As the country observed Vijay Divas on Friday to mark India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, a 68-year-old war veteran from Kendrapara district recalled how country's armed forces had protected Pak civilians' property in the occupied territory. Manoj Kar of The Telegraph talks to Praffula Kumar Swain, a sepoy in the northern command's engineering wing, to get an insight into the war.

 

While we were conducting victorious marches in East Pakistan, our forces had occupied Pak territory against heavy odds. Our column had managed to penetrate into a place called Nayachouri in the then West Pakistan. Our forces stayed at the occupied territory even after the war had ended. After the signing of Shimla accord on July 2, 1972, we left the Pakistan territory according to the bilateral treaty. As I remember, our army camp was based near a railway station at Nayachouri. After the war was over, our stay in the occupied territory lasted for eight months.

Nayachouri was a mufussil town, but it had turned into a ghost township. After our army occupied it, local people left their native place with their belongings. The area was fully deserted. Our job was to keep a constant watch on possible Pakistani retaliation, but they could never do it. We took all possible care to ensure the safety of movable and immovable property deserted by Pakistani citizens. All they left behind were domesticated animals. We looked after them and fed them.

It was a mixed feeling of joy and sadness. We were happy because we could defeat the enemy forces. At the same time, we could feel the misery of those who were forced to flee from their native place due to grave mistakes of their leaders.

The war for liberation of the Bengali-speaking people in the then East Pakistan broke out soon after a Pakistani air attack on December 3. I was posted as a sepoy in electronics and mechanical engineers battalion at Barmer in Rajastan. Our battalion flanked by the infantry soldiers trooped into West Pakistan. While army was doing the job of subjugating the Pakistani forces in the East Pakistan with local support from Mukti Bahini, we were on the job to confront the Pak forces on west and north.

Our victorious journey had continued till December 16, when Pakistani forces surrendered and free Bangladesh was born.

The memory of 1971 war is treasured in my memory. Our war expedition was nothing, but a tale of adventure. We crossed treacherous terrains and sandy desert areas. We braved heavy bombardment, air strikes and artillery exchange from enemy forces. Our army column consisted of 60 jawans and sepoys. Six of them had to make supreme sacrifice to ensure defeat of Pak forces. Bullets had hissed past me. But by grace of God, I survived.