Table Of ContentTo the people of Bangladesh, who fought and won a heroic battle
against extinction. The inheritors of Sonar Bangla, the land of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dreams.
In Memoriam
Captain M.N.R. Samant, Maha Vir Chakra (1930–2019)
Sailor, submariner, covert warrior, war hero
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
PROLOGUE
1. GENERAL GENOCIDE
2. THE EMPEROR, KING COBRA AND THE WATER RAT
3. CAMP PLASSEY
4. NO MAN LIKE SOMAN
5. SECTOR X
6. JACKPOT
7. GUNBOATS ON THE GANGA
8. BEHIND ENEMY LINES
9. SAMMY’S TURTLES
10. FORCE ALFA
11. LAST BOAT SAILING
12. JOY BANGLA
NOTES
EPILOGUE
TIMELINE 1971
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PHOTOGRAPHIC INSERTS
ABOUT THE BOOK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Copyright
FOREWORD
M
uch is known about the excesses of the Pakistan Army in 1971 in
what was then the eastern half of the country. This was a period
when an estimated three million Bangladeshis were killed during the
Pakistan Army’s onslaught on its own citizens in East Pakistan. The
Bangladesh military conflict between India and Pakistan in 1971 was the
inevitable consequence of this genocide and the pressure of tending to the
over eight million refugees who had fled to India. The war finally resulted
in the formal surrender by the Pakistan Army on 16 December 1971, and
close to 93,000 Pakistani nationals surrendering as Prisoners of War to a
joint command of the Indian Army and the ‘Mukti Bahini’ Bangladesh
freedom fighters.
While much has been written about the land and air battles that led to the
liberation of Bangladesh, there has been an impression that, except for
operations by carrier-based aircraft in the Bay of Bengal and an attack on
Karachi during the conflict, the Indian Navy had little or no role in the
developments leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. More than four
decades after Bangladesh was liberated, this impression has finally been
corrected, thanks to this book written by Captain M.N.R Samant, who was
awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for exceptional bravery in the conduct of
covert commando operations in Bangladesh. These operations were
undertaken well before the actual declaration of war in December 1971.
The book is co-authored by Sandeep Unnithan, who has been one of India’s
foremost writers on issues related to defence and national security. It also
sheds light on how Prime Minister Indira Gandhi personally approved and
regularly monitored the covert naval operations in Bangladesh, which were
undertaken under the supervision of the then naval chief, Admiral S.M.
Nanda and the director of naval intelligence, Captain (later Vice Admiral)
M.K. Roy.
The case for a naval role in the developments within Bangladesh
emerged on humanitarian grounds. But what gave the idea impetus was a
virtual rebellion within the Pakistan Navy just after the Bangladesh uprising
commenced. Eight Bengali naval personnel deployed in a recently acquired
French built submarine, the PNS Mangro , decided to desert the Pakistan
Navy and join the freedom struggle after hearing horrific details of the
Pakistan Army’s brutal killings in East Pakistan. The submariners found
their way to the Indian Embassy in Madrid, seeking India’s help in
returning to their homeland. These sailors formed the base upon which the
Indian Navy built its whole offensive, and played a key role in contacting
and providing local support for the covert Indian operations that were aimed
at destroying logistical facilities across the coastal areas of Bangladesh,
weeks before actual military operations by India began.
The book spells out how covert operations on foreign soil are conducted
and the constant danger that those involved in these operations face to their
lives, every moment they are operating on foreign soil. That, for me, is what
makes this book such a gripping read. I was also happy to see that it is able
to place the whole situation in an international setting by defining the
contours of the difficult diplomatic situation that India’s leadership faced in
dealing with the emergence of a virtual US–China alliance which had been
built with Pakistan acting as the intermediary. US President Richard
Nixon’s aversion for India and its leadership, and the US’s keenness to turn
a blind eye to the brutal suppression of the Bangladeshis – despite the
superpower’s avowed love for democracy as well as Sheikh Mujibur
Rehman’s rightful claim to power – failed to make matters easier for India.
The entire strategic scenario across India’s eastern borders has changed
after the epochal conflict of 1971. Bangladesh, which was then virtually
written off as a potential economic basket case, forever leaning on
international aid for its existence, has proved the sceptics wrong. Largely
self- sufficient in meeting its food needs, the country has now emerged as a
leading player in exports worldwide of textiles and textile products. While
its military did play a role in the initial years after independence,
Bangladesh is today a vibrant democracy. Even long-standing differences
with India over its land and maritime borders have been amicably resolved.
The reality today is that it is not Bangladesh, but Pakistan that has
emerged as an ‘international basket case’, heavily dependent on foreign aid
to make both ends meet. Already one of the world’s fastest-growing major
economies, Bangladesh is poised to overtake Pakistan’s GDP in the next
few years.
Captain Samant was given a hero’s welcome whenever he visited
Bangladesh and met friends and admirers who looked back on what
happened in 1971 with justifiable pride. He lived a full, heroic life, and it
pains me immensely that he could not be here to witness the adulation this
wonderful book would receive. However, it gives me satisfaction that he
was able to recount to readers the real story of the covert naval operation
that birthed Bangladesh, and to finally give us a glimpse into the lives of the
unknown heroes who made the bigger campaign possible.
While this book is a celebration of the Indian heroes, it would be remiss
of us if we forgot the role of the eight brave Bangladeshi submariners – M.
Rahmatulla, S.M. Hussain, Aminullah Sheikh, A.W. Chowdhury, M.B.
Alam, M.A. Rehman, A.R. Mian and M. Ahasanullah – who were prepared
to sacrifice their lives for the cause of freedom and dignity of their fellow
countrymen.
G. Parthasarathy
New Delhi
May 2019
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
INDIAN NAVY
OFFICER DESIGNATION
Admiral Sardarilal
Mathradas ‘Charles’ Chief of the Naval Staff
Nanda
Capt Mihir Kumar
Director Naval Intelligence
‘Micky’ Roy
Commander M.N.R.
Staff Officer (Naval Operations X)
‘Sammy’ Samant
Officer in Charge, C2P, Plassey (June–Nov
Lt Cdr George Martis
1971)
Officer in charge, C2P (April– June), Second-
Lt Vijai Prakash Kapil
in-Command (June– Dec 1971)
Lt Samir Das Instructor, Training Coordinator C2P Plassey
Officer in Charge Naval Detachment, Delta
Lt Cdr Ashok ‘Aku’ Roy
Sector (July– Oct 1971)
Lt Cdr Jayanto Kumar Roy Commanding Officer MV Palash , Squadron
Choudhury Commander C2H
Lt Suvesh Kumar Mitter Commanding Officer MV Padma
Lt Cdr Vishnu Kumar Chief Squadron Technical Officer, C2H
Raizada (Electrical)
Lt Cdr C.S. Menon Staff Officer to Cdr Samant (May– Oct 1971)
