AFVOA Newsletter May 2020

Section 3 - Memoirs Newsletter No. 1 / 2020 P a g e 61 | 101 12 Joi Bangla – A Trip Down Memory Lane to Bangladesh by ’71 War Veterans and Families Maj Gen Jose Manavalan, AVSM Genre: Travelogue was fortunate in more ways than one during my career. To be commissioned in 1970 into 4 Engineer Regiment and straightaway, the next year to take part in the historic War of 1971, on the Eastern Front, was a tremendous beginning to life in uniform. Immediately after that, we were moved by special train to the deserts on the Western Front, and I earned both the Eastern and Western Stars!! Later I was again fortunate to have Commanded the Regiment I been commissioned in. 1971, Op Cactus Lily, was a whirlwind of activity. We moved by an exciting and long special train journey through the East to reach Dharmanagar, the railhead in Tripura then. And later after a long road journey by convoy, we set up camp in a forest reserve at Udaipur and stayed here from May 1971 till the war began. We learnt Bengali and Assamese, loved the local maach curry and rice, and as a bunch of young officers, enjoyed every minute of the time spent in preparing the launch pads, bridges, and roads for the eventual thrust by 4 Corps. So when the plan to visit a country that we helped give birth to, found a positive response when I suggested it in late 2017, I immediately got into the planning mode and got things ready to travel in January 2018. We had a good number on board – 17: The Delegation Mrs Pushpa Das, wife of our late CO during the war. She was 83 and our oldest member. Ms Nandita (daughter) Col and Mrs RP Grover, VSM – he was a Company Commander Brig and Mrs Praveen Kapur – he was the Adjutant in 1971 Col and Mrs PK Chaterjee – he was in 44 Field Park Company Maj Gen and Mrs Jose Manavalan – he was the IO in HQ Company Mrs Shashi Singh, wife of late Col Amar Singh, who was a Platoon Commander Maj Gen and Mrs SN Shah – he was commissioned into our unit Col and Mrs PM Naik – he was posted in our unit later Maj Vijaya Kumar – he was part of our unit and a very spirited RCO I