The Indian Army on Friday flagged off a Chindits Trail Expedition to commemorate the spirit and ethos of Indian troops employed on Burma front in the Second World War.
The expedition, which will conclude on March 8, will cover a total distance of 400 kilometres in four phases over a period of 20 days.
Moving through jungle trails and surviving off the land, without recourse to any modern amenities, the troops plan to truly relive the Chindits experience. The expedition will be led by Captain Sachit Sharma and the team comprises of 25 soldiers for each phase.
The expedition will cover the areas of Deogarh, Shadpur, Damoh, and Nauradehi and will collaborate with the local civil administration and forest department to connect with indigenous tribes inhabiting the region, to spread the message of national integration and organise medical camps for their benefit, read an official note.
The remote and inaccessible region of Central India was specially chosen by the British in 1943 during the Second World War to train a Guerilla force called the 'Chindits' to conduct operations behind the lines of Japanese forces in Burma (present-day Myanmar).
The training was conducted in the inhospitable jungle and hilly terrain between Narmada and Betwa river basins, under the legendary General Orde Wingate and comprised mainly of Gorkha troops of the Indian Army. The Chindits operations were crucial in breaking the will of Japanese troops, leading to their ultimate defeat, it added.