mahajan portrays the LC as a constantly active combat zone, where soldiers on both sides are always prepared for sudden escalation.

His first experience there in 1991 captures just how unforgiving that environment can be. He shows the LC for what it truly is: a place sustained by endurance, adaptability, and quiet courage. It highlights how quickly routine can turn into crisis, and how survival often depends on discipline and teamwork as much as strategy.

If this glimpse feels intense, it is only a small window into a much larger reality. Kashmir in the Line of Fire goes further, sharing many such firsthand accounts that bring readers closer to a world most of us will never experience firsthand.

Buy here: Kashmir in the Line of Fire: A Memoir of Its Unordinary People and Soldiers