'Plan for guerrilla ops was ready in 24 hrs'

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 11

Recalling his service at the Directorate of Military Operations in 1971, Brig Sukhjit Singh (retd) today revealed that it was he who had prepared the draft plan of guerrilla operations in East Pakistan.

Manekshaw had offered to resign

Sam Manekshaw wanted to delay the war… The Chief got up, went up to her (Indira) and said if she liked him to resign, he would. — Lt Gen Depinder Singh (retd)

Worked through the night

Lt Col Rai Singh Yadav and I were asked to prepare a paper on guerrilla ops. We used our imagination and worked through the night. — Brig Sukhjit Singh (retd)

He later won the Mahavir Chakra for his role in the Battle of Basantar in the Shakargarh sector during the 1971 war. He was Lt Col then.

Brig Sukhjit was sharing his experience at the Military Literature Festival, which started today. His boss Lt Gen KK Singh asked him and Lt Col Rai Singh Yadav to prepare a paper on guerrilla operations. They were to report back at 7 am.

“We used our imagination and worked through the night. Those were the days of the typewriter,” Brig Sukhjit recalled.

Lt Gen KK Singh, while going through their 30-page paper, reduced it to 12. The plan started taking its shape.

“I was asked to contact Capt Oscar Stanley Dawson. At that time, he was the Director, Naval Operations. Lt Gen KK Singh had underwater operations for guerrillas in his mind,” said Brig Sukhjit.

He added that when he met Capt Dawson in his room, there were a number of officers there. But the message was to be sent across. So, he started asking him about his favourite French dish. He named a few, but Brig Sukhjit pressed him to tell about a very special dish. When Capt Dawson said frogs, Brig Sukhjit nodded, and this was how the message was sent across.

Lt Gen Depinder Singh (retd), who was military assistant to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in 1971, talked about a meeting of then PM Indira Gandhi, her ministers and Manekshaw. The Chief of Army Staff wanted to delay the war, but the ministers wanted an early start. “The Chief got up, went up to her and said that if she liked him to resign, he would do it… She laughed and said Sam, off course not,” said Lt Gen Depinder.