1971: Charge of the Gorkhas and Other Stories by Rachna Bisht Rawat

Author:Rachna Bisht Rawat [Rawat, Rachna Bisht]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Wars, Conflicts, India, Battle, Gorkhas, Stories
ISBN: 9789354921261
Google: Qf5REAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2021-12-19T18:30:00+00:00

Victory

2 PARA goes on to march into Dacca with the other Indian forces. They engage and dislodge the enemy from Mirpur Bridge, on the outskirts of Dacca, on the night of 15–16 November, and on 16 December at 1100 hours, they are the first unit to enter Dacca. The paratroopers watch the public surrender ceremony, standing right behind the photographers taking that iconic picture of Gen. J.S. Aurora and Gen. A.A.K. Niazi signing the document of surrender. They watch as Gen. Niazi is taken into custody, his belt and weapon removed. They observe the scramble for souvenirs as people take his epaulets, his car flag, the star plates on the car, and the pen used to sign the surrender document. The battalion is now assigned the job of providing a safe and secure corridor to the Pakistan Army, keeping at bay the Mukti Bahini that is out in full strength seeking revenge.

On 17 December, the unit moves back to Tangail, from where they are brought back to Guwahati by army transport, and from there to the New Bogaigaon train station. A special train brings them back to Delhi Cantonment where they have been told to participate in the Republic Day parade. The train reaches Delhi Cantonment on the evening of 31 December, and the soldiers spill out in high spirits. ‘We got into our jeeps in our dirty, ripped fatigues and had a field run that night,’ remembers Col Gill, his face lit up by a smile of remembrance. ‘We drove down to the Dhaula Kuan Club, then to the Oberoi hotel, which had a disco called the Tabela. No one charged us anything that night; we were treated like heroes. From there we went to Connaught Place and drove around the Inner Circle and the Outer Circle in our jeeps fitted with RCL guns. No one was celebrating the New Year; they were all celebrating the war victory.’

The soldiers are greeted with marigold garlands and loud whoops of joy; proud citizens lift them on their shoulders; crowds are out on the roads with the tricolour in their hands and cheerfully waving kids on their shoulders. Wherever they go, the soldiers are greeted with open arms and wide smiles. They are treated like heroes. Bangladesh has been born.

Author’s Note

In February 1972, 2nd Lt (later Col) Lali Gill went on to do his Para Basic Course from the Paratrooper Training School in Agra and the mandatory training jumps that officially entitled him to jump from an air force aircraft. He finally formally acquired his well-deserved Para Wings. He is possibly the only paratrooper in world military history who jumped straight into the battlefield without any training or wings. The proud colonel is now seventy-one years old and settled in Mohali.

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