AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 4 – War Diary CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 33 of 167 meeting place ahead of the forward defences and present their point for clarification. Kaka Ram told me that they are perhaps apprehensive about an increase of the number of personnel in our piquet and want a clarification. He assured me and Subedar Balwant that he will handle the issue. It was decided that Kaka Ram would clarify to the PAK Post commander that it was a routine acclimatization procedure for the newly arrived recruits in the unit. I volunteered for the escort role although the post commander did not want to take the risk. The “Leftan Saab” as I was called, was considered a big CATCH!! I said I will accompany as a recruit and take off my rank badges and behave like a subordinate. I became Krishen Singh and was addressed as “Oyi Krishen (hey Krishen)” in typical Dogri lingo when we were facing the Pak post commander and I replied in the same Lingo as”Ji Ustad ji (yes sir)!” I was introduced briefly as one of the new recruits who had come for routine acclimatization. The PAK post commander told Kaka Ram “Recruit bacha lagda hai (the new recruit looks like a kid)!” Kaka Ram asked me “Krishen, Umr Kinni Hai Teri (Krishen, how old are you)?” I replied in typical Dogri lingo “Ustad ji, Vee Saal Ji (Sir, twenty)!” The meeting was concluded and both parties returned to the respective posts. I continued to be Krishen Singh for the next two days and our daily movements for reconnaissance after sunset had been explained as routine movements during the “Flag Meeting” I was thrilled to have seen in very close quarters, our Enemy troops and indirectly listened to their talk. In retrospect I realize that it was a brash action on my part as, I did not appreciate the danger if something went wrong. After all, I was a naïve “Leftan Saab” as I was called by the troops. Moral of the Story: There is a thin line of difference between Bravery and Foolhardiness Encounter # 2: 1971 Major A. Krishnaswami, Ops in Bangladesh I was now a senior company commander with 13 years of service having varied experiences gained in Command, Staff and instructional tenures. Although, I had taken part in the 1962 and 1965 wars that India had to fight against the Chinese and the Pakistanis respectively, the roles assigned to my battalion were more defensive in nature with no real exchange of fire. My actual combat experience of fighting during the period was gained only in the insurgency operations in Nagaland and Mizoram that the battalion was ordered to tackle. We could not call them as War as the opponents were not Enemies but were Insurgents. I had gained considerable experience to lay ambushes as well as methods to defeat a well laid out ambush. In 1971, the crisis situation that was developing in East Pakistan with the exodus of refugees had made the situation worse. It appeared that a war was inevitable. The war