THE FIELD MARSHALL NOT ONLY GAVE US BANGLADESH, BUT ALSO 28 YRS OF COMPARABLE PEACE

From the Horse’s mouth …on the other side. This is the true story of a live encounter,… but of a different nature

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In 1971 war I was in command of a Specialised unit deployed in an area of approx 1,50,000 Sq Kms – the role being of providing instant radio communication for Immediate Air Support to land formations in the Rajasthan sector. This involved deployment of around 30 wireless fitted vehicles with cipher documents for encoding and decoding each message.

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All was going well. In fact “Immediate” air support sorties, which traditionally is supposed to be a fraction of total sorties became the “normal norm” and the Air Force did a marvelous job of sending-in on certain days over 20-30 sorties, ( each of 2 aircrafts) over 80% being “immediate” in support of army formations, specially 11 Inf Div which penetrated well inside the enemy territory on road to Hyderabad ( Sind)

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On the fourth day, a jeep carrying the Army “Ground Liasion Officer” (GLO) and an Air Force “Forward Air Controller” (FAC) were told in the night to switch over from one battalion location to another battalion location, as that battalion was to advance, all within the territory of Pakistan . So two bright officers with a Signals Operator and a Signals Driver ( the jeep was of Signals-my unit ) ventured out in the cold night, covering themselves with blankets . Instead of withdrawing on the main route and then turning towards the other battalion’s location, they felt why not drive through the cross country. While enroute, after about 2 hrs driving, they got challenged by a sentry “Koun hai” – came out as a challenge from the Sentry. Our dashing Air Force officer thinking this to be Indian Army post replied “Dost” [ incidentally, on both sides the uniform was almost identical khaki ]. When ordered by the sentry to come forward to identify, they gallantly rode the jeep right up to the Sentry . Looking at the Sand tyred jeep (the other side DID NOT have any sand tyred vehicles) the sentry immediately concluded that this is “enemy”. On being told to surrender, then only it dawned on them that they were in Pakistan-held area. The GLO and FAC tried to scramble for their weapon , seeing this the Pak sentry fired a burst injuring the FAC on the shoulder. With no other resistance possible, specially as the jeep inadvertently had driven inside an Enemy battalion forward location, all the four + the jeep were “captured” .

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Sitting at Command Headquarters, when we did not get any response from the Jeep’ radio set for 12 hrs, and after an aerial search which yielded nil report, we had no other alternative but to presume that they have been captured – compromising the SIGNALS security as the documents held by them could be used by the other side to listen-in to every air sortie going-in for immediate support. So we declared the current documents “compromised” and suspended their use- bringing immediate air support to an abrupt halt. The Army Commander (then) Lt Gen Bewoor called me to his office and gave me a royal rocket as if I was responsible for bringing immediate air support to a halt. He asked me for an immediate solution.

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I said give me just 24 hrs and new documents will be changed in the entire 1,50,000 Sq kms. He accepted the delay part (unavoidable) very reluctantly. And thanks to SIGNALS foresight of having reserved documents placed as stand-by at each echelon, the change took place very smoothly and Immediate air support was restored the next day.

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Subsequently, after a year when the Indian POWs were repatriated, we came to know that of the two Signals personnel, on the day they were “captured” one being a Hindu was “roughed” out rather mildly, but one being a Muslim was subjected to rather elaborate “Sukhi mar “ (with the butt of the rifle) almost till he fainted out.

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The Live encounter After almost 16 years while I was sipping beer on the lawns of a club at Delhi, I was introduced to a person who had come with a Pakistan Sports team.

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Invited to share a drink, when he came to know that I am also a retd Indian Army officer, he opened up a bit and I came to know that he was an infantry officer ( retd) from the other side. When I questioned him as to where was he during 1971 operations, he indicated the same area where my jeep with 4 persons had been captured alive. Further, as we got more friendly, I indicated that I had lost one jeep with some personnel in that area.

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His reply baffled me- he said if you mean the Signals Jeep with sand tyres ( subsequently their brigade commander was seen using this particular jeep in the sandy areas, as they till then had no sand tyred vehicles ) – well “ I captured it”

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To my other query as to why “you treated the Muslim Indian POW (my driver) rather harshly with butt-of-the-rifle beating” till he fainted, while you did nothing like this to the Hindu POW (my Radio Operator) his reply was most amusing

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“Of course, being a Muslim, how dare he fight against an Islamic country” And then laughed it off- saying at the heat of battle all such things do happen.

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As we walked down to have a lunch together, he further opened up- saying that his own son – an infantry officer serving in East Pakistan had became a POW (along with other 95,000). Then he almost became emotional –saying that the manner in which Indian Army treated the 95,000 POWS and returned them so honorably after a year – amounted to almost “Brain Washing” them. These 95,000 persons went back to their families and at rough count every POW mixed with 20-30 close relatives/friends (a rough count being 2-3 Million) to whom they recounted stories revolving around :

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a) Indian Army is the most humane army that one could have come across

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b) The way they were treated – Offrs mess, JCOs mess, ORs mess, getting the same rations as the Indian Army.

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c) Complete freedom to worship including doing Namaz (5 times !) etc

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d) The closeness within the Indian Army between the officers and the Jawans is praiseworthy – in our case ( Pak Army) the officers are almost feudal

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e) The POWs openly said to their relatives that their own offrs have always lied saying that if captured, “you will be burnt & that means going to hell” - as per their religious beliefs.

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f) He very strongly felt that this had resulted in almost 2-3 million people in Pakistan who started believing favourably towards India and her armed forces (and started disbelieving their own army) - the impact was unbelievably very pronounced.

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He individually opined that the net result of this would be –Till the last of the POW retires out of their Army (they have the same system- younger sepoys retire at around 35 and higher ranks like Sub Maj retires at around age of 45 )- they will think three times before asking this lot to engage the Indian Army, as the motivation factor will be very much reduced [all past wars they have blindly motivated their forces on false theories that they are superior to “Hindu” army - and also to fight till end as otherwise if taken as a POW, Hindustan Army (this is the name they give to Indian Army ) will not only kill you but also burn you to ensure you go to hell].

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So for the next 25 yrs he predicted that chances of war are much …much reduced.

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Come to think, how true – from 1971 to 1999 (Kargil), for 28 yrs we had comparative peace - to a large extent Field Marshal can be given the credit of having followed a most humane approach in treating those 95,000 POWs so very well and reversing their and their close relatives basic thinking towards India and her people.

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Lt Col Vinay Khanna, SM, Veteran

Signals

ransomesindia@yahoo.com
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(The writer-then a Major, was awarded Sena Medal for “providing infallible communications throughout the 1971 operation in an inhospitable terrain in the most remarkable manner “ which he received through the hands of then Field Marshal at the Army Day Parade 1973, just a few days after he was made a Field Marshal. Incidentally, every officer awarded a war decoration for 1971 war was personally congratulated by then COAS Gen Manekshaw by way of a DO letter personally signed by him- indeed a treasured document for recipients)