AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 136 of 167 liberators. It was mind-blowing, and showed the great esteem the youth still held our Army in. We were accorded status of State Guests ! These are pictures of our visit to Mujib’s Memorial and a Civic Reception for our delegation. Two Veer Naris had accompanied us. Op Pawan Recounted Sixteen years later, I was once again thrust into a battle zone. This time for prolonged two years of sustained battle in Op Pawan, which was a real test of our Army’s capability to wage a guerilla war in hostile terrain. I joined 41 Infantry Brigade as the BM (now called GSO1), to a mercurial commander, who had just liberated the Jaffna Garrison, earned an MVC, and was tasked to move to Vavuniya as part of 4 Infantry Division. Brig Manjit, was a roaring tiger who had just sacked the BM, and I was flown in – as fodder I then thought! The fact that I spent 20 months in sustained operations under two commanders (Manjit and Chauhan, both no more), and survived, tells me that I weathered the storm. 41 Brigade took on the central area of the battle zone, with 47 at Mannar, 7 at Mullativu and 340 at Mankulam. The Divisional HQ was at Vavuniya. 36 Division was deployed at Trincomalle, 57 Division at Batticloa and 54 Division at Jaffna and Palaly. HQ IPKF was based at Chennai. When I joined 41, Maj (later Brig) Mohan Nikam was the DAAG. Lt Col (later Brig )Baljit Gill, 2IC of 12 JAT joined soon thereafter. It was such a pleasure to see a familiar faces of my course mates in those trying times. Mohan left soon thereafter and Baljit too, only to come back later as CO 12 JAT. I often met Lt Col (later Brig) Jasbir Singh, who was GSO1 at HQ IPKF. These meetings were fleeting and brief when he would land in a chopper with his GOC in C Kalkat. I also met Maj (later Brig) Chacko with his marauding commando’s when he crossed Vavuniya. I was privileged to meet and work with the elite of the Indian Armed Forces. Bhavani Singh, Pup Maan, DS Chauhan, Manjit Singh, Arjun Ray and both illustrious CO’s of 9 PARA. I was witness to the busting of the myth