LUCKNOW: About 40 km from Ghazipur in eastern UP lies population-wise Asia’s largest village, Gahmar, popular as ‘Village of Soldiers’. Every household of Gahmar boasts of having at least one person serving in the Indian Army or retired from the force.
The local sources claim Gahmar has the distinction of having over 15,000 men who have served in Indian Army so far.
Gahmar, the village in the Jamania assembly segment of Ghazipur parliamentary constituency, has a reason to be in public discourse, especially, during the current turbulent times. Founded by Raja Dhamdev Rao in 1530, this village, with a population of 1.5 lakh, has around 10,000 people posted in different corners of the country as part of Indian Army.
“It was around 10 pm on May 8 during Operation Sindoor that I received a call from my son Neeraj, right now deployed at Uri border in J&K, telling me that the shelling at the border had intensified. He said that he would not be able to call for the next three to four days. The phone remained silent for the next three days and on May 11, when the shelling stopped, Neeraj called again making the entire family at ease,” shares Dinesh Singh, 56, with a glint of pride in eyes. Saying he feels proud that his son is in the Army, Dinesh Singh claims that over 200 children from 90 households in the village are posted in J&K in present times.
As if the mothers in Gahmar have taken an oath to raise their sons as soldiers. The village has over 5,000 retired servicemen and around 10,000 currently in the armed forces in the rank ranging from soldiers to brigadiers. The village has over 50 ex-servicemen who have had the opportunity to guard the borders and rebuff the enemy during Indo-Pak conflicts from 1965 till Kargil in 1999.
There is hardly nay household in the village, the walls of which are not adorned by the uniform and medals.
A huge memorial pillar inscribed with the names of all those warriors who were martyred while fighting for the country, stands tall to tell the tale of valour and heroism.
“If the government allows, I can still go to the border,” asserts the immortal soldier in 90-year-old Banshidhar Singh, a 1971 war veteran.
Former Subedar Major Veer Bahadur Singh, who served from 1977 to 2008, says Pakistan has nothing now but to cry. “If we had moved to reclaim PoK then, cross-border terrorism could have ended. Today’s army is stronger—with better weapons and technology. Our soldiers must continue standing firm.”
So far Gahmar has gifted 42 Lieutenants, 23 Brigadiers, and currently has 45 serving Colonels in the forces.
The village is divided into 22 hamlets, each named after a soldier. Chandan Singh, who served in Army from 2006 to 2015, disagrees with the ceasefire.
“That night, when the ceasefire was announced, I couldn’t sleep. Pakistan dares to speak only because China backs it. We agreed to a ceasefire under US pressure,” he claims with a tinge of disappointment in his tone. Gahmar has a long history of making the country proud by producing army men generations after generations. In most homes, if the grandfather is engaged in farming, the son or grandson is deputed on border duty. In World War I, 228 villagers fought for the British and 21 laid their life in line of duty.
Then there is an Ex-Servicemen Service Committee office in the village inspiring and guiding the youth to take army recruitment exams.
Gahmar has rather turned into a township well-equipped with telephone exchange, degree and inter-colleges, a health care centre, and its own railway station where about 20 trains from Bihar, Bengal and UP stop daily. Retired soldiers have also started Rafael Academy to coach children for military school entrance exams.
‘Mathiya’ is the village army training ground. Designed by ex-Servicemen, the ground has all the features to give the aspirants hands on experience of an army training setup—with a running track, monkey rope hurdle, a long and 9 ft jump pit. It gives aspirants a feel of army life from day one.
Krishnanand, 24, preparing for the army, believes that any one who practices daily in this ground can pass the Army Physical Test anywhere in the country. Mothers in the village who give birth the brave soldiers leave everything to the divine.
Vimla Devi’s son Kundan is in the Indian Navy. “Every time he comes home, I take him to the village deity, Maa Kamakhya,” says the mother who has to be as brave as the son.
“We feel and believe that Maa Kamakhya protects every child who joins Army from Gahmarm” says Vimal Devi adding that since 1965 Indo-Pak war, no one from the village had martyred in the conflicts later.