AFVOA Newletter August 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2020 Page 83 of 237 During the course of the summit, on the third day our Defence Minister Mr. Jagjivan Ram forgot the ladder while coming out of the helicopter, tumbled out and broke his leg. Urgent evacuation to Delhi was organised. Behold!. The Army commander wondered how he would be boarded in the helicopter. I was ordered to scout around the neighbouring village for a fat person who would act like the Defence Minister during the evacuation drill. Mr. Jagjivan Ram was then safely evacuated to Delhi. During the course of the summit, many sightseeing visits were also organised. Summit ended with “Shimla Agreement” on 2nd July 1972, inked by both the Prime Ministers. It was an unforgettable experience for me as a youngster dealing with VVIPs and top echelons of Govt/Army. The young, charming lady Benazir Bhutto moved around in a highly dignified and polished manner. My helipad duties went very well with few spells of rain/showers.