Rudolf is reborn as Rudi to describe the spiritual connection between the Cell and its Energy Provider to account for the complex phenomenon called existence.
A personal tribute to Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, an Islamic Scholar who served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971
A Personal Tribute to Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, The Regiment of Artillery, Indian Army. An Islamic Scholar Who Served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971.
I was in college from 1962 to 1965 and obtained the Bachelor of Science degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad. I remember this period as the Golden Age of immortal Mohd. Rafi whose melodies still fill my ears. I grew up in this cradle of Urdu language Culture and had acquired my love for ghazals and qawwalis. I spent time in Lucknow, a crown jewel in the Urdu speaking world, where you meet in the market place, ordinary folks who speak in tones that have made the language famous for its sweetness. Much later, I had served in the Royal Oman Army and took my first lesson in Arabic language. My love for Urdu and my Knowledge of Arabic language pales when I write about this Islamic Scholar and Arabic language expert whom I met in India during 1971. He passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2004, in Bahrain where he worked for over 20 years as the Head of the Translation Department at the Bahrain Archives. This is not a tribute about his academic accomplishments, the books that he had published, his military career or about his famous friendly relationship with President Gamal Abdel Nasser and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt. I am writing this tribute to recognize his personal qualities and the values that he had promoted. I am writing this tribute to recognize him as a “peacemaker.” He represents a symbol of hope and the light that he had shown may lead us on to a path of peaceful co-existence.
I met Lieutenant Colonel.B K Narayan in Demagiri, Mizoram in October 1971. He hails from Karnataka, and he grew up as a Hindu. We gathered in Demagiri to make preparations to launch Operation Eagle in support of Bangla Muslims seeking freedom from military dictatorship imposed by Pakistan. In Demagiri, I reported to him to serve as his Medical Officer of the South Column Unit. He had the unique distinction of commanding an Infantry Unit in the conduct of War while he belonged to The Regiment of Artillery. I have not known a ‘GUNNER’ who could plan and execute Infantry Attacks on Enemy posts. Colonel Iqbal Singh, the Chief of Staff at the Force Headquarters also belonged to The Regiment of Artillery. But, the role played by Colonel Narayan as an Infantry Commander during War is exceptional and has no comparisons that I am aware of. I had the opportunity to converse with him for extended periods of time and came to know his admirable personality. It is not the knowledge of Arabic language that has made him unique and sets him apart from all other language experts. He is special because of his love for Islamic Culture and his ability to project the deep understanding of that Culture when he speaks to others. He performed the holy pilgrimage of Hajj and had observed all the rituals of that spiritual journey like a true and devout Muslim. When he narrated his Hajj experience, I could know the sense of joy and the purity of his intentions. His observance of Hajj, a ritual performed by all devout Muslims, was genuine, real to its core.
From Tlabung, Demagiri, South Column marched to Borunasury and then we marched towards Barkal after neutralizing the enemy post at Jalanpara and had encounters with aggressive enemy patrolling to resist our advance at two other locations. Finally, on Friday, December 10, 1971, the enemy fought a very decisive battle on the east side of Karnaphuli River to stop our advance towards Barkal. After losing the battle, the enemy promptly beat a retreat and withdrew from Barkal, Rangamati, Kaptai, and further moved out of Chittagong without putting up a fight. Col Narayan was able to quote the Quran from his memory and would convey his understanding of the verses with great clarity. I personally witnessed his amazing performance in a little town called KAPTAI, on the banks of Karnaphuli Lake, Rangamati Division of Bangladesh. He conducted the Friday Worship Service for the local Bangla Muslims and delivered a sermon which was received with great appreciation by the worshipers. His job in Uniform did not impose any obligation to organize such an event. He held that prayer meeting entirely on his own initiative and it was purely an expression of his love to worship in the Islamic tradition and it also affirms his faith that the worship of God is not limited by one single tradition.
The Friday Prayer Service was held at the State Guest House in Kaptai where I stayed after my Unit had captured Kaptai. It had a large Conference Room. Col Narayan contacted the Muslim Clerics of the local Masjid and they were absolutely delighted when they met him. His Scholarship and devotion to Islam had captivated them and they immediately agreed to convene the local congregation at the Guest House and organize the Friday Prayer Service. The Conference Hall got totally packed with worshipers. I could watch the proceedings directly from my room in the State Guest House. The Bangla Muslim Community of Kaptai were truly appreciative of Colonel Narayan and his military campaign for bringing Peace and Joy to their Community.
I knew Colonel Narayan’s great admiration for Arab people. He always described them as peace-loving people. He knew this as a fact and it was based upon his understanding of Islamic Culture and traditions. I would describe Colonel Narayan as God’s humble servant. It is important to remember and pay tribute to such “peacemakers” as we can achieve true peace through reflecting and understanding the revelations from the Holy Scriptures of all people. The Regiment of Artillery of Indian Army must record this historical contribution made by a Gunner officer who served as an Infantry Commander during the Bangladesh Ops of 1971-72.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE – ESTABLISHMENT NUMBER. 22 – OPERATION EAGLE – LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH 1971:
Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India initiated Liberation of Bangladesh during 1971 with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The battle plan of this military action is known as Operation Eagle. She conceived this battle plan to bring peace in that region. She was inclined towards peace. She wanted to deliver peace to people of Bangladesh who had earlier declared their independence from Pakistan. During Operation Eagle, Bangladesh Operations of 1971-72, I served in South Column, an Infantry Unit Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan. He was a great Islamic Scholar. He had explained to me that PEACE is the greeting of Righteous people.
R. R. Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number: MS-8466, Rank: CAPTAIN Branch: Army Medical Corps/Short Service Regular Commission;
Designation: Medical Officer, South Column, Operation Eagle
Major General Sujan Singh Uban, a legendary veteran of the Second World War, was a natural choice to raise, train and command the Special Frontier Force and mould them into a well oiled fighting machine, recalls his son Inspector General Gurdip Singh Uban (retd), who led SFF troops during the Kargil War.
As the Indian Army moved in with their major thrust into East Pakistan, the SFF, while supporting the flank of the Indian Army, by a blitzkrieg, cleared the Chittagong Hill Tracts, destroyed the Kaptai dam and encircled and prevented the escape of Pakistan’s 97 Brigade and No 2 Commando Battalion, all of whom were taken prisoner.
The SFF was poised for the capture of Chittagong port when a ceasefire was declared; a daring move which paid handsome dividends.
This earned them the title ‘Phantoms of Chittagong’.
Whole Man - Whole Theory: I intentionally combined the words Whole and Dude to describe the Unity of Body, Mind, and Soul to establish the singularity called Man.
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Please read the book published by Siddique Ahmed of Bangladesh.
Siddique Ahmed
says:
October 28, 2011 at 8:07 am — Edit
I was in South Column during Operation Eagle with a BLF group engaged in support of the operation. I entered with Col. Narayan, Major Negi, Captain Gurung, Capt. Kurian (Adjutant). I have a publication on my experience in the expedition which won first battle in Jalienpara under Colonel Narayan. I want the address of Col Narayan and Coln Asser and also share experience with you. I am a retired professional Engineer and was head of Planning Department in Karnaphuli Complex at Chandraghona before start of Liberation war.
Major General Sujan Singh Uban published a book. Rafiq Siddique may have published a book in Bangladesh. Apart from my blog posts, I have not published any books. To share the truth, there is not much public interest.
Many thanks for visiting the blog post. Please let me know if you served in C-Sector during 1973-74. Do you have a younger brother who was serving in Roorkee (Corps of Engineers, The Bengal Sappers) at that time? If I am correct, we met in Amritdhara Bhavan, Rajpura Road, Dehradun in the month of February, 1972. Most people have known me as Captain. R. R. Narasimham, AMC.
My grandfather Late Mahendra Lal Chakma, Inspector & Officer-in-Charge (OC), Rangamati Kotwali Police Station along with his superior officer Late Provat Kusum Chakma (Circle Officer, Rangamati District Adminstration) received the Indian Army officer and SSF soldiers. Due to sudden death of my grandfather in 1984 we didn’t have much information about his role in the operation eagle. My father told me that My grandfather because of his wisdom and visionary leadership welcomed and received the SSF soldiers by boat, so that they could enter into Rangamati City easily. I think Col. BK Narayan would be that officer who had been received and welcomed along with his SSF soldiers by my grandfather.
Thank you for reading my post and sharing the information about your grandfather. Indeed, we had a very friendly and warm reception when we arrived in the evening hours in a motorized boat that we hired. I did not have the good fortune to meet your grandfather but my Colonel was the first to disembark and I am sure that he had the opportunity to meet your grandfather apart from other local officials. One of them guided us to the place, a very large government building, where we camped for the night. Next day morning, the entire South Column moved to Kaptai. Our Brigade Headquarters camped in that government office building for nearly a month, until the time we left Bangladesh from Chittagong harbor during January 1972, about 12 days after the safe return of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rehman.
My Paternal Grandfather Late Mahendra Lal Chakma, Inspector & Officer-In-Charge (OC), Rangamati Kotwali Police Station, along with his superior officer Late Provat Kusum Chakma (Circle Officer, Rangamati District Adminstration) had received the Indian Army officer and his soldiers. They hired a boat to welcome the SSF guerrillas so that they could easily get a route to enter into Rangamati City. Due to my grandfather’s sudden death in 1984, we didn’t have much information about his vital role in execution of the Operation Eagle. I think Col. BK Narayan might be that officer who had been received and welcomed by my grandfather along with his (BK Narayan) SSF Soldiers in Rangamati. I would be delighted if I get any information regarding this matter.
I am delighted to read about your paternal grandfather and the assistance he offered to help us in reaching Rangamati in a ferry launch boat which easily accommodated several hundred passengers. I am not personally aware of the name of the person who dispatched the ferry boat operated by some private company. We had an engineer who works in Chandraghona Paper Mills in our party. He must have contacted the party in Rangamati and the boat arrived in Barkal after Sunset and we quickly boarded it as it was already dark. The boat Captain apparently knows the route well and there was no problem during the ride.
Sir,
Is there any book on Operation Eagle?
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Please read the book published by Siddique Ahmed of Bangladesh.
Siddique Ahmed
says:
October 28, 2011 at 8:07 am — Edit
I was in South Column during Operation Eagle with a BLF group engaged in support of the operation. I entered with Col. Narayan, Major Negi, Captain Gurung, Capt. Kurian (Adjutant). I have a publication on my experience in the expedition which won first battle in Jalienpara under Colonel Narayan. I want the address of Col Narayan and Coln Asser and also share experience with you. I am a retired professional Engineer and was head of Planning Department in Karnaphuli Complex at Chandraghona before start of Liberation war.
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Major General Sujan Singh Uban published a book. Rafiq Siddique may have published a book in Bangladesh. Apart from my blog posts, I have not published any books. To share the truth, there is not much public interest.
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A great collection of events of 1971 Op Eagle.
I was a Company Commander under Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan at Kaptai.
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My dear Major Sharma,
Many thanks for visiting the blog post. Please let me know if you served in C-Sector during 1973-74. Do you have a younger brother who was serving in Roorkee (Corps of Engineers, The Bengal Sappers) at that time? If I am correct, we met in Amritdhara Bhavan, Rajpura Road, Dehradun in the month of February, 1972. Most people have known me as Captain. R. R. Narasimham, AMC.
I am indeed happy to read your comment
R. R. Narasimham
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My grandfather Late Mahendra Lal Chakma, Inspector & Officer-in-Charge (OC), Rangamati Kotwali Police Station along with his superior officer Late Provat Kusum Chakma (Circle Officer, Rangamati District Adminstration) received the Indian Army officer and SSF soldiers. Due to sudden death of my grandfather in 1984 we didn’t have much information about his role in the operation eagle. My father told me that My grandfather because of his wisdom and visionary leadership welcomed and received the SSF soldiers by boat, so that they could enter into Rangamati City easily. I think Col. BK Narayan would be that officer who had been received and welcomed along with his SSF soldiers by my grandfather.
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Thank you for reading my post and sharing the information about your grandfather. Indeed, we had a very friendly and warm reception when we arrived in the evening hours in a motorized boat that we hired. I did not have the good fortune to meet your grandfather but my Colonel was the first to disembark and I am sure that he had the opportunity to meet your grandfather apart from other local officials. One of them guided us to the place, a very large government building, where we camped for the night. Next day morning, the entire South Column moved to Kaptai. Our Brigade Headquarters camped in that government office building for nearly a month, until the time we left Bangladesh from Chittagong harbor during January 1972, about 12 days after the safe return of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rehman.
With very best wishes,
Whole Dude
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My Paternal Grandfather Late Mahendra Lal Chakma, Inspector & Officer-In-Charge (OC), Rangamati Kotwali Police Station, along with his superior officer Late Provat Kusum Chakma (Circle Officer, Rangamati District Adminstration) had received the Indian Army officer and his soldiers. They hired a boat to welcome the SSF guerrillas so that they could easily get a route to enter into Rangamati City. Due to my grandfather’s sudden death in 1984, we didn’t have much information about his vital role in execution of the Operation Eagle. I think Col. BK Narayan might be that officer who had been received and welcomed by my grandfather along with his (BK Narayan) SSF Soldiers in Rangamati. I would be delighted if I get any information regarding this matter.
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Dear Parbanchakma,
I am delighted to read about your paternal grandfather and the assistance he offered to help us in reaching Rangamati in a ferry launch boat which easily accommodated several hundred passengers. I am not personally aware of the name of the person who dispatched the ferry boat operated by some private company. We had an engineer who works in Chandraghona Paper Mills in our party. He must have contacted the party in Rangamati and the boat arrived in Barkal after Sunset and we quickly boarded it as it was already dark. The boat Captain apparently knows the route well and there was no problem during the ride.
With very best wishes,
Whole Dude
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