A landing in Leh
In 1948, when Pakistani raiders infiltrated Ladakh, the Dakota rose to the occasion
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 "Veenu Sandhu")
 "The Indian Air Force's Dakota DC-3 aircraft successfully lands in Leh on a 2.1-kilometre-long makeshift runway, built in under a month (PHOTO: Ministry of Defence)")
The Indian Air Force’s Dakota DC-3 aircraft successfully lands in Leh on a 2.1-kilometre-long makeshift runway, built in under a month (PHOTO: Ministry of Defence)
In the second week of March 1948, Sonam Norbu, a British-trained civil engineer, got down to building an airstrip in the cold, barren desert of Leh, on a war footing. The 38-year-old Ladakhi knew he had little time. Pakistan had launched an offensive, Operation Sledge, aiming to capture key towns of Ladakh, including Leh. This was months after Hari Singh, the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, had signed the Instrument of Accession, on October 26, 1947, agreeing to integrate his state into the Dominion of India. Tribal raiders, supported by the Pakistani army, had marched well into the Skardu region
Written By
Veenu Sandhu
Veenu Sandhu is Senior Associate Editor at Business Standard. Based in New Delhi, she has been a journalist since 1996, and has worked in some of India’s leading newsrooms across print, digital and television media, including NDTV 24x7, Hindustan Times and The Indian Express. At Business Standard, she writes, commissions, edits and gives direction to special, in-depth articles for the newspaper and the digital platform across beats and sectors. She also hosts video shows for Business Standard. Before this, she edited BS Weekend. She is a 2017-18 batch Chevening South Asia Journalism fellow.
 "Veenu Sandhu")
First Published: Nov 07 2025 | 4:44 PM IST
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