At 16,000 feet, the troops of Assam regiment are not just guarding the sensitive border with China in North Sikkim, but also battling a severely harsh cold. With temperatures dipping to - 40 degrees Celsius, soldiers and officers often come together to share lighter moments to break the monotony.

The song that they dance to, is a story in itself. Badlu Ram, a soldier in the Assam regiment was killed in World War II but his name remained in the rolls and his share of ration continued to be accounted for. When the Japanese got the better of the troops, they were left with no supplies and it was Badlu Ram's share of the ration that was in abundance that helped the troops survive.

The famous Assam regiment song. Badlu Ram ka badan zameen ke neeche hai aur humko uska ration milta hai. Even at 16,000 ft with temperatures dipping to -40 degrees these Indian Army @adgpi men are in high spirits. Lucky to witness this in North Sikkim Indo-China border pic.twitter.com/Ovnkig0Zua

Abhishek Bhalla (@AbhishekBhalla7) January 16, 2019

Hence, "Badlu Ram ka badan zameen ke neeche hai aur humko uska ration milta hai" is a legend that continues as the regimental song.

In North Sikkim, the Assam regiment is guarding the highest battalion headquarters in the world that is a gateway to the Tibetan plateau, making it a strategic location. The great Himalayas end here and vast expanses of land across are in Chinese possession. It is for this reason that the Indian Army wants to dominate the heights having forward posts at 19,000 feet here 24x7, 365 days a year keeping a vigil on Chinese movements.