Sharda Lal
It feels great to have survived the past 50 years of Indian history and recall the eyewitness accounts and personally heard stories and speeches of great personalities and people that were also broadcast live over the Akashvani (All India Radio) and covered by the print media, especially the Dharamyug and the Illustrated Weakly of India. Most of us heard Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee comparing the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi with ‘Maa Durga’ (though subsequently denied for unknown reasons) and Shri Shamim Ahmad Shamim, the then Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar calling Pakistani Forces and politicians as ‘Dhaka ke Daku’. Occasion was the celebration of victory of India over Pakistan in the 14 – day war of 1971. Sayed Mir Qasim, the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir had equated the war mongering Pakistani politicians and army with ‘latoon ke bhoot’ while speaking at a victory rally at the Municipal Park near Emporium Gardens, Srinagar, about a month later. He was convinced, “They are not the stuff believing in resolution of issues through talks – batoon se nahin maante”.
The decisive victory of India on 16 December 1971, was the victory of national unity, valour, politico-diplomatic strategy and intelligent demonstration of military superiority’ over the ‘communal Pakistani Two Nation Theory’, symptomised by ‘self aggrandized martial law regime’. Pakistani leadership was ‘over-intoxicated with absolute power’. It was corrupted absolutely.
Intensified repression by Pakistani ‘military junta’, even of the co-religionists, in East Pakistan (now Bangla Desh), following their demand to appoint the duly elected Bangla Prime Ministerial candidate Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman to head the Pakistani government, besides all along denial of other legitimate rights, had triggered strong resentment amongst the masses. On 26 March 1971, East Pakistan had officially called for its secession from Pakistan. They formed ‘Mukti Bahini’, the civil militia, and waged a fierce armed struggle against West Pakistan to form their own, ‘Bangladesh’ in the east.
It is reported that members of the Pakistani military and supporting pro-Pakistani Islamist militias killed between 3,00,000 and 30,00,000 civilians in Bangladesh. As a result of the conflict, a further eight to ten million people fled the country to seek refuge in India. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting pro Pakistani Islamist militias called the Razakars raped between 2,00,000 and 4,00,000 Bangladeshi women and girls in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape, most of the victims being Hindu women (Wikipedia).
India, under the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi tried utmost to convince Pakistani government to resolve their internal dispute urgently, so that the burden the refugees entering India could be eased. Pakistan, on the contrary, intensified its hostile attitude and relied heavily upon the United States and China for military and every other support. Even some of the neighbouring countries like Iran and Sri Lanka, besides other Islamic Countries of Arabian region, were weaned away to its favour on strategic and religious considerations. The Indian Prime Minister was however, ably supported by her political ministers, diplomatic advisors, military generals and even the opposition leaders. India stood united, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, religion and region. Indira Gandhi had therefore, almost a free hand to focus on all world leaders and explain to them, India’s concerns over implications of more than one crore Pak refugees on her soil.
Whereas, the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and socialist bloc countries, besides UK and France had understood the precarious situation in which India was landed due to Pakistan’s making, but President Richard Nixon of the US and his Foreign Secretary Henry Kissinger besides President Mao Zedong and the PM Chou en Lai of the People’s Republic of China were determined to target India for show down at the United Nations as well as at other international fora. They showed reluctance, even in providing relief to East Pakistani refugees. People of East Pakistan were convinced of Indian sincerity in their cause. They saw a Messiah in Indian leadership and therefore, every kind of help offered by India was accepted by them. It was clear that Pakistan was on the path of Adharma while India was pursuing the Dharmik path. The course adopted by Indian leadership was completely in tune with the following stanza from Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulasidas:
“सखा धर्ममय अस रथ जाकें। जीतन कहँ न कतहुँ रिपु ताकें” ।।
Meaning, “O friend, one whose armour is righteousness, the enemy can’t face him.”
On 22 November, 1971, Pakistan, without a realistic appraisal of India’s military and moral strength, launched naked aggression on India by sending Sabre Jets into Indian Territory in the Eastern Sector. The intruding Pakistani Air Force jets that had crossed into Indian Airspace, were intercepted in air by a detachment of four Folland Gnats of the Indian Air Force. The Fighter controller in the sector was Flying Officer KB Bagchi who vectored the gnats to the Sabres and directed the interception. The first section of Gnats was of Flt Lt Roy Andrew Massey.and Fg Offr SF Soarez as his Wingman. The second section consisted of Flt Lt M. A. Ganapathy and Fg Offr D Lazarus. As the Gnats dived in, a section of two Sabres pulled out of the attack and placed themselves in an awkward position, just in front of Ganapathy and Lazarus. The Sabres were badly damaged and the wreckage of the abandoned Sabres fell near the village of Bongaon in India. Pakistani pilots Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi and Khaleel Ahmed ejected over Boyra area and parachuted down. They were taken Prisoners of War. Simultaneously, Massey latched onto another Sabre and after maneuvering into firing position and taking aim, hit him in the port wing. The Sabre streaked back into Pakistani territory billowing smoke and fire. The engagement is popular by the name ‘Battle of Boyra’. It was the first engagement between the Air Forces of India and Pakistan during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.
I vividly remember that under tense, but upbeat conditions on 3 December 1971, we the children along with our parents had attended a marriage function at around 5 p.m. on the Court Road in Amira Kadal, Srinagar (Kashmir). Returning home after a couple of hours, no sooner we had slipped into our beddings in the ice cold winter night, that the loud hooters resonated the air sounding air raids by Pakistani fighter jets in Srinagar air space. Later, we learnt that the Pakistani Operation Chengiz Khan had made preemptive aerial strikes on 11 Indian Air Stations in Western Sector. Wave after wave of the aerial attack kept us awake for the coming days and nights as the earth under the feet remained hot.
India subsequently announced her official entry into the war for independence in East Pakistan on the side of Bangladeshi Nationalist Forces. The conflict with Pakistani forces expanded on both eastern and western fronts. 13 days after the bloody war had started; India achieved a clear upper hand. Jammu city was saved with the grace of Bawe-wali-Mata as the Indian forces displayed gallantry and devotion. On 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, the Eastern Command of Pakistani military signed the Instrument of Surrender marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh. Approximately 90,000 to 93,000 Pakistani servicemen were taken prisoners by the Indian Army, which included 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces, including some Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan. The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 prisoners were civilians, either family members of the military personnel or collaborators (Razakars).
This December in 2021, as India completes Golden Jubilee year of her victory over Pakistan, it is the time to reverentially remember the exemplary courage, discipline and sacrifices made by the Men in Uniform – whether from Army, Navy, Air force, Paramilitary forces or Police. Who can forget the supreme sacrifice made by Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon and Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who were awarded Param Vir Chakra (Posthumously) and Major Hoshiar Singh (Param Vir Chakra), who survived the War? Indians of today are indebted to hundreds and thousands of War Heroes for their valour, courage and devotion to duty. There is a need to make everyone aware about the services rendered to the nation by the then President Dr. V.V. Giri, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Foreign Minister S. Swaran Singh, Defence Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram, Army Chief – Field Martial Sam Manekshaw, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral S.M. Nanda, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Pratap C. Lal, GOC – in – Chiefs of Eastern, Southern, Western and Central Commands and IV, II, XV and I Corps, namely Lt. Generals Jagjit Singh Arora, G.G. Bewoor, K.P. Candeth, Premindra Bhagat, Sagat Singh, T.N. Raina, Sartaj Singh and Karan Singh respectively; COS Eastern Command and IV Corps, namely, Maj. Generals Fari R. Jacob and Om Malhotra respectively; Director Military Operations Maj. General Inderjit Singh Gill, Cdr. Western Naval Command Vice Adm. S.N. Kohli, Cdr. Eastern Naval Command Vice Adm. N. Krishnan, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Rear Adm S.H. Sarma, Director of Research & Analysis Wing Rameshwar Kao and all other great souls and Amar Jawans (Immortal Soldiers) whose names have or have not been mentioned here. They paid heavily for humanity sake and for our honour. They kept the Indian Tricolour flying high in the skies for our safe tomorrow.
