AFVOA Newsletter of Year 2021

Section 5 – War Diary CV 2 No. 01 / 2021 Page 49 of 123 Armed forces launched a lightning campaign and accomplished the liberation in a matter of 13 days. This stupendous achievement of the Indian nation had enabled it to climb a higher pedestal in the eyes of the world community and further enhanced the pride and prestige of our Armed forces as a fighting machine. Today, to mark the 50 th year of these momentous events of the 1971 operations, the nation is once again paying tributes to the fallen heroes, compliment the valiant soldiers of our forces who had taken part and honour those who were decorated for their gallantry. It was a God sent opportunity for me and my Battalion, the 10 JAK RIFLES to partake in the Indo Pak war in 1971 in the Eastern sector for the liberation of Bangladesh. 10 JAKRIF has a class composition of Sikhs and Dogras in equal proportion. It is customary that prior to the launching of the battalion in operations, blessings to the partaking troops is conveyed by the religious teachers of both faiths. By the morning of 9 Dec 1971, the battalion had congregated at the village of SHERPUR inside East Pakistan. Our spirited Granthi Nb. Subedar Dalip Singh Bijili, after blessing the two Sikh Companies was very enthusiastic and blessed me and Major Ravi Krishnan commanding Dogra Companies and said that the blessings of the WAHE GURU would protect us from all danger and bring victory to the battalion. Our Battle cry DURGE MATA KI JAI and BOLE SO NIHAL SAT SRI AKAL shouted in unison was a thrilling experience that motivated the battalion to face the challenges ahead with confidence. I pay my first tribute to all the valiant soldiers of the Regiment. I offer my tribute to our Commanding Officer Late Lt Col MNB Nair and his Adjutant Late Capt. Prakash Chand. My interaction with Prakash goes back to his cadet days in 1965 at the Indian Military Academy, where he was my cadet in my platoon and I was his Instructor. I had taken the lecture cum demonstration class on ambush at the Indian Military Academy Dehradun. He remembered the importance of Stealth and Shock action to ensure the success. I have a lot of appreciation for his utter devotion, diligence and deep rooted concern for the assigned mission, to ambush the enemy and succeed. It is a proud moment for me to remember my wartime brethren who enabled me and my battalion the 10 JAK RIF, to perform the assigned task of ambushing the enemy successfully. But for their timely and unstinted cooperation, sacrifice and professional competence, it would have perhaps been impossible for me and my gallant Charlie Company to have withstood the repeated assault of the PAK forces to outflank and proceed to Dacca for its close defence. We successfully thwarted the enemy’s plans and efforts and forced the enemy to surrender and cease the fighting. The task was initially assigned to a sister battalion by the Brigade Commander Brigadier Adi A Irani. Its commanding officer had reservations to launch the hazardous task of going behind the enemy defences without adequate information and support. Lt Col