HVK Archives: Dawn at dusk
Dawn at dusk - The Indian Express
Lt-Gen. J.F.R. Jecob (Retd)
()
4 May 1997
Title : Dawn at dusk
Author : Lt-Gen. J.F.R. Jecob (Retd)
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : May 4, 1997
At 0915 hours on December 16, General Manekshaw spoke to me on the telephone
telling me to go to Dacca immediately to organise the surrender so that it
formally took place that same evening. I asked him whether the draft surrender
document we had sent earlier had been approved. When he evaded the question I
asked him to specify the terms on which I would negotiate. He told me not to be
difficult and that I knew what to do. He would send instructions to Brigadier
(Adi) Sethna, who would have the typed documents sent with (Lt-Gen. J.S.) Aurora.
I told Manekshaw that I had received a radio message from Niazi inviting me to
lunch, but that I was not keen to accept. He said he would let me know whether I
should accept...
As I moved down the steps, on my way to the helipad, I bumped into Mrs Bhanti
Aurora. When she mentioned that she would see me at the surrender in Dacca, I
thought she was joking. Seeing the amazed look on my face, she added, "My place
is by the side of my husband." I rushed back to Aurora's office and asked him if
he really intended taking his wife to attend the surrender. He replied that he
had obtained Manekshaw's approval. I pointed out that there were reports of
fighting in Dacca and that it would be risky for the lady to go there. He retorted
that it would be my responsibility to ensure her safety. I realised that there was
no point in any further discussion and proceeded with my mission. ...
When we landed at Jessore to change helicopters, I was handed a message from Army
Headquarters informing me that the Government had directed that I accept Niazi's
lunch invitation. ...
I was pacing anxiously outside the (Pakistani Eastern Command) Headquarters when
Allan Hart of the BBC started filming me. We paced up and down for a few minutes.
I was unaware that he had a microphone. Fortunately, I had been restrained in my
comments. On my return to his office, Niazi asked me to join him at lunch and we
walked across to the mess. Gavin Young of The Observer, waiting outside, said he
was hungry and asked if he could have lunch. I took him in.
I did not feel like eating. The lunch was typical mess fare with roast chicken as
the main course. Young had a scoop - two pages of The Observer entitled 'The
Surrender Lunch'. The entire scene looked unreal to me, with the mess silver on
display and Pakistani officers lunching and chatting away as if it were a normal
peacetime mess function. (The Colonel Intelligence, Col. M. S.) Khara and I stood
in one corner with little desire to fraternise or eat.
After lunch, I sent a radio message to Calcutta asking again for Aurora's
estimated time of arrival. They had no information. Around 1500 hours I asked
Niazi to accompany us to the airport. We went in his car with his pilot jeep in
front. Trouble started then. The Mukti Bahini tried to prevent us from reaching
the airfield. Some of them threw themselves on the bonnet of the car. It was
fortunate that Khara, a Sikh, was with us. He stuck out his turbaned head saying
that Niazi was a prisoner of the Indian Army and that, they should not impede us.
Sounds of sporadic small arms fire could still be heard all around. We reached the
airfield with difficulty. Just before reaching we stopped a jeep with two Indian
paratroopers who appeared to be lost and asked them to accompany us. This was a
stroke of luck, and as it turned out, most fortunate for us. I was very worried
about Niazi's security at the airfield. The Pakistani Military Police in the
pilot jeep were armed with revolvers. Other than the two paratroopers with
rifles, there were no Indian troops in sight. ...
A little while later, a truck loaded with armed Mukti Bahini men arrived at the
other side of the runway. A man wearing the badges of the rank of a Major
General, followed by an escort of two Mukti Bahini soldiers, approached us. The
man was 'Tiger' Siddiqui, whom I placed by descriptions I had of him. I sensed
trouble and asked the two paratroopers to shield Niazi. I walked towards Siddiqui.
It was imperative that Niazi should live to sign the Instrument of Surrender.
I was afraid that Siddiqui may have come to shoot Niazi. I asked Siddiqui politely
to leave the airfield, but he did not budge. I repeated it again as an order. He
was still hesitant. Siddiqui then left grudgingly, crossing the runway to his
truck. I shouted to him to get the truck off the airfield. I heaved a sigh of
relief when it finally moved off. A little while later Khara returned with a PT
76 tank. Siddiqui, with his 20,000 armed men, was to have marched with our troops
on to Dacca, but had not showed up. He did not intercept the retreating Pakistani
forces at Tangail and now he had shown up at Dacca airfield for purposes that were
unclear to me. ...
Around 1630 hours, the Army commander and his entourage arrived in a fleet of five
Mi4 and four Alloutte helicopters. Niazi and I went to receive them. The Army
Commander accompanied by Mrs Aurora alighted. Air Marshal Dewan, Vice Admiral
Krishnan Lt.-General Sagat Singh, the Divisional Commanders of IV Corps and Wing
Commander Khondkar also got off the plane. ... Niazi, Lt-Gen. Aurora and Air
Marshal Dewan proceeded to the car. I had planned to travel in this car, but I had
to make way for Mrs Aurora, who took her place by the side of her husband. ... I
hitched a ride to the Race Course.
Though there had been very little time for preparation, the ceremony went off
reasonably well. After inspecting the guard of honour, Aurora and Niazi proceeded
to the table. The surrender documents brought with Aurora were placed on the
table. Niazi glanced through them curiously and signed. Aurora signed. I took a
careful look at the documents and was aghast to see the heading, which read
'Instrument of Surrender - To Be Signed at 1631 Hours IST'. I looked at my watch.
It showed a time of 1655 hours. Niazi then undid his epaulette and removed his
.38 revolver with attached lanyard and handed it over to Aurora. There were tears
in his eyes. ...
Some time later, when I examined the revolver surrendered by Niazi, I realised
that the weapon wasn't his. It was a normal Army issue .38 revolver. The barrel
was choked with muck ... The lanyard was dirty and frayed in parts. This wasn't
the personal weapon of a commanding general. More likely, Niazi had taken it from
one of his military policemen and surrendered it as his personal weapon. I could
not help feeling that in his own way, Niazi had got a little of his own back.
Back
Top
|
