To have the good fortune to be an active participant in an epoch-making event like the liberation of Bangladesh is an honour and privilege not shared by many. The good fortune to survive and live to record and tell the tale is the privilege of only a minuscule minority. This work comes from the desk of one such participant who saw it unfolding in front of his own eyes. Decorated for his gallantry, the author was one of the Company Commanders of 4 GUARDS (1 RAJPUT) that was tasked to cross the mighty Meghna River and charge towards Dacca. The author had the privilege of flying in the very first helicopter that crossed Meghna on the fateful evening of 09 December 1971. This is the first-hand story of one of the most audacious operations undertaken in the history of military aviation. The success of this very operation enabled the Indian Army to achieve that, incidentally, had not been planned in the first place. This is a treasure trove of some very rare and unique first-hand accounts from the senior-most officer in the Corps area of operations to the cutting edge subunit commanders. There is no parallel work of this nature in existence as on date.
Squadron Leader Tommy Broom, DFC The Legendary Pathfinder Mosquito Navigator (Paperback; INR 1095) is the true story of a braveheart who became a legend during the WW II.
India’s relatively young democracy must understand the build-up, compulsions, and unfiltered actions of its Armed Forces in moments of extreme tribulations, stripped of any partisan or vested agenda. Soldiers like Col Ranbir, VrC, have earned that right, duty, and responsibility to tell their tale as responsible patriots. I commend this book to all interested as a very significant contribution towards the literature on a momentous event that reshaped the destiny of the subcontinent. Happy Reading, and here’s wishing Col Ranbir, VrC, much success with this book and many more to come. Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh (Retd), AVSM, PVSM Former Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands & Puducherry Former Col of the Rajput Regiment, President’s Bodyguards & Army Physical Training Corps
From the desk of the Author: My families have for four generations lived, served, worked, loved and been born in India. Ancestors served with great distinction. I am the very last of them. Now I sit at my desk and think back to last year’s two months in India journeying through four states, or the previous year’s experiences, or the year before. We have had the good fortune to return to India for varying lengths of time and each occasion provided a wealth of experiences – mostly good – sometimes challenging! This last 20 years of travelling has encompassed the length and breadth of India to its very tip. There is always something that has not yet been seen, or returned to, new places or restored places - and sadly some places that were better left in the distant past. Generally, however India repays close inspection and the approach must always be cup half full. Then, undoubtedly in some strange way, the cup will fill up with rich experiences, beautiful memories and interactions. The people are so important, be they professionals, hospitality providers, drivers of cars, hospitality staff, shopkeepers, connections and new friends plus, of course always, the old dependable friends. In this book I shall endeavour to put before the reader my experiences during the last twelve years of my travels - that is since my last book was published in 2008. There is a short book called Quicklook at India which came out in 2010 and was updated in 2012 but that is for business people who need to absorb the essentials of this great, ancient yet modern land in a quick efficient way - I am assured that 25,000 words can be read in one hundred minutes! This book India-ji, is about places, peoples, animals, birdlife, butterflies, flora, holy rivers, valleys, jungles, great heritage and architectural sites and cities, temples, palaces, forts, havelis, beaches, backwaters, mangroves, mountains and semi deserts which I will invite others to experience for themselves. Ji is the honorific used in India to signify respect and courtesy when addressing a person or writing to them or indeed, about them. Thus, I am writing about the country India-ji.
