OPERATION EAGLE – OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNMENT OF INDIA -1971 BANGLADESH OPs – RELEASE CITATION

SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE-OPERATION EAGLE-1971 BANGLADESH OPs-GALLANTRY AWARD:

May 28, 2014

From:

Personal Number. MR-03277K, Rank.  Major,  AMC/DPC,

Rudra Narasimham, Rebbapragada, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

2011 South Huron Parkway, Apartment #11,

Ann Arbor, MI  48104-4162

United States of America.

To:

Shri. Narendra Damodardas Modi,

Honourable Prime Minister of India,

The Prime Minister’s Office(PMO),

South Block, Raisina Hill,

New Delhi – 110 101.

Subject:- Operation Eagle – Military Operation in Chittagong Hill Tracts – India-Pakistan War of 1971 – “The Past is Never Dead.” – Regarding.

Reference:- Government of India Ministry of Defence Letter No. 3533/2009/D( Cer ) dated 2nd/3rd  December, 2009. A photo image of this letter provides easy reference.

 Honorable Prime Minister of India,

1. Using the famous words of Nobel Laureate William Faulkner, I would submit to you, “The Past is Never Dead… It’s not even Past.”

2. I,  R. Rudra Narasimham, also known as, Personal Number. MS-8466, Rank. Captain,  R. R. Narasimham, AMC/SSC was posted to Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO ( Est No. 22 ) as Medical Officer with effect from 22 September 1971. 

3. At Est No. 22, I was issued written orders to take part in military Operation Eagle (Op Eagle). This Battle Plan was approved by Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi. In other words, Op Eagle derived legal authority for it was duly sanctioned by Government of India. I acted in obedience to the orders issued by my immediate superior Officers as the military plan is sanctioned by Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. Kindly ask me if I have to provide any other information about Op Eagle and its legal status as an Official act of War.

4. The Op Eagle battle plan included the use of helicopter flights from India for airlifting of battle casualties from the Chittagong Hill Tracts to Field Hospital, Lungleh, Mizoram.

5. For the conduct of military operations, I was posted to the ‘South Column’ Unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan. Under his Command, my Unit penetrated enemy territory. We launched an offensive attack on entrenched enemy post at about 40 miles distance from a Border Security Force Post in Indian territory. As the Unit Medical Officer, my duties and responsibilities were that of treating and holding battle casualties at my Unit location in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Force Headquarters of Op Eagle was assigned the duty and the responsibility of evacuation of battle casualties from Unit location to Field Hospital.

6. During the initial phase of Op Eagle, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi withheld her permission for the use of helicopter flight from India to the Unit’s battlefield location in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

7. Apart from helicopter flight, Brigadier T S Oberoi, Brigade Commander at the Force Headquarters, Op Eagle had no alternate or contingency plan for immediate and safe evacuation of battle casualties from the Chittagong Hill Tracts to Field Hospital. Lack of planned airlift support imposed sudden, unexpected challenge. I accepted this challenge and went beyond the call of my duty and executed difficult task of this casualty evacuation after we seized enemy position in a fierce battle.

8. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, when briefed about this battle casualty evacuation problem, gave permission for helicopter flights from India to the Chittagong Hill Tracts on Day 5 of Op Eagle after I successfully completed my task.

9. My actions to perform the Medical Officer duties during Op Eagle  clearly show that I took initiative to respond in a timely manner at a critical juncture, went Beyond the Call of Duty, and  performed my tasks without any sense of fear and without concern for my personal safety inside enemy territory where we faced the threat of enemy retaliation and the threat posed by Mizo rebels who operated on both sides of  India-Pakistan border. To put this in proper perspective, I have to mention that this battle casualty evacuation on Day 3/4 involved a physically challenging march of over 80 miles within 24 hours across remote, roadless, hilly, forest terrain. Kindly let me know if any other Army Medical Corps Officer performed a similar task during Indian Army military operations. For the first time in the history of Indian Army Medical Corps, I provided medical care and comfort as a Medical Officer, in addition, I performed the nursing duties which are expected of AMC Nursing Assistant and Ambulance Assistant during battle casualty evacuation. As my Unit was still engaged in defending the just captured enemy post, the AMC Nursing Assistants remained on their duty and could not be spared for battle casualty evacuation. 

10. My Unit Commander, Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan initiated a citation that recommended grant of Gallantry Award – “Vir Chakra” to recognize my gallant action deep inside the enemy territory; the citation was approved and recommended by Brigade Commander, Brigadier T S Oberoi, and by Formation Commander, Major General Sujan Singh Uban, Inspector General of Special Frontier Force.

11. Kindly direct the Under Secretary ( Cer ), Ministry of Defence to publicly release this citation recommending  Gallantry Award during my 1971 War Service.

Thanking You,

Yours Faithfully,

R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE-ESTABLISHMENT No. 22-VIKAS REGIMENT