t is about a 45 minutes ferry ride from the mainland of Dhamra to the Wheeler Island which has a docking site,especially for the Ministry of Defence.It was so cold to be out in the sea in the evening that the air had a salty tang to it and there was a bite that chilled us to the bone.It was pitch black outside as the ferry bobbed up and down ferociously,tackling the waves,lights twinkled at us every 5 minutes or so and I got delighted at the prospect of seeing land again,only finding it to be fishermen's boats.
Finally we saw a row of lights that signified our arrival.The dock looked pretty imposing as we neared it.The ferry dropped anchors and the engine shut down.Slightly sea sick,I tried to regain my bearing,and suddenly,there were strong,sure hands pulling me ashore.I looked up to see the smiling but lined face of a DSC personnel,welcoming me to the island.
We piled up ourselves and our luggage in the DRDO shuttle bus which zipped us to the guest house after initial security clearances.We had already been instructed to leave our cell phones and cameras behind on the mainland,for obvious security reasons.
I looked up at the DRDO guest house,where we were supposed to stay throughout our visit,marveling at its architectural elegance.It is the only lodging place in the island for visitors.The building was breathtaking,it aroused nostalgia inside me,the longing to go back to the old way of the army life,which my father had left a long time back.Tired from the ferry ride,we slept peacefully that night in our comfortable eiderdowns.
The first day began with a tour of the island,starting with a visit to the island temple,religious vein notwithstanding.The temple had been built around a bel tree,as suggested by Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam,who had then visited as Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister.
The whole island is connected by railroads plied upon by vehicles doubling up as tyred or railed.The whole island is powered by six gargantuan diesel generators which run in shifts.
Then started the real tour when we were taken to have a look at the various components of missile assembly,testing,launching and monitoring.
The island is dotted with lookout towers manned by the DSC personnel 24 hours a day,who work in shifts and make sure that no suspicious activity takes place near the sea or around the island.
I cannot describe what i saw there for two vital reasons:national security and the lack of words!!You have to be there to see it,and feel it.You can have a clearance or admit pass for the island issued to you by the concerned officer in the DRDO and Dhamra can be reached by road since the National Highway leads you right to it.
The Bloc House was the most impressive as it is the hotbed of all the brains of India who control the launched missile so that it follows the right trajectory path and guide it to hit its destination target.The new launch pad for Agni looked simply awe inspiring.
The part of the island facing the sea had been eaten up around 400 mts in circumference since the tsunami struck 3 years ago.We saw what were the remains of the huge railroad tracks ripped up by the furious and annihilating tidal wave,floating aimlessly corroded beyond repair.
The island was a no man's land until 1998 when the first missile Prithvi hit the island.The organization was built after that.Everything was shipped in from the mainland:construction equipment,flora,fauna,top soil cover...
Even to this day,two ferries carry food for the people on the island,from the mainland Dhamra.
The afternoon saw us take our lunch and take the ferry back to the mainland,with the memories of the island,engraved in our hearts,forever.
DRDO makes me proud to be an Indian,it evoked patriotism in me all over again,the technical and military might of my country left me spell bound.