CONCEPTION- DOES IT BEGIN WITH FERTILIZATION, THE UNION OF SPERM AND EGG?
“BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU”
There is no universal understanding of the beginning of human life. When does human life begin? There are several moral and ethical issues that involve the manner in which we define the beginning of human life. The society is totally polarized about woman’s reproductive rights, the right to abortion and about the destruction of human embryos for purposes of scientific research. The moral and ethical validity of abortion and the embryonic stem cell research depend upon our understanding of the origin of human life. People who endorse the choice of abortion, and the scientists who conduct research upon cells derived from the early stages of embryonic development claim that the human individual begins later in the fetal stage of development when the fetus displays clearly visible features of being a human individual. They are opposed by people who believe that life begins at conception when the union of the male gamete with a set of 23 chromosomes with a mature female gamete with a set of 23 chromosomes takes place which results in the formation of a fertilized egg with a set of 46 chromosomes. The newly formed genome is unique and has a new identity of its own and such genome has not existed before and the same genome would not be formed again as each genome displays individualistic variations. This process called conception creates and brings forth a new being.
Human culture informs us that the human entity is known to the Creator even before it has formed in the womb and much before the individual is born. Since conception appears to be an act of creation, it should be preceded by creative thought. The fact that human life begins with a creative thought is stated repeatedly in several religious traditions. In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” and the thought to create man was expressed before the act of creation. The fact that God is involved in the process of conception is stated when God had promised to Abraham that he would father a son when he was nearing the age of 100 and his wife Sarah was at the age of 90. The Book of Genesis, chapter 17, verse 16 reads, “I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.” Similarly, the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, chapter 44, verse 2 reads, This is what the Lord says “He who made you, who formed you in the womb,” and in the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 read, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;”
THE BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD TO VIRGIN MARY:
Human Life begins after a Creative thought. Mother Mary was informed about the fact of Immaculate Conception before she gave birth to Jesus.
Human Life begins after a Creative thought. Mother Mary was informed about the fact of Immaculate Conception before she gave birth to Jesus.
The idea of ‘Immaculate Conception’ is the cornerstone of Christian belief and is described in the New Testament Book of Luke, chapter 1, verses 30 and 31 which read, But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.” The idea that a virgin could conceive is also stated in the Book of Matthew, chapter 1, verse 23 which reads, The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel which means, “God with us.” It clearly demonstrates that conception is not an accidental event but is pre-planned and is predetermined according to the will of the Creator. This idea that a conception is a pre-planned event is also stated in the Book of Luke, chapter 1, verses 36 and 37 which read ” Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” The son of Elizabeth is known as ‘John the Baptist’ and his crucial role was also foretold.
THE INDIAN TRADITION ABOUT BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE :
Human Birth is an act of Creation. It is a Divine Phenomenon. This Individuality has existed before in the past and would not cease from its existence and would continue to exist in the future. Man exists in nature as a Created Being and his Individuality remains unchanged during the entire process of Life’s Journey during the different stages of its existence.
Human Birth is an act of Creation. It is a Divine Phenomenon. This Individuality has existed before in the past and would not cease from its existence and would continue to exist in the future. Man exists in nature as a Created Being and his Individuality remains unchanged during the entire process of Life’s Journey during the different stages of its existence.
Srimad Bhagavatam known as Bhagavata Purana in the Seventh Canto narrates the story of Prahlada(Bhagat Prahlad). His birth was foretold and most interestingly, Prahlada had acquired the knowledge of God while he was still in his mother’s womb and he had shared this knowledge of God with others without receiving any further instructions or learning after his physical birth. Human life originates as creative thought and the thought leads to creative action which results in conception, a new beginning.
THE MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF CREATION:
The Human Egg Cell is conscious of its state of existence. It is goal-oriented and it serves the purpose of the Whole Organism(Mother) and displays functional subordination. If the Egg Cell is not fertilized, it has no further purpose, and it gets expelled from the body. It displays no tendency towards implantation or getting embedded into the maternal tissue to continue its existence.
The Human Egg Cell is conscious of its state of existence. It is goal-oriented and it serves the purpose of the Whole Organism(Mother) and displays functional subordination. If the Egg Cell is not fertilized, it has no further purpose, and it gets expelled from the body. It displays no tendency towards implantation or getting embedded into the maternal tissue to continue its existence.
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – CELLULAR BASIS OF SPIRITUAL FUNCTIONS. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN OVUM OR EGG CELL.
The Human Ovum after fertilization begins its new state of Existence and the fertilized Egg Cell known as Zygote is Conscious or aware of the fact of its Existence. It is goal-oriented and it serves the purpose of the new Whole Organism( Baby). Being aware of its energy dependence, it penetrates, implants, and embeds itself into the maternal tissues to obtain energy for its own growth and further development. While being attached to its Mother by developing a structure known as Placenta, the developing Embryo develops for its own purpose to establish its Identity and Individuality.
If a man is created, it implies the operation of a creative force or energy which was set in motion by creative thought and hence man’s beginning becomes the expression of a creative will. The destruction of a human embryo for scientific research and the killing of the human fetus before birth would be viewed as acts of disobedience of that creative will which caused the human existence.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S., Class of April 1970.
The Immaculate Conception (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Flag of Indian Army – The Story about the career of an Indian Army Officer.Lieutenant General V V S Pratap Rao, The Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, Indian Army during 1982-83 lied about his actions and the Testimonials reveal that Story.
TESTIMONIALS REVEAL A STORY: Mr. Todd Embers, a native of Andhra Pradesh, India, who has described himself as an Anglo-Indian, apparently a relative of Lieutenant General V V S Pratap Rao who had served as the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services of Indian Army has commented that my statements about General Rao are completely erroneous. He has further observed that I am making my statements with a malicious intent to malign the reputation of General Rao. He had concluded that I have the problem called ‘ego’, and that I am self-centered. Kindly read his comments at my Homepage. https://bhavanajagat.com/about
I fully agree with Mr. Todd Embers that this perception that describes me as a person of ‘ego’ has contributed in a very significant manner and may have contributed to the hostility and animosity displayed by General Rao in his official conduct as the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services. I would like to submit to my readers that I joined the Indian Army while I was a student at Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool with a simple desire to serve the Nation and to defend its territorial integrity. Over the last 25 years, I have gone through a rigorous self-examination leading a life of utter simplicity and humility and have not discovered the problem called ‘ego’.
I speak about the actions of General Rao as he misused and abused his power to undermine my ability to serve in the Indian Army with a sense of Pride and Honor. He had an equal duty, and responsibility to serve the cause of the Nation and he had failed in the discharge of his duties. I have come to this opinion based upon my objective analysis of his actions. I never had any subjective experience of his behavior or conduct and I do not really know him as a person. His actions which were basically unethical and which constitute illegal harassment of a junior Medical Officer are as follows:
1. He had illegally interfered and contacted a Defence Service Civilian Staff Officer at Medical Directorate (DMS/Army) to post me as a Medical Officer of a Medical Battalion in AIZAWL, Mizoram State, India during 1982.
2. When the above posting order was duly challenged, General Rao spoke to Lieutenant General Banerjee, the Director of Medical Services (Army) and instructed him to post me to a different establishment at AIZAWL, Mizoram State, India without allowing the DMS (Army) to exercise his discretionary powers while posting Medical Officers to their assigned posts. General Rao, the DGAFMS has no direct jurisdiction over matters that pertain to postings of Medical Officers and the Office of the DGAFMS is only involved in matters that pertain to training and the training policy in respect of AMC Officers.
3. When I had applied to resign my Permanent Regular Commission in the Army Medical Corps, General Rao repeatedly told lies to Lieutenant Colonel S B Ghosh AMC, Radiologist, Military Hospital, Secunderabad who had directly asked him to verify his decision in the matter of my resignation application. Based upon the false assurance given by General Rao that my letter of resignation was recommended, I contacted several Senior Officers and obtained testimonials from them. The photo images of those testimonials are shared in this blog post.
4. In the remarks he had written and forwarded to the Union Minister of State for Defence, General Rao had failed to provide information to the Government of India that would best serve the interests of the Nation.
I asked for help and secured a personal interview with Shri. Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo, the Union Minister of State for Defence at his office in South Block on September 18, 1983.
The Minister was not briefed about my meritorious service during 1971 War and was not informed that I was the recipient of the DGAFMS Medal in 1976. The Minister spoke to me and at the end of the interview granted my request to resign my Permanent Regular Commission as the DGAFMS had not supported his own recommendation to reject my request with objective evidence about my performance as an Officer in the Army Medical Corps.
5. Prior to my personal interview with the Union Minister of State for Defence, Government of India, during August 1983, I appealed to the DGAFMS to review the AMC Training Policy and had specifically requested the DGAFMS to provide opportunities like Study Leave, and permit the Medical Officers to undergo Advanced Specialist Training even if the Officer has completed ten years of Service.
6. The DGAFMS did not disclose the decision made by Government of India to grant my appeal to the Director of Medical Services (Army) and other Units of Indian Army, and to Medical Officers like me who had actively opposed the AMC Training Policy that placed restrictions upon opportunities that were available to Medical Officers who had completed ten years of service.
7. The evidence to support my statements about the actions and conduct of General Rao are available in our official documents and correspondence that is archived at Medical Personnel Records Section (Officers), Office of the DGAFMS, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi – 110 011.
The Symbol of Indian Army Medical Corps – The Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services formulates the Army Medical Corps Policy about the grant of study Leave and the Selection of Medical Officers for Specialist Training. During 1982, Lieutenant General VVS Pratap Rao had instituted a new AMC Training Policy that prohibited Medical Officers from applying for Study Leave and to seek Specialist Training if they had completed ten years of Service. Because of this new AMC Policy, my application for Study Leave during 1982 was rejected and I was also not allowed to apply for Advanced Specialist Training. I had waged a Battle to change this Policy. I won this Battle but there was no Victory Parade. General VVS Pratap Rao kept my victory as a secret until I left Service.Major Darshan Singh forwarded my application of Resignation through Staff Channels and sent an advance copy of the same to the Director of Medical Services.Brigadier AM Bhattacharya strongly recommended my Letter of Resignation from Service.This letter from Lieutenant Colonel D D Singh came as a Big Surprise.Major Darshan Singh, Adjutant AOC Centre sent a tough message to Medical Directorate, Army Headquarters on 21 February 1983.Brigadier Bhattacharya had insisted that the Letter of Resignation must be decided by the competent authority.Brigadier AM Bhattacharya’s Testimonial – Page 1Brigadier AM Bhattacharya’s Testimonial – Page 2Brigadier D Jagannadham, VSM Deputy Director of Territorial Army – TestimonialBrigadier S P Sen gupta, Deputy Director of Medical Services – TestimonialBrigadier M A George, Commandant, Military Hospital, Jullundur – TestimonialMy personal interview with Shri. Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo, Union Minister of State for Defence took place on September 18, 1983 in his office at Ministry of Defence, New Delhi. The Minister’s younger brother was serving as Adjutant at 125 Infantry Battalion ( TA ) in Secunderabad. This letter was issued to me by Lt Col Ranjit S Grewal, Commanding Officer, 125 Infantry Battalion ( TA ) on February 27, 1983 several months before my personal interview with the Defence Minister.Remarks of Lieutenant General T S Oberoi, PVSM, VrC, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief,Headquarters Southern Command Pune 411001.He had remarked about my participation in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. He had not mentioned the name of the Organization(Special Frontier Force-Establishment No. 22 in which we had served to participate in the military action named Operation Eagle).Under instructions from the Director of Medical Services(ARMY), I had prepared a second application at Central Ordnance Depot, Delhi and took it to South Block and Brigadier J Verghese signed it while standing over the front steps of the Secretariat Building. There is no AOC Centre Office Stamp under his signature. Myself and Commandant Brigadier Verghese were not present in Secunderabad on 17 September, 1983. After he had signed, the application was directly delivered to the Office of DMS(Army). The Medical Services Director knew that I was present in New Delhi and that the Defence Minister had already granted me a personal interview to privately discuss my application to resign my Permanent Regular Commission.
I met Union Minister of State for Defence in New Delhi on 18 September 1983 and got my Letter of Resignation approved. However, he had kept that file in his office until General Pratap Rao had retired from Service. General Pratap Rao retired and left for Muscat, Sultanate of Oman and he was confident that Government of India would not agree to my request to relinquish my Permanent Commission. General Rao was in fact surprised to find me in Muscat, Oman when my friend went to his residence to meet him. General Rao told my friend that Government of India should have rejected my letter of resignation. It amazes me that General Rao had lied about his actions in this matter of my resignation from Service. He was the Top Boss of Armed Forces Medical Services and I would expect that the General should have Courage and if he was truly convinced with his decision, he should be truthful in all of his actions and utterances.
Colonel H B Hande, Officiating Commandant AOC Centre, Secunderabad in his Testimonial dated November 05 1983 made it abundantly clear that my transfer orders were never implemented and that I am waiting to leave Army Service and the orders from the Government were expected. The Minister had wanted that Lieutenant General VVS Pratap Rao, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services should not be told about my Resignation from Service. All Senior officers and Ministers who had supported my request were concerned about the diabolical role played by the DGAFMS.A person by name Bhattacharya had recommended my Letter of Resignation. Another person by name Bhattacharya sent me this letter that my Resignation was accepted. This communication was dated 10th January 1984, my Birth Day.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number MS-8466 Rank Lieutenant/Captain AMC/SSC;
Service Number MR-03277K Rank Captain/Major AMC/DPC
Senior Regimental Medical Officer,
Army Ordnance Corps Centre, Trimulgherry, Secunderabad, A.P., India.
Individuality and the Genome. A COLONY OF GENETICALLY IDENTICAL E. COLI IS ACTUALLY A MOB OF ‘INDIVIDUALS’.
UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUALITY:
Individuality and the Genome. Even among simple forms of life, like the common bacterium E. coli, genetics only partly determines what any one organism is like. E. coli expresses its individuality in many ways. All the bacilli above are genetically identical, but the shades show differences in the production of proteins that digest lactose.Credit…Dr. Michael Elowitz
Dr. Michael Elowitz, Physicist at California Institute of Technology has conducted experiments on colonies of genetically identical (Clones) E. coli bacteria under identical experimental conditions and has discovered that the clones behave in different ways which could be viewed as an expression of ‘individuality’.
Individuality and the Genome. The Law of Individuality governs all Individual Living Things.
E. coli bacteria in billions populate our intestines. Typical E. coli bacillus has about 4,000 genes. Human cells have about 20,000 genes. The bacteria have fingerprints of their own and even when they share the exact same genome, they could still be identified as ‘individuals’.
Individuality and the Genome. Dr. Michael Elowitz and Dr. Long Cai are developing a platform through which cells can self-record their lineage and molecular event histories directly into their own DNA as they create new tissues, particularly in the brain. This research will help to address how individual cells in a developing embryo diversify into many distinct cell types, each playing its unique role in the organism.
The key to understanding E. coli’s fingerprints is to recognize that the bacteria are not simple machines. Unlike wires and transistors, E. coli’s molecules are floppy, twitchy and unpredictable. In an electronic device, like a computer or a radio, electrons stream in a steady flow through the machine’s circuits, but the molecules in E. coli jostle and wander. When E. coli begins using a gene to make a protein, it does not produce a smoothly increasing supply. It spurts out the proteins in fits and starts. One clone may produce half a dozen copies of a protein in an hour, while a clone right next to it produces none.
Michael Elowitz, a physicist at Caltech, put these bursts on display in an elegant experiment. He and his colleagues incited E. coli to produce its proteins for feeding on lactose. Dr. Elowitz and his colleagues added extra genes to the bacteria so that when they made lactose-digesting proteins, they also released light.
The bacteria, Dr. Elowitz found, did not produce a uniform glow. They flickered, sometimes brightly, sometimes dimly. And when Dr. Elowitz took a snapshot of the colony, it was not a uniform sea of light. Some microbes were dark at that moment while others shone at full strength.
At the very least, E. coli’s individuality should be a warning to those who would put human nature down to any sort of simple genetic determinism. Living things are more than just programs run by genetic software. Even in minuscule microbes, the same genes and the same genetic network can lead to different fates.
The bacteria have fingerprints of their own and even when they share the same genome, they could still be identified as individuals.
Individuality and the Genome. Man is constituted as a Biotic Community of socially interacting cells and microbes
Humans differ from one another in too many different ways and it is hard to count. The current human population of over six billion could be identified as the same number of individuals. Each human being has an unique genome of his own. There are millions of typographical differences between one genome and another human genome. Even identical twins are not truly identical at all as identical genes in our cells can behave differently.
Living entities are not like simple machines. When we use a gene to make a protein, the gene may not produce a smoothly increasing supply of that protein. The gene tends to work in fits and starts and spurts out the protein. Identical genes can behave differently as the gene makes protein or remains silent depending upon the ‘Methyl’ groups that cap the DNA strands and function as ‘transducers’. These ‘Methyl’ groups sometimes fall off of DNA or become attached to new spots. Hence genetically identical individuals can have different physical identities in the natural world. The protein molecules that make up living entities, turn them into individuals.
THE IRRELEVANCE OF EVOLUTION:
Individuality and the Genome: CHARLES DARWIN’S ORIGIN OF SPECIES (1859) PROPOSES A MECHANISTIC, NONPURPOSIVE ACCOUNT OF EVOLUTION AS THE PRODUCT OF THE NATURAL SELECTION OF RANDOMLY PRODUCED GENETIC MUTATIONS.
In the natural world, all living entities exist as individuals and express their individuality. The Theory of Evolution proposes that a species can descend or arrive to become a new species by changing its genome in a gradual and incremental manner using a mechanism that is described as ‘ natural selection ‘. The mechanism of natural selection operates via a process of random and unguided mutations in the genetic code that changes the genome and eventually produces the ‘biodiversity’ that we witness in the natural world.
Individuality and the Genome. The phenomenon of Diversity must be studied beyond the realm of genes, genetic codes, and genomes. Cytoplasm and its organs must be studied to understand the physiological basis of Diversity
This Theory of Evolution has no relevance to the ultimate identity of each individual member of a given species. This identity is dictated by the interplay between the various components of each individual cell and its interactions with other cells. With the same genomes or different genomes, the living entities can only exist as individuals and they have no other choice. The evolutionary connections are not relevant to this identity. To understand the phenomenon of biodiversity, we will be forced to look at each individual member of each given species.
THE LAW OF INDIVIDUALITY:
Individuality and the Genome. The Law of Individuality formulates the phenomenon of Human Individuality.
I propose that the Law of Individuality governs all the living entities and is manifested in various biological phenomena. The genes and the genetic code function in accordance with the Law of Individuality. I would describe Individuality as a Trade Mark. It is the characteristic of a biological entity. Genes and the genetic codes are the tools that an organism uses to express its Individuality. Each organism assembles its own kind of protein molecules to define its identity and to defend its existence in the natural world.
Individuality and the Genome. The Law of Individuality formulates the phenomenon of Human Individuality.
Krupa – A force to preserve the human existence. Alpha Orionis, Betelgeuse, a massive Red Supergiant Star is evaporating.
THE PHENOMENON OF EXTINCTION:
Krupa – a force to preserve the human existence. The dimming of Betelgeuse, Orion Constellation.
Alpha Orionis, or Betelgeuse is the largest and brightest Star visible to the naked eye near the Constellation of Orion. This mammoth star is slowly evaporating. This massive star is shedding weight and is near end of its life. This red Supergiant star is about 430 light years distant. If this star is now placed at the center of our Solar system, its plume would extend past the orbit of planet Jupiter. Sun towards the end of its life would also evaporate and its expanding plume would totally wipeout all living entities on planet Earth. When we speak about human existence, we need to understand man as a biological species. Like all other living creatures of this planet Earth, man is a mortal being. Whosoever had arrived on this planet, must also depart. Extinction is not merely a past geological event. The reign of Dinosaurs upon Earth ended 65 million years ago and it is marked as Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event or K-T Event. Apart from Cosmic Radiation, and Massive Collision events involving asteroids, comets, or other heavenly bodies, there are biological factors involved in the phenomenon of Extinction. Man’s existence depends upon an orderly functioning of the universe. The existence of the Individual (microcosm) is linked to the existence of Cosmos (macrocosm).
IS MAN BORN FREE?
Krupa – a force to preserve the human existence.
In the Sanskrit literature, the word ‘Daivam’ describes ‘Fate’. It conveys the sense of belief in God as the ‘Prime Cause’. If God is in control, man is not free to act as he pleases even in his own defense. We may not be able to conduct experiments and scientifically establish the fact that God is in control. What we clearly understand is that the man cannot govern or rule the cells that constitute his body and define his physical existence.
Krupa – a force for preservation of the human existence. Man cannot directly rule or govern or regulate the cellular functions of his own body.
Man is not an independent living entity. Man’s dependence upon external sources of energy, and the biological phenomenon of ‘cellular autonomy’ would not permit man to act as he pleases. Man is not in control of his existence. Man’s capacity to defend his own existence is limited and he continuously faces challenges to his existence from several different directions. If man is truly free, the Universe, the World, and the Society can place no constraints on him. Man is tied down, he is born in shackles without Freedom.
The Four Fundamental Forces:
Krupa – a force to preserve the human existence.
The orderly functioning of the universe demands the synchronization of the Fundamental Forces that operate the Universal Order. If there is no ‘ORDER’, the resulting ‘CHAOS’ , or extreme disorder would destroy all living entities. In Physical Science, the Four Fundamental Forces that operate in Nature are described; 1. The Strong Nuclear Force, 2. The Weak Nuclear Force, 3. The Electromagnetic Force, and 4. The Gravitational Force. While these Forces operate all reactions with matter in Nature, we need a Creative Force or Creative Energy to bring into existence each individual living entity which enables the entity to exist in nature as an ‘Individual’ and to live by exploiting other forms of Energy provided by the material Nature known as Prakriti. In the Sanskrit language this Creative Force or Energy is named as ‘Maya’ and hence the phenomenal Universe is a manifestation of ‘Maya’. However, the living entities and all other created entities have no ability of their own to fully defend their state of existence. In the Sanskrit language the word ‘Krupa’ describes the great and powerful Force of ‘Daya’, ‘Karuna’ or Compassion, Mercy, Grace, and Kindness that sustains, protects and preserves existence of life. ‘Krupa’ is a great and magnificent Force which enables man to overcome difficulties, get over obstacles and face huge challenges. The Controller of ‘KRUPA’ exists in a state of complete, and perfect ‘Bliss’ called ‘Ananda’. The thought of ‘Krupa’ delights human mind and is associated with a sensation of Sweetness and it visually brings the Joy of Spring Season described as ‘Vasant’ or ‘Basant’which symbolizes creation and rejuvenation. Krupa being Sweet like nectar and honey; when we seek Mercy and Grace; when we ask for Compassion, and Kindness; it not only provides peace and a sense of tranquility, but also it imparts a sense of pure joy.
MADHAVA is the Consort of Madhavi or Lakshmi who personifies the force of compassion or Krupa.
A HYMN TO SEEK ‘KRUPA’ – A FORCE TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT HUMAN EXISTENCE:
Krupa – a force to preserve human existence
Muukam karoti Vachaalam, pangum langhayate girim,
Yat Krupaa ta Maham Vande Paramaananda Madhavam.
THE LORD OF SPRING SEASON – LORD MADHAVA WITH GODDESS MADHAVI: In the Divine Song called Bhagavad Gita, Chapter X, ‘The Infinite Glories of the Ultimate Truth’-‘VIBHUTI VISTARA YOGA’ that describes the LORD God Creator’s Infinite Divine Attributes, in verse # 35, Lord Krishna describes Himself as The Lord of Spring Season – The Flowery Season: “Rtunam Kusumakarah.”
I pay obeisance (Vande) to Eternally Blissful (Paramaananda) Madhava whose Compassion or Krupa is boundless (Maham) and with His Mercy a mute person (Muukam) can be transformed into an eloquent speaker (Vachaalam) and a physically challenged person (Pangum) can easily cross over (langhayate) the mountains (girim). This hymn beautifully connects the problems of human condition, the physical limitations imposed upon our fragile state of existence, with a limitless source of energy known as Krupa which is the manifestation of Madhava who brings the Joy of Spring Season and symbolizes sweetness, sugar, honey, or ‘Madhu’, and is constantly accompanied by this energy or Shakti which assumes the form of Radha or Madhavi or Lakshmi.
SEEK THE EXPERIENCE OF ‘MADHURYA’:
Krupa – a force to preserve the human existence. The Butterfly lives by gathering Nectar.
We need to constantly remind ourselves about the transient, ephemeral, and fleeting nature of human existence. In our life’s journey, we tend to follow an easy course and tend to avoid facing obstacles. Very often, we behave like a physically challenged person and act as if physically incapacitated due to fear, doubt, and a lack of resolve or indecisiveness. Sometimes, difficulties arise without any prior warning and overwhelm our existence. Many of us remain mute or cannot speak up bacause of a sense of fear or because of sheer ignorance. We may not be simply aware of the dangers that may threaten our existence. We should seek the Force of Krupa that brings a sense of Joy and imparts the taste of Sweetness known as ‘Madhurya’.
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Fifth Army is the name used by Major General Sujan Singh Uban, Inspector General Special Frontier Force, the Commander of Operation Eagle which started its military action on 03 November 1971 with attacks on Pakistan’s military posts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.The Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE – ESTABLISHMENT NO. 22 – OPERATION EAGLE: IT WAS AN ACT OF WAR ON PAKISTAN SANCTIONED BY PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA TO SECURE PEACE IN THE REGION NOW KNOWN AS THE REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH.The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.General Sujan Singh Uban, AVSM, Inspector General of Special Frontier Force. The Commander of the ‘Fifth Army in Bangladesh’.
Major General (Retd) Sujan Singh Uban AVSM, the former Inspector General of Special Frontier Force published a book that is titled ‘The Phantoms of Chittagong: The Fifth Army in Bangladesh’. He narrated the story about his Special Frontier Force that liberated the Chittagong Hill Tracts during the India-Pakistan War of 1971. He did not discuss the Medical Plan for the evacuation of battle casualties.
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Lieutenant General(Retd) TS Oberoi, PVSM, VrC (the tall person wearing dark-brown turban). The Liberation of Bangladesh commenced during 1971 under the able leadership of Brigadier TS Oberoi. Photo Credit – Trishna-Ajay-Picasa Web Album.The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. MS-8466 CAPTAIN. R. Rudra Narasimham, AMC/SSRC, Medical Officer, Special Frontier Force.He served in the Fifth Army in Bangladesh.
THE ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAL SUPPORT IN THE BATTLEFIELD:
Each Unit or Regiment of the Armed Forces operating in the Field have to initially take care of their wounded soldiers at the Front Line of real combat. Units in the Field often set up a Regimental Aid Post (RAP) to give medical support. The Army Medical Corps positions its staff which includes Ambulance Assistants, Nursing Assistants, and Medical Officers who give this morale-boosting blanket of comfort. However, the medical resources that are available at RAP are very limited. Because of the distances, time, and practical difficulties involved, the battle casualties are evacuated from the forward-most line of contact to the nearest Field Hospital of the field formation/Division by positioning Staging Posts along the Chain of Medical Evacuation. A Staging Post that is often used is known as the Advanced Dressing Station (ADS) which supports the regimental Units of a brigade. At the ADS, the battle casualty could be resuscitated by intravenous fluids. Apart from resources like stretchers and blankets, the ADS can deploy ambulances to speedily evacuate wounded men to a Field Hospital or another intermediate Medical Staging Post.
THE MEDICAL PLAN FOR THE FIFTH ARMY IN BANGLADESH:
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. This retired Indian Air Force Officer, Parvez Jamasji was the pilot of the helicopter that provided airlift support to my Unit called South Column during our military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. In due recognition of his gallant action, he was awarded the Gallantry Award of Vir Chakra. This helicopter pilot knows the Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh.
The Fifth Army was tasked to operate independently with very limited logistical support. During the initial phases of the military operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the men had operated on foot, on a ‘Man-Pack’ basis in roadless forests. A military Field Hospital with a Surgical Team was established at Lungleh or Lunglei in the Mizo Hills. Between the battle field and the Hospital, there were no Medical Staging Posts along the route of Casualty Evacuation. The Fifth Army did not set up any Advanced Dressing Stations. The Medical Plan was to initially provide medical support at any place selected by the Battalion in the Field and to directly evacuate the casualty to Lungleh by using helicopters. It was indeed a simple plan. None of us including my Battalion Commander Colonel B K Narayan, Brigadier T S Oberoi, the field Commander of this task Force, and his Chief of Staff Colonel Iqbal Singh had ever imagined that there could be a big surprise in the execution of this straight forward Medical Evacuation Plan.
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.The India-Pakistan War of 1971 and the Birth of Bangladesh are very significant achievements of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. As I was then serving in an Establishment under the Cabinet Secretariat, I had direct and personal understanding of her Foreign Policy Initiatives. She had personally approved our military Operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. To make the distinction between the Indian Armed Forces and the Special Frontier Force, our Inspector General coined the phrase The ‘Fifth Army in Bangladesh’. In the conduct of this War, we had faced a very critical moment and it needed the Prime Minister’s personal intervention and a decision that she alone could make. I rendered my services and overcame the challenge posed by that critical situation. The importance of this situation could be understood as it needed an intervention from the Prime Minister. I am now asking the Government of India to recognize my GALLANT response inside enemy’s territory without any concern for my personal safety.
A SHOCKING SURPRISE AND A COURAGEOUS RESPONSE:
The first attack on the enemy position was made by the men led by Major Savender Singh Negi and Major G B Velankar of my South Column Unit which was Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan of the Regiment of Artillery, the first Gunner Officer to Command and participate in an Infantry style assault in the conduct of military action. Another Gunner Officer of the Regiment of Artillery, Lieutenant Colonel Krishan Lal Vasudeva Commanded the Central Column Unit of this Operation . Later, both the Company Commanders of my South Column Unit received the Gallantry Awards of Vir Chakra for the courage displayed by them. In the India-Pakistan War of 1971, these two Officers were the first decorated apart from Major Raj Kumar Malhotra 4 PARA who was with the North Column Unit under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel Prasanta Coomar Purkayastha of Garhwal Rifles. As this successful attack of South Column Unit was concluding, my Unit Commander was informed that an airlift of battle casualties was not possible due to tactical and working difficulties as at that time the Prime Minister of India did not specifically sanction the entry of Indian aircraft into the Pakistani airspace. A helicopter flight to the enemy post that we captured was not possible on that day. Most of the enemy defenders of the post that we attacked had escaped into the forest. The enemy could regroup and launch a counterattack to retake their lost position. Our men without wasting any time had taken up the defensive positions and were ready to fight if the enemy wanted to retake the post.
The use of helicopter airlift for air medical evacuation was vital to ensure the success of our military expedition. The men reacted to the news with a sense of utter disbelief. We were inside the enemy territory without stretchers, blankets and equipment for the proper conduct of ground medical evacuation. The nearest Border Security Force (BSF) outpost on the Indian border was over forty miles away. This BSF Post had a secure helipad. The challenge we had faced was to carry our battle casualties across a difficult terrain and to keep them alive until they could get to the helipad. None of the wounded were in a condition to walk on their own. All of them needed transportation as lying patients in stretchers. The Unit had not come ready to use any of its men as Stretcher Bearers. Each man had an assigned role in his own Platoon/Company. I willingly accepted to respond to this challenge and assume the responsibility to safely evacuate my patients and go with them on a foot journey to the BSF Post. The morale of the men got instantly boosted up. Pointing towards the stands of Bamboo, I suggested to the men that we could make our own improvised stretchers. It was a pleasure to watch these smart and talented men who went into action and the stretchers were assembled and ready for use in a short time. I did not get a chance to offer any guidance about how to prepare an improvised stretcher. They had entirely acted on their own.
THE MEDICAL EVACUATION – A MEMORABLE FOOT JOURNEY:
A Personal Tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, The Regiment of Artillery, Indian Army.
A Sermon in Kaptai, Bangladesh Ops 1971-72. A personal tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, Islamic Scholar who served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971: Glorious Quran, Surah VIII, SPOILS OF WAR, Verse 01: “And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah.Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower.”
My South Column Unit Commander Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan had to make a very difficult decision. He had to spare his fighting men for performing the duty of stretcher bearers. He assembled a party of about sixty or sixty-five men to lift and carry the stretchers and to defend the party. Stretcher bearing is a difficult task. A Bangla Muslim refugee was given to us as a guide. He did not depute any of the Infantry Officers to go with us on this tedious mission. I did not make any such demand. My medical staff, the AMC Nursing Assistants were distributed to different Companies and I wanted them to stay at their posts as the situation on the ground was still unpredictable. Hence, I was the only Army Medical Corps medical support person in this entire party proceeding on a foot journey to the BSF Post at Bonapansuria in Mizo Hills. After marching for over three hours, the nightfall and darkness obscured our path and we could not move any further. We decided to halt for the night on that jungle track. The men took turns to stay awake and remained vigilant. I kept a close watch on the condition of my patients, provided comfort and assurance and encouraged them to keep drinking small amounts of water to keep them hydrated and to prevent shock associated with blood loss due to injuries. I administered the water and medications (broad spectrum antibiotic pills to prevent wound infection and Injection Tubonic Morphia to relieve pain), checked and applied dressings and bandages as needed. We were concerned about the Mizo rebel activity in those forests. Fortunately, we spent the night without any untoward incident. We continued our march early morning before the sunrise and finally reached a stream that marks the boundary between the Indian Mizo Hills and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The water level in the stream was low. We waded through knee level water with our stretchers. The BSF Post police personnel at Bonapansuria were delighted to receive us. They had rejoiced because of our recent victory and for capturing the enemy post. The staff at the Bonapansuria BSF Post were among the first group of Indians who knew about our military expedition and its success in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The helicopter had soon arrived at that BSF Post to further transport my patients to the Field Hospital in Lungleh. All of my patients survived this prolonged ordeal. They remained calm and hopeful during the entire trip. I only used the very basic principles of Medicine and Resuscitation to give support to my patients. I had arrested bleeding, prevented further blood loss, provided relief from pain, and kept them well-hydrated. My physical presence provided them with a sense of reassurance that they needed. I was their doctor, their nurse, and their medical attendant during our march. This was a memorable, one of its kind medical evacuation story in the history of the Indian Army Medical Corps. If I had shown a sense of resolve, determination, and confidence, it was because of all these wonderful people acting as my eyewitnesses. I was performing in front of their eyes. They had absolute trust in my abilities. My patients not only survived but also cheerfully provided a telling testimony to others who had visited them at the Field Hospital in Lungleh. That was the Force/Energy/Power of ‘Krupa’ that had lifted us and carried us through this difficult medical mission.
THE EXPERIENCE OF ‘MADHURYA’ (SWEETNESS) AND A CHAKMA EYEWITNESS:
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The butterfly knows the Sweetness of Nectar (Madhu).
The hand that bestows ‘KRUPA’ would not be seen. I describe ‘KRUPA’ as a Force/Energy/Power. The recipient of ‘KRUPA’ would only experience ‘MADHURYA’ or a sense of Sweetness. At the conclusion of our medical mission, we were not feeling tired. We were simply filled with JOY. We were ready to walk back immediately and rejoin the Unit in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. We started back, briskly walking through the forest without any breaks. Due to security concerns, we did not bunch up as a single group. The men remained vigilant with their loaded weapons and were fully ready to engage any enemy. During that return trip through the forest, to my utter surprise, a young Chakma male appeared before me, apparently from nowhere. The Bangla Muslim refugee guide who was walking slightly ahead of me had stopped. The Chakma tribe speak a Bengali dialect. He spoke to the Bangla guide and could communicate that he needed my help. His father was bedridden and was in great pain. I was totally shocked to know that this unknown Chakma living in the middle of a forest had correctly identified me as a doctor of medicine. At that moment, I just looked like any other soldier. My Olive Green uniform was crumpled and dirty. I was in the same clothes for more than seven days both day and night. I had not changed my socks. I had no shower and I had not shaved. This Chakma youth had not bothered to stop other men who were in my party hurriedly walking. He had not only approached me, but also he had a very specific reason for stopping me. For he had correctly known my identity, I guess that he had actually observed me while I was at work. He was my silent eyewitness. He knew the trip we made through the forest on the previous day. He had quietly observed while I nursed and treated my patients. I did not want to refuse his request for help for he had correctly identified me . I was a known stranger. I was not a soldier running through the forest. The Chakma had eyes that could see. He correctly comprehended my trade and understood that I help people who are in pain. When our party was returning, he decided to make use of that opportunity to seek my help. He did not treat me as a threat to his existence but as someone who could help his existence. I agreed to go with him to his house. I was shocked when he pointed his house to me. He lives in a tree house which was hidden from our view when we walked on the track near the house. He dropped a ladder for my use. I asked my Bangla Guide to stay on the ground. My escort party of armed men were not alerted and they stayed at about twenty feet distance from that tree and had no clue about my sudden disappearance. I did not want the Chakma family to feel intimidated by our presence in their area. I climbed up and entered the living room to find a Chakma man, the father of this young man who had stopped me. He was lying on the floor and was in pain. He had an ear infection which was giving him a terrible pain. I dried up the ear discharge and showed him the importance of keeping the ear dry by using the cotton swab sticks that I provided him. I instilled antibiotic ear drops and showed him the way to instill ear drops after gently drying any discharge. I had a tube full of antibiotic pills. I also gave him pills for his pain and a supply of multivitamin pills. All of these pills come in different colors. I could instruct him in the use of the pills that I dispensed. I personally administered the pills and he felt better with my brief visit and intervention. I climbed down the ladder to rejoin my Bangla Guide and the escort party and we made a safe return trip to our Unit location.
THE FORCE, ENERGY, AND POWER OF ‘KRUPA’:
During this entire foot journey of over eighty miles, I had no sense of tiredness or physical fatigue. I had no sense of resentment or bitterness for making this trip which was not included in our initial Medical Plan for Casualty Evacuation. I did not experience even a trace of fear about my personal safety or wellbeing. The experience of ‘MADHURYA’ was such; I was not irritated when a Chakma man had suddenly stopped me. I gave him no excuses. I entered the stranger’s house without my personal weapon and without any concern about my personal security. I provided him the medicines he needed for his recovery.
The young Chakma man displayed courage in approaching me and stopping me while I was in the company of a large group of armed men. The previous day he had apparently watched us silently as we journeyed through the forest. He had overcome that sense of fear that forced him to stay mute. He was able to communicate with a stranger who does not belong to his Land or Community. On my part, I had no desire and had no initiative that could have let me climb a tree and enter a treehouse. Just like a physically handicapped person would have declined the challenge of climbing a tree, I would not have exercised my physical ability in climbing a tree and taking the risk of entering an unknown dwelling. The Chakma did not use a threat or coerce me in any way. My actions were directed by a higher Force which dispelled any concerns about personal security.
If I had crossed and jumped over a physical barrier, I should attribute that action to an external Power that lifted me from the ground. I simply acted in obedience to a higher Force or Energy and not according to my personal will and choice. I was propelled by an external Force of compassion to serve an unknown person who was confined to his treehouse.
I do not seek any personal credit or recognition for rendering medical help to an unknown forest dweller. I did not discuss the findings of my house visit with my Bangla guide or with the rest of the soldiers who were waiting for me. I did not describe this incident to my Unit Commander and to other Officers upon joining them. We just got busy with preparations for our next move to accomplish the goals of our military expedition to the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
I am describing this incident and making an effort to put this incident into Public Record to recognize ‘KRUPA’ as an external Force that changes the human behavior and actions. We respond to its Energy and act in obedience to its Power. The Force of ‘KRUPA’ changes the course of our physical life. ‘KRUPA’ empowers the human mind and propels our life’s journey in a new direction.
In the Armed Forces, the Code of Conduct demands that its members should greet and ‘SALUTE’ a Superior Officer. I ‘SALUTE’ that Superior Power of ‘KRUPA’ for I recognize its ability to control my physical movements and actions.
WHO HAS EVER SEEN THE ‘HAND OF KRUPA’ ?
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Lord Madhava is the Companion of Msdhavi the Shakti, Power/Force/Energy that is Controlled by Lord Madhava. The Divine Function/Action with which this Shakti or Force of Madhavi uplifts a person is known by the Experience of Madhurya or Sweetness. Madhavi also means Madhu, Honey, or Nectar and Sweetness.
When we speak about Lord’s Compassion and Mercy and when we seek His Grace to protect our existence, do we ever get a chance to actually see the ‘HAND OF KRUPA’ which might deliver us the uplifting feeling?
This Chakma man was sick and was suffering with pain even before Indian Army attacked the enemy post in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He was confined to his treehouse unknown to any of us. He had no chance of getting any help from the external world. We carefully planned to avoid any direct contact with Chakma tribal, forest dwellers and other civilian noncombatants during the course of our military expedition. We planned to directly attack the enemy positions and help the Bangla Muslim refugees to return to their homes which were at a much farther distance in fully inhabited areas. This foot journey for medical evacuation was a total surprise and was not planned. I wonder if the Chakma patient prayed for the medical intervention that had happened. If the helicopter had arrived to provide airlift, I would have never made that journey. Did the prayer of the Chakma patient had the power to stop the helicopter arriving for the battlefield casualty evacuation? The next day, a helicopter flight landed at that particular enemy post without any problem and an Officer who was posted to our Unit arrived to report for his duty.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number. MS-8466 Rank. Captain AMC/SSC
Medical Officer South Column Operation Eagle 1971
Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 A.P.O.
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. The Experience of Madhurya in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.In a hilly, forest terrain, the use of aerial firepower or bombing campaigns will not dislodge the enemy. The enemy must be found on the ground and must be directly attacked.
The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Special Frontier Force – Operation Eagle – Liberation War of Bangladesh 1971:
The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India initiated Liberation of Bangladesh during 1971 with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. This battle plan is known as Operation Eagle.
The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. I joined the Indian Army Medical Corps in the rank of Lieutenant and was issued an Army Photo ID at AMC Centre, Lucknow. On July 26, 1971, I was promoted to the rank of Captain and as my Unit could not verify the Gazette of India Notification, I continued to wear the badges of rank of a Lieutenant until February 1972. The Passport photo for the above Army Photo ID was taken in a photo studio in Doom Dooma, Tinsukia District, Assam.
In this picture, I have no medal ribbons to display. The medals for participation in the India-Pakistan War of 1971 had arrived later.
Major General Sujan Singh Uban, the Commander of Special Frontier Force.The Commander of the ‘Fifth Army’ in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
General Sujan Singh Uban had narrated his story in his book titled ‘The Phantoms of Chittagong : The Fifth Army in Bangladesh.
Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands (December 1985 to December 1989) – Lieutenant General TS Oberoi, PVSM, VrC., former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Headquarters Southern Command, Pune, former Inspector General, Special Frontier Force, former Commandant, Headquarters Establishment No. 22. He is the tall person in this photo wearing dark brown turban. I knew him since 1971. Under his able leadership, the Liberation of Bangladesh had commenced in the year 1971 during the Indo-Pak War.Apart from his military wisdom, he took a good care of all men under his Command. While I was proceeding to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, he had individually greeted all the members of my team and had delayed the departure of aircraft to ensure that a hot breakfast was served to all the men boarding the aircraft. He paid personal attention to all the aspects of the military mission to ensure the wellbeing of men apart from achieving success in accomplishing the military task. The sense of warmth he radiated is easily felt when we meet him in person. His grandson provided me the link to this photo. Photo Credit – Trishna-Ajay-Picasa Web Album.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. A VIEW OF INDIAN MIZO HILLS FROM CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTSThe Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Rivers and streams flow throughout the region of Chittagong Hill Tracts.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts Early morning dense fog and mist in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. I used a large waterproof poncho to get protection from early morning mist and dew.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Fifth Army operated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Chittagong Hill Tracts is sparsely populated with isolated dwellings.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill TractsThe Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Simplicity of Chakma Existence.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Chakma posed no threat but we had avoided direct contact. The Chakma Ruler or King had earlier announced his support of Pakistan’s military regime.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. I had camped at Kaptai Lake and it is memorable.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. I had regularly visited men deployed in Kaptai Lake Area.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. We had never executed the plan to blow up the dam over Karnaphuli River at Kaptai; we have indeed carried some explosives and as the Enemy withdrew his forces, we had no need to blow up the Dam on Karnaphuli River.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. For brief moments during 1971, messages in Telugu language had appeared in the radio waves transmitted across the Chittagong Hill Tracts.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. We had operated in an area under the operational control of IV CORPS but did not provide the details of our operation to either IV Corps or HQ Eastern Command.The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Lieutenant General T S Oberoi, the Southern Army Commander during 1983, the former Inspector General of Special Frontier Force is seen in this photo wearing a helmet. The photo was taken during 1982 while he had visited A S C Centre, Bangalore. He would have executed Operation Blue Star with due care and concern to save the lives of his men and also the civilians.
General T S Oberoi had exuded a natural sense of affection and warmth for he had truly cared about the men under his Command and this is a quality that men would seek in the Chief of Army Staff and he was denied that opportunity. Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made a political choice and had appointed General K S Sundarji as the Chief of Army Staff. General T S Oberoi, the senior Army Commander, had to unfortunately retire from Service in 1985 and was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and served in that capacity until 1989.
In the history of Indian Army Medical Corps for the first time during 1971 I had provided the services of a Medical Officer, a Nursing Assistant, and an Ambulance Assistant.I was trained in the use of a 9 mm SMG or Sten Gun. I had chosen to march into enemy territory without my personal weapon to defend myself. I did not throw away my weapon and I did not surrender my weapon to the enemy which are crimes under law. War is a team effort. My contribution to this team effort is not based upon firing bullets from my Sten Gun. I had totally discarded any concerns about my personal safety and worked for the success of the team. I have shown Courage by not carrying this Sten Gun and in following my team like a shadow and confronting the enemy as a TEAM.The Indo-Pak War of 1971 and the Birth of Bangladesh are very significant achievements of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. As I was then serving in an Establishment under the Cabinet Secretariat, I had direct and personal understanding of her Foreign Policy Initiatives. She had personally approved the ‘Fifth Army’s military Operation in Chittagong Hill Tracts. In the conduct of this War, we had faced a very critical moment and it needed her personal intervention and a decision that she alone could make. I rendered my services and had overcome the challenge posed by that critical situation. The importance of this situation could be understood as it needed an intervention from the Prime Minister. I am now asking the Government of India to recognize my GALLANT response in enemy’s territory without any concern for my personal safety.
I am pleased to claim that I had established an entirely new record in providing medical support to the battle wounded in an operational area of Chittagong Hill Tracts during Operation Eagle 1971, Liberation War of Bangladesh. To provide medical support to the battle casualties, I had reached the casualties at the enemy post that we had just captured. I was the only Army Medical Corps person on the ground. We had no stretchers, blankets, and resuscitation fluids. The casualties could not be airlifted as per the prior Medical Evacuation Plan. The men felt outraged. I had comforted them with my assurance that I would accompany them to the nearest helipad that was located over forty miles away at the Border Security Force outpost of Bonapansuria near the border in the Indian Mizo Hills. The men prepared improvised stretchers. We had no Infantry Officer to accompany us. A party of about 65 men, a Bangla Refugee as a guide, carried all the battle casualties in stretchers and had camped overnight in the forest and had reached the helipad at Bonapansuria the next day morning. I had acted as the Medical Officer, the Nursing Assistant, and an Ambulance Assistant for the battle wounded during this foot journey through the difficult hilly and forest terrain. They had reached the Field Hospital in Lungleh in very good spirits and in a stable condition in spite of being critically wounded.
Lungleh, or Lunglei, was the destination for my battle wounded patients.A Personal Tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, The Regiment of Artillery, Indian Army.
A Sermon in Kaptai, Bangladesh Ops 1971-72. A personal tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, Islamic Scholar who served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971: Glorious Quran, Surah VIII, SPOILS OF WAR, Verse 01: “And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah.Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower.”THE FLAG OF INDIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.
The sense of resolve, determination, and confidence with which I had accompanied my patients and had performed a foot journey walking over forty miles through the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts during Operation Eagle 1971 had given the sense of comfort and reassurance the men needed to boost up their morale. In the medical evacuation of battle casualties from the battle field, Army Medical Corps typically uses several Nursing Assistants and Ambulance Assistants who perform a variety of tasks. I had the unique privilege to perform their duties for I have a true sense of appreciation for the valuable services they render in providing patient care and comfort. I had actually self-learned the tasks they perform and knew it would be of a great value and an asset for my success as a Medical officer of Indian Army.
Dr. R. R. Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Personal Number. MS-8466 Rank. Captain AMC/SSC
Medical Officer South Column Operation Eagle 1971
Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO
The Fifth Army – The Untold Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts: In 1971, Special Frontier Force initiated Liberation of Bangladesh with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts with Battle Plan Code-named Operation Eagle. This Operation is not governed by Army Act 1950.
Man’s Creation – The evidence of Precision Grip. A FULLY OPPOSABLE THUMB GIVES THE HUMAN HAND ITS UNIQUE POWER GRIP AND PRECISION GRIP
WHAT IS CREATION?
Man’s Creation – The evidence of Precision Grip. Man’s use of hands demonstrates creativity.
I would like to define creation as the process by which products are created with degrees of variations amongst them and they would appear to be different even when they are related to each other. This variation gives the product of creation an identity, individuality, a sense of uniqueness, and an attribute of distinctiveness. For example, humans and chimpanzees share almost identical genomes, but we are different. This variation is present between different species and amongst members of the same species. Hence, creation could be stated as a process which institutes differences between apparently similar objects and makes them unique and distinct. In the fields of arts, music, literature and others, originality is an attribute of creativity. In creating man, the Creator has displayed His powers of creativity and we can always distinguish one individual from another individual.
WHAT IS THE IDENTITY OF MAN?
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – THE ORIGIN OF HUMAN SPECIES: THERE IS NO NATURAL CAUSE, NATURAL FACTOR, NATURAL CONDITION, OR NATURAL MECHANISM TO ACCOUNT FOR THE VARIATION SEEN WHEN THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL IS COMPARED WITH THE HUMAN SKULL.
Man is classified as Homo sapiens sapiens- i.e. the sapiens variety of the species Homo sapiens. Modern humans have delicate skeletons. Their skulls are more rounded with a mean cranial capacity of about 1,350 cubic centimeters (82 cubic inches). Their brow ridges generally protrude much less and they have a vertical forehead. The back part of the skulls are more rounded and rarely display the occipital buns found on the back of Neanderthal skulls. Man has jaws and teeth of reduced size, the nose and chin are prominent or projecting. The relatively high foreheads are indicative of both qualitative and quantitative development of the brain. Those areas of the brain concerned with vision, muscular coordination, memory, learning, and communication have especially shown development. A large and complicated brain (which may be called a superior brain), the stereoscopic vision and a corresponding reduction of the sense of smell, the upright posture and the supremely flexible hands are some of our important features. The pelvis and the legs are designed to support weight, help the bipedal propulsion of the body in the erect position, while the feet and toes have lost the prehensility characteristic of the Primates in general. We have been identifying individuals for a long time now. We use several methods to establish the identity. Photos, fingerprints, dental records, iris scans, and DNA are some of the tools used in the identification process.
THE EVIDENCE OF PRECISION GRIP:
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – THE STATUS OF MAN IN NATURE: The Grasping ability of Hand can perform two functions; 1. The Pressure Grip, and 2. The Precision Grip. The image shows the anatomy of the distal phalanx and its relationship with soft structures that are related to refined manipulation of tools or objects held by the Grip.
The modern humans are different from all other species including other species which have similar features of the genus HOMO.
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – THE STATUS OF MAN IN NATURE: While the Modern Man (Homo sapiens sapiens) and Paleolithic Man (Homo sapiens neanderthalis) NEANDERTHAL have similar skeletal features that contribute to the functional ability called the ‘Precision Grip’, the distinction between the two can be easily made when they perform functions making use of that Grip.
Humans use their flexible, grasping hands to explore and utilize the environment in unique ways. A fully opposable thumb and fingers makes the hands capable of both power and precision grips and gives remarkable manipulative abilities. Human hands can skillfully fabricate tools and produce art and sculpture. Man has not only invented tools like needles, he has the manipulative ability to thread a needle and to sew clothes using hides and other materials. The ability to hold a brush and draw paintings sets man apart from other ancestral types which used stone tools and used fire for cooking, for warmth and in hunting.
Man’s Creation – The evidence of Precision Grip: CRO-MAGNON MAN AND PRECISION GRIP .
Prehistoric art is a relatively recent development; it first appeared during the Upper Paleolithic Period, the last division of the Old Stone Age. The first cave paintings were discovered in Spain and France belong to the Upper Paleolithic Period (c. 30,000 – c. 10,000 BC). These are associated with the remains of CRO-MAGNON MAN who appeared in Europe about 35,000 years ago. So far, no direct evidence of Neanderthal art has been found.
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – THE STATUS OF MAN: THE CRO-MAGNON MAN IS DESCRIBED AS PREHISTORIC MAN. HIS SKULL IS LARGER AND LESS ROUNDED IN SHAPE AS COMPARED TO THE SKULL OF MODERN MAN.
The CRO-MAGNON MAN would have looked like the present day European man but the CRO-MAGNON had a relatively larger cranial capacity (up to 1590 cubic centimeters) and a broader face. The culture based upon hunting and gathering reached its peak of development about 12,000 years ago. Technical innovations included tools made of bone and ivory, clothing sewn together and a system of reckoning time by the Sun and the Moon. About 10,000 years ago, during the Mesolithic Period, man had invented new weapons such as the bow and arrow and started using ingenious traps, snares and nets to exploit the natural resources.
THE UNIQUENESS ABOUT THE USE OF HANDS:
Man’s Creation – The evidence of Precision Grip. The use of hands to communicate thoughts, ideas, feelings, moods, and emotions.
Man uses his hands not only in the performance of non-locomotor activities but also to express his thoughts, ideas, feelings, moods and emotions. We differ from all other species in the manner with which we use our hands to communicate with others. We use our hands to greet others, to show love and affection,to provide comfort and to perform acts of kindness and compassion, to demonstrate anger and displeasure or frustration, to display an obedient and respectful behavior, to derive psycho-sexual gratification, and to communicate in various non-verbal manners. The unique ways in which man uses his hands has produced cultural icons. In India, people use hands to greet others and the greeting is known as ‘NAMASKAR’ or ‘NAMASTE’. Indians greet and worship their Gods and everything that He created in the same manner and with the same greeting of Namaskar which acknowledges the divine creative phenomenon by the display of respect and obedience using hand gestures.
Man’s Creation – The evidence of Precision Grip.
If there are over six billion human beings on this planet, I could easily demonstrate that there are over six billion individual variations by simply testing the use of the precision grip by each individual. These differences are important and give us our identity and this is possible because each one of us is created in a very special manner.
Eat Sweet Garden Peas. We can directly taste the Magic of Creation. The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating
THE LEGUME FAMILY AND PULSE CROPS:
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating. The Legume Family. Each member is easily described by the taste it imparts.
The garden pea, Pisum sativum of the legume family (Leguminosae) is a most widely grown vegetable for its high protein content. It is grown since Bronze Age. Humans cultivated peas for millennia. Its relatives are Black-eyed pea, the Chick-pea, and Lentils. The Lentil, Lens culinaris is among the most ancient of cultivated vegetables. India is by far the largest producer of lentils in the world. Lentils are grown for their seeds which are rich in protein, and for animal forage. They range in color from white to green, brown, orange, and violet blue. The grain legumes or pulse crops are a major source of dietary protein. Many legumes like soybean, and peanuts also supply fats and oils.
PROTEINS AND NUTRITION:
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating. The role of Proteins in human nutrition.
Proteins are nitrogen containing molecules essential to maintaining the structure and function of all living organisms. It is derived from the Greek word ‘proteios’- meaning “primary.” Proteins function in a variety of ways. For example, enzymes, hemoglobin, muscles, the collagen of bones, tendons, skin and polypeptide hormones like Insulin. Proteins play a role in virtually every cellular function. For instance, proteins regulate muscle contraction, antibody production, and dilatation and contraction of arterial blood vessels to maintain normal blood pressure. Generally, a lack of protein in the diet retards growth in children and causes a decrease in energy. The National Academy of Sciences in the United States recommends a daily protein intake of about 0.8 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. Excessive amounts of protein intake puts a burden on the liver and kidneys which excrete the excess nitrogen as urea and uric acid.
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating: The Magic of Creation will be appreciated by simply comparing Hemoglobin molecule with Chlorophyll molecule.
Proteins exist in diverse, complex structures that specify their particular function. Despite the variety of structures, all proteins comprise about 20 amino acids. A primary protein is simply a long chain of amino acids. The sequence of the amino acids in the chain varies with each type of protein. Protein is a critically important part of the diet. Plants synthesize all the amino acids required for building all the necessary proteins. Animals including humans cannot synthesize eight Essential Amino Acids and therefore depend upon animal or plant protein in their food to obtain them. Plants have the ability to combine ammonia, NH3 with the products of photosynthesis to form amino acids. Animals eat the plant proteins, break them down into amino acids during the process of digestion. These amino acids are absorbed into the blood stream, where they travel to tissues throughout the body. Cells build up new proteins from these amino acids in order to build tissues and organs of their bodies or to serve a specific function such as enzymes, hemoglobin, or hormones.
NITROGEN, NITROGEN FIXATION, AND NITROGEN CYCLE:
All living organisms need organic Nitorgen compounds such as Proteins, Vitamins like Thiamine and Riboflavin. In nature, Nitrogen from the air is ‘fixed’ by some bacteria and plants. It is then made available to all organisms through ‘Nitrogen Cycle’.
Nitrogen is a relatively inert, colorless, odorless gas. Nitorgen is the most abundant uncombined element. Air is 78.06 percent nitorgen gas by volume. It occurs as the diatomic molecule N2 which is very stable.
All living organisms participate in the Nitrogen Cycle. It includes the processes and Chemical Reactions involved in producing organic Nitrogen from inorganic Nitrogen and subsequently breaking down organic Nitrogen back to the inorganic form.
The production of a simple nitrogen compound from atmospheric nitrogen is known as Nitrogen Fixation. Several species of soil bacteria (Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter), some fungi, blue-green algae are involved in the process of Nitrogen Fixation. In nature, nitrogen from the air is converted to nitrates which is used by plants and the nitrogen is made available to all organisms through the Nitrogen Cycle. All living organisms participate in the Nitrogen Cycle which encompasses the processes and chemical reactions involved in producing organic nitogen compounds from inorganic nitrogen and subsequently breaking down organic nitrogen back to the inorganic form. An important genus of nitrogen-fixing bacteria is Rhizobium which forms nodules on the roots of legumes. The bacteria obtain food from the legume, and the legume obtains abundant usable nitrogen compounds from the bacteria. Because of this symbiotic relationship, legumes (alfalfa, beans, and peanuts) are excellent protein sources.
MENDEL’S LAWS OF HEREDITY AND GENETICS:
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating. Apart from Nutrition, Proteins are studied by science called Genetics.
Genetics is the area of biology concerned with the study of inheritance, the process by which certain characteristics of organisms are handed down from parent to offspring.
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating. Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance.
Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, demonstrated the inheritance patterns of the garden pea through breeding experimentations in his monastery’s garden. He had discovered in 1866 hereditary factors or genes whose existence he deduced without actually seeing them. Mendel’s statistical analysis of his data provided the mathematical basis for modern genetics.
GENES AND GENETIC CODE:
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating: Human interest in Coloration lead Gregor Mendel to conduct his famous studies that established the science called Genetics. He conducted experiments studying the white or pinkish flowers of Pea (Pisum sativum) plants.
Inside the nucleus of the cells of the higher organisms, the structures known as chromosomes are made up of units called genes. Each gene is responsible for a particular trait of the organism. Each gene is responsible for the manufacture of a particular protein that is involved in the expression of that trait. While genes are located inside the nucleus of the cell, the actual protein synthesis occurs in the structures known as ribosomes located in the cytoplasm outside the nucleus. The Genetic Code is the chemical equation by which hereditary information is translated from genes into proteins. The constancy of the Genetic Code in all past and present members of the species permit the genes to have the same effects on their carriers from generation to generation. Because of the constancy of the Genetic Code, we have the ability to identify the existence of individual species which maintain and display their species-specific traits.
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating. The origin of Genetic Code is unknown. The Genetic Code is Species Specific and each organism always exists as an Individual with Individuality.
Although the origin of the Genetic Code is unknown, since its formation more than 3 billion years ago, several organisms exist today with the same Genetic Code. The relationship between genes and the human sensory experiences of taste, flavor, and texture of plant and animal proteins is not yet studied in a systematic fashion. In higher organisms, the cells are differentiated to perform special functions. For example, the muscle cells have the ability to contract. Animals may use different modes of locomotion, the physiological function of the muscle cells which is contractility remains the same. While the key ingredients of muscle protein remain the same, man recognizes the existence of different varieties of animal muscle protein by his sensory experience of taste, flavor, and texture. Man applies his culinary skills to improve the palatability of the plant and animal proteins that he consumes as food.
MAN AND FOREIGN PROTEINS:
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating: DEFENDING HUMAN EXISTENCE – NATURE OF HUMAN IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUALITY IS REVEALED BY HUMAN DEFENSE MECHANISMS.
Man refuses to recognize any “evolutionary” connection between his body and other plant and animal proteins. The immune system of human body constantly defends itself from dangerous and sometimes even harmless foreign proteins. About 70 percent of body’s immune cells protect the gastro-intestinal tract. Several people are sensitive to foreign proteins found in milk, eggs, fish, wheat (Gluten), nuts and others.
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating: THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX (MHC) IS THE HUMAN LEUKOCYTE ANTIGEN (HLA) GENE CLUSTER ON CHROMOSOME 6. HUMAN ORGANS AND TISSUES CANNOT BE TRANSPLANTED OR GRAFTED INTO THE BODIES OF UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS. HUMAN IDENTITY MUST BE DISCOVERED AT MOLECULAR LEVEL TO ESTABLISH THE AFFINITY BETWEEN TWO HUMAN INDIVIDUALS.
While people tolerate ingested foreign proteins, the body very often rejects foreign proteins injected or inserted into the body. The proteins found in spider, scorpion, bee, or wasp stings and snake bites are very harmful. The Hypersensitivity reaction known as Anaphylaxis can cause shock and death. Extreme caution is used in the administration of blood transfusions and while using any serum or vaccine. The rejection of foreign substances poses serious problems in tissue and organ transplants.
THE PROOF OF PUDDING IS IN THE EATING:
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating: Quinoa seeds are Gluten-Free. It is also Cholesterol-free, low-fat, and high in protein. Throughout the ages many foods have been considered sexual stimulants. Quinoa has a special reason to be recognized as an Aphrodisiac, a chemical agent that can enhance sexual performance. Such a claim can be based upon the study of Polyamines found in its leaves and seeds.
The Magic of Creation is manifested in the taste sensation imparted by plant and animal proteins. Each has its distinctive species-specific taste. Organisms use similar mechanisms and metabolic processes to build the proteins with the same amino acids. If organisms are related to each other through “evolution”, we should be able to tolerate foreign proteins and our sensory experience should not perceive the variation in taste. When I eat, I taste the Power of Creation which has introduced this variation among all living entities.
The Proof of Pudding is in the Eating. PHYTOCHEMISTRY OF CHENOPODIUM QUINOA: I USED ANCIENT HARVEST QUINOA HOT CEREAL FLAKES TO CONDUCT THE QUINOA SMELL TEST .
OPERATION EAGLE: Is the code name for India’s Undeclared War on Pakistan that began on November 03, 1971 with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. This map contains estimates of the units involved in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)MS-8466 CAPTAIN. R. Rudra Narasimham, Army Medical Corps/Short Service Regular Commission. During the Indo-Pak War of 1971, the Special Frontier Force under the Command of Major General Sujan Singh Uban conducted an independent military operation called Operation Eagle in The Chittagong Hill Tracts. It commenced on November 03, 1971. This Op Eagle was executed by Indian Prime Minister Shrimati Indira Gandhi. Brigadier T S Oberoi was the Commander at the Force Headquarters in the operational area. Including myself, a total of six Medical Officers took part in this military operation. Four of us were recommended to receive Service Awards. Major PCM Mehta, Surgical Specialist, Dr. Major(Honorary) Ramesh Chandra, the Senior Medical Officer, Captain Ashok Kumar Jaiswal, Medical Officer of North Column, the Unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Prasanta Coomar Purkayastha of Garhwal Rifles received Vishisht Seva Medals as recommended. I was the only Medical Officer who was recommended the award of Vir Chakra. Major General Sujan Singh Uban, Brigadier TS Oberoi, Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, the Regiment of Artillery Officer who was my South Column Unit Commander, and all others know the reasons as to why I was recommended to receive the Vir Chakra award and not some other award like Vishisht Seva Medal which the other three Medical Officers received. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s military operation delivered the first blow in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to initiate the Liberation of Bangladesh with an act of Undeclared War.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE-OPERATION EAGLE 1971-LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH – GALLANTRY AWARD:
AWARD OF GALLANTRY AWARDS – OPERATION EAGLE(03 November 1971) – CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS – LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH. OPERATION EAGLE IS THE UNDECLARED WAR OF INDIA ON PAKISTAN.This retired Indian Air Force Officer Parvez Jamasji rendered service as a helicopter pilot in support of our battle action that is code-named Operation Eagle. He was awarded the Gallantry Award of Vir Chakra for his gallant actions. He airlifted my battlefield casualties.Operation Eagle – Gallantry Award: Flight Lieutenant Parvez Rustom Jamasji, Indian Air Force Helicopter Pilot provided airlift to the battle casualties in the conduct of Operation Eagle, Bangladesh Ops in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.Operation Eagle – Gallantry Award: Flight Lieutenant Parvez Rustom Jamasji, Indian Air Force Helicopter Pilot provided airlift to the battle casualties in the conduct of Operation Eagle, Bangladesh Ops in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.Operation Eagle – Gallantry Award: Service Number IC-22805 Major Survendra Singh Negi, The Grenadiers, served as a Company Commander, South Column, Operation Eagle, Bangladesh Ops, the Chittagong Hill Tracts.November o4, 1971. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent us to Mizo Hills-Chittagong Hill Tracts Border between India and East Pakistan to launch an Undeclared War and met the U.S. President Richard Nixon at the White House. She made an earnest effort to get American support for our military mission. She didn’t know that Dr. Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State had secretly contacted China’s Prime Minister directly encouraging Communist China to attack India across the Himalayan frontier and thwart our attempt to Liberate Bangladesh. China was too busy plotting the major “Tet” offensive in Vietnam to deliver a defeat to the U.S. Army apart from their power struggle which ended with the killing of China’s Defence Secretary. Our military operation proceeded as China refused to frustrate our efforts.November 04. 1971. The United States, Tibet, and India are military partners of an alliance/pact that created Establishment No. 22/Special Frontier Force during November 1962. The United States was only opposed to the creation of Bangladesh because of its friendly relations with Pakistan. President Nixon continued to support Special Frontier Force and its mission to oppose the military threat posed by Communist China’s occupation of Tibet. President Nixon as a gracious host entertained Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the White House by hosting a performance by these New York City Ballet performers. Operation Eagle, India’s Undeclared War on Pakistan was in progress while Indian Prime Minister was in Washington, D.C.LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH – AWARD CEREMONY AFTER 40 YEARS. India’s Congress Party leader Ms. Sonia Gandhi receiving Bangladesh’s highest Award. This Liberation began with India’s Undeclared War on Pakistan that started with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts on November 03, 1971.Major General Sujan Singh Uban, Inspector General of Special Frontier Force, was given the task of conducting a military operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and it was named Operation Eagle. His military mission, the Undeclared War of India on Pakistan was directly supervised by Srimati Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India.
The Indo-Pak War of 1971 involved a War between India and Pakistan and the War was fought by the members of the armed forces on either side. In the Eastern Sector, the Indian Army military operation was planned and executed by Headquarters Eastern Command. I participated in Operation Eagle, a military operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts which was, in reality, an Undeclared War of India on Pakistan. This military operation was planned by India’s Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. She approved the battle plan, the rules of engagement, and the issue of Marching Orders. She made all the critical decisions. The Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet Secretariat passed the executive orders and instructions for the conduct of this military operation. She never delegated her powers to other Staff members or assistants and exercised a tight control in the execution of all military acts as per the battle plan that was approved by her. In the history of the Republic of India, for the first time, the Prime Minister conducted a military operation of this magnitude using assistance from nontraditional fighting elements. This is of historical importance. I give her due credit for her bold initiative, qualities of leadership and her personal attention to all the critical aspects of our military mission. The records, the documents, the signal communications that directly pertain to Operation Eagle are not held at HQ Eastern Command and Army Headquarters in New Delhi. The Indian Army field commanders had no direct involvement in this Operation and they did not issue any orders for my participation or deployment for this military action.
The Battle Plan of Operation Eagle includes the rules and conditions that formulated the eligibility criteria of its participants to receive Military Honours and Awards with or without any affiliation to the Indian Army or the Ministry of Defence. Under these eligibility criteria, several Civilian Officers serving in the Directorate General of Security of the Cabinet Secretariat received Military Honours and Awards in recognition of the service they rendered during Operation Eagle. These include Shri. Sujan Singh Uban who received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Dr. Ramesh Chandra who received the Vishisht Seva Medal, Shri. Tara Chand Pande who received the Vishisht Seva Medal, and Shri. G B Velankar who received the Gallantry Award of Vir Chakra.
I, MS-8466 Captain. R. Rudra Narasimham, AMC/SSC served as Medical Officer at Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO from September 1971 to December 1974.
During the Indo-Pak War of 1971, I participated in a mission described as ‘difficult’ and ‘hazardous’. I provided medical support to the troops operating in the roadless, forest terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. My Commander, Major General Sujan Singh Uban, AVSM, the Inspector General of Special Frontier Force published a book titled ‘The Phantoms of Chittagong: The Fifth Army in Bangladesh’. General Uban narrated the difficult nature of his military mission and the successful accomplishment of his task.
For the Courage, Determination, Resolve, and Confidence displayed while operating inside the enemy territory, I was recommended the award of ‘VIR CHAKRA’. The Citation recommending this Gallantry Award was initiated by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan of the Regiment of Artillery, the Commander of the South Column Unit of Operation Eagle. The military act that won recognition involved courage in the performance of military duties with minimal protection while facing the threat from two different sources; 1. the threat of enemy forces in the area, and 2. the threat of Mizo rebels who operated on both sides of the border between India, and Pakistan in that area.
The risks of conducting a medical evacuation of battlefield casualties (which is the responsibility of the Force headquarters and not of the South Column) were fully understood by the Unit Commander and the Force Commander Brigadier T S Oberoi and SFF Commander Major General Sujan Singh Uban. When the Force Headquarters failed to execute its Medical Evacuation Plan, the Unit was assigned this difficult task. The Unit Commander did not order me to personally direct this medical evacuation and escort the battle wounded to their destination. I, on my own initiative, responded to this challenge and went beyond the Call of his Duty to complete the task without exposing my medical staff (AMC-Nursing Assistants) to any additional risks imposed by the battlefield casualty evacuation.
Apart from my role as a doctor, I performed the duties of the Army Medical Corps Nursing Assistants who provide nursing care and comfort during the process of medical evacuation. In the Annual Confidential Report for 1971-72 initiated by Lieutenant Colonel. B K Narayan, my performance during the 1971 War was very warmly appreciated. The fact of a recommendation made to confer gallantry award was duly recorded.
Colonel Iqbal Singh of the Regiment of Artillery served as the Chief of Staff at the Force Headquarters of Op Eagle. During 1972, I was posted to a Unit Commanded by Colonel Iqbal Singh. I applied for the grant of Direct Permanent Commission (DPC) in the Army Medical Corps. In his remarks on that application, Colonel Iqbal Singh gave a very detailed account of my performance during the 1971 War. During the AMC Examination of September 1972, I was interviewed by the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) in the presence of a Selection Committee. When questioned by the DGAFMS, I narrated my role in providing medical support to troops involved in a difficult Operation. The DGAFMS openly praised my performance and concluded the interview with no further questions. I was granted Direct Permanent Commission in the AMC with effect from March 07, 1973 and allotted the Personal Number MR-03277 K.
I did not receive the Gallantry Award for which I am duly recommended. The reasons stated by the Ministry of Defence were flimsy and at the best ridiculous. The reason for not conferring the award was communicated to South Column of Operation Eagle; the reason stated was that of the delay in submitting the Citation. The Medical Directorate, the Office of The Director of Medical Services (Army) delayed forwarding the Award Citation to the Military Secretary’s Branch of Army Hqrs, Ministry of Defence.
Operation Eagle established specific criteria and eligibility requirements for recognition to receive Service Medals, Honours, and Awards. We followed those rules given by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretariat. The Award Citation was sent direct to Army Headquarters Medical Directorate and did not use the Staff channels that Units operating under the command of HQ Eastern Command would have used.
In my view, a Gallantry Award is not the equivalent of winning a Prize in a Lucky Draw. Further, it must be noted that the “History cannot be rewritten”.
Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Lieutenant General(Retd) TS Oberoi, PVSM, VrC( the tall person wearing a dark brown turban). Prior to this appointment, General Oberoi was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Headquarters Southern Command, Pune. I knew him since my participation in Operation Eagle 1971. The Liberation of Bangladesh commenced under his able leadership. After the successful conclusion of Operation Eagle, he was promptly promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed as the Inspector General of Special Frontier Force. He exudes personal warmth at all times. People around him can always feel it. When I boarded an aircraft to proceed to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, he was present to greet us individually and he did not allow the aircraft to takeoff before a hot breakfast was served to all the men. Apart from military wisdom, he was a Commander who truly cared for the men under his Command. When I got married in January 1973, he sent me a long personal letter to give his good wishes. Photo Credit – Trishna-Ajay-Picasa Web Album. General Oberoi’s grandson shared this photo.Remarks of Lieutenant General T S Oberoi, PVSM, VrC, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Headquarters Southern Command Pune 411001. He was the field Commander of Operation Eagle 1971 in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He served at Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO as the Commandant.
The remarks made by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, the Commander of South Column Operation Eagle(dated May 13, 1972) in my Annual Confidential Report for 1971-72 are as follows: “A very conscientious and Tough MO who worked hard during the Bangladesh OPs. He did very well and showed Maturity which was beyond the call of duty. I have recommended this Officer for a gallantry award for which he deserves eminently. He is physically Tough and cheerful. Is a fresh entrant with less than 2 years of Service and yet he displayed capability and confidence.A Personal Tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, The Regiment of Artillery, Indian Army.
A Sermon in Kaptai, Bangladesh Ops 1971-72. A personal tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, Islamic Scholar who served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971: Glorious Quran, Surah VIII, SPOILS OF WAR, Verse 01: “And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah.Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower.”The Prime Minister whom I knew. The first posting of my Indian Army Medical Corps Career took me to the Special Frontier Force, the Directorate General of Security Establishment No. 22 that operates under the directives issued by the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Secretariat. Indira Gandhi’s Operation Eagle delivered the first blow during 1971 to initiate the Liberation of Bangladesh.
Lieutenant General T S Oberoi, the Southern Army Commander during 1983, the former Inspector General of Special Frontier Force is seen in this photo wearing a helmet. The photo was taken during 1982 while he visited Army Service Corps Centre, Bangalore.The Flag of Indian Army Medical Corps.Operation Eagle 1971 in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. AMC must put this memorable Battlefield Medical Evacuation March in 1971 in its History Books to inspire other AMC Medical Officers to train and acquire the professional skills of Medical Assistant and Ambulance Assistant to give better service to the battle wounded in any future War.Sangram Medal 1971. Evidence for my participation in Operation Eagle 1971 in the Chittagong Hill Tracts during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.Poorvi Star 1971. It is evidence of my participation in Operation Eagle 1971 in the Chittagong Hill Tracts during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.Award of Gallantry Awards. India-Pakistan War of 1971. Sterling Sub-Machine Gun Mk4I was trained in the use of a 9 mm SMG or Sten Gun. During Operation Eagle in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, I chose to march into enemy territory without my personal weapon to defend myself. I did not throw away my weapon and I did not surrender my weapon to the enemy which are crimes under law. War is a team effort. My contribution to this team effort is not based upon firing bullets from my Sten Gun. I followed my team like a shadow and confronted the enemy as a TEAM.American made High-Explosive Fragmentation Mark II Hand Grenade. OPERATION EAGLE 1971. Pakistan’s Army uses this type of hand grenades. During Operation Eagle, the India-Pakistan War of 1971, I collected two such hand grenades at the enemy post that we captured. I removed the Detonator to safely handle the grenade. I took them home and presented them to my father as a piece of evidence of my participation in the War. My father was afraid to keep my evidence. The Grenades were buried in Alcot Gardens, Rajahmundry.Made in China High-Explosive Fragmentation Hand Grenade found during Operation Eagle 1971. Chinese Army uses the same hand grenades. Pakistan receives arms and ammunition from Communist China apart from the massive military aid it receives from the United States of America. In the Indo-Pak War of 1971, we captured enemy posts and recovered arms and ammunition that were made in China.Shrimati. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the President of India. The President’s Secretariat did not act upon my grievance/petition about the award of gallantry awards – Operation Eagle 1971. It simply forwarded my grievance to the wrong Department. My grievance must be reviewed by the Cabinet Secretariat who possess my Service Records that pertain to my participation in the Indo-Pak War of 1971.
The President’s Secretariat established a Helpline to receive requests and grievances from the public. I requested the President of India to review the decision made by the Ministry of Defence in 1971 and complained that the act of rejecting the Citation to award VIR CHAKRA in recognition of my courageous performance inside enemy territory, was ‘unfair’ and ‘unjust’. The President’s Secretariat registered my grievance and issued the following Grievance Registration Number: PRSEC/E/2009/05526.
I stated that I will not give up my claim for the Gallantry Award and this recognition would benefit other members of Indian Army Medical Corps and would inspire them to distinguish themselves in providing care and comfort and in boosting up the morale of our fighting men and women of our Armed Forces.
THE STATUS OF GRIEVANCE PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA: AUGUST 31, 2009
On August 31, 2009, The President’s Secretariat transferred my petition to the Ministry of Defence. For further information in this matter, I was asked to directly discuss with Shri. Anand Misra, Joint Secretary (Estt&PG), Room No. 97, South Block, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi. His telephone number is 237 92043. His e-mail address is: jse@nic.in
THE STATUS OF GRIEVANCE PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA: DECEMBER 03, 2009:
OPERATION EAGLE 1971-Government of India, Ministry of Defence claims that Honours and Awards are conferred within a specific period from the date of the act. For every act, there are two parties involved. I acted on behalf of the Government of India and my action was directed against the Government of Pakistan. At this belated stage, after the lapse of over 32 years, what would be the view of the Government of Pakistan about this act?
Indian Army HQ gave me a similar response 32 years ago. The Award ‘Citation’ never reached the MS Branch on the stipulated date. Two infantry Officers of my Unit were awarded ‘Vir Chakra’ for the same incident in which I participated.
Award of Gallantry Awards. India-Pakistan War of 1971. In a hilly, forest terrain, the use of aerial firepower or bombing campaigns will not dislodge the enemy. The enemy must be found on the ground and must be directly attacked.Whole Dude – Whole Expedition: In 1971, Special Frontier Force initiated Liberation of Bangladesh with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts with Battle Plan Code-named Operation Eagle. This Operation is not governed by Army Act 1950.
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom. CHARLES DARWIN, b. Feb. 12, 1809, d. Apr. 19, 1882, BRITISH NATURALIST
THINGS IN NATURE CHANGE WITH TIME:
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – THE DOCTRINE OF CREATION: CHARLES DARWIN(1809-92), A GREAT NATURAL SCIENTIST, IN HIS WORKS, THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES (1859), AND THE DESCENT OF MAN (1871) PROPOSED THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION TO DESCRIBE THE ORIGIN OF MAN.
Darwin revolutionized biology with his Theory of Evolution. He claimed that all living species have evolved from preexisting forms and it brought about a reevaluation of the position of humans in relation to all other living forms. Darwin arrived at the idea that species descend or evolve from other species for he had observed that things in nature change with time.
DARWINISM:
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – THE HUMAN SPECIES: CHARLES DARWIN’S ORIGIN OF SPECIES (1859) PROPOSED A MECHANISTIC, UNGUIDED, NONPURPOSIVE ACCOUNT OF EVOLUTION AS THE PRODUCT OF THE NATURAL SELECTION OF RANDOMLY PRODUCED GENETIC MUTATIONS.
On November 24, 1859, Darwin published his theory under the title “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.” Species evolve from more primitive species through the process of Natural Selection which involves adaptations to a particular ecological way of life. In The Descent of Man and Selection in relation to Sex (1871), Darwin provided evidence for human evolution from more primitive species and discussed the role of sexual selection in evolution.
COULD WE TEACH WISDOM TO OUR CELLS ?
Could we teach Wisdom to this Cell? Could we alter the nature of Cellular Autonomy?
In the struggle for life, could we succeed by teaching wisdom to our cells? Could we direct our cells to choose those adaptations to a particular ecological way of life that would guarantee our survival ? Species evolve from another species by changing their genetic codes. Genetic codes could be changed by changing nuclear DNA. Darwin’s claim of evolution demands incremental changes in the genetic code because of random and unguided or spontaneous mutations. It does not mention the role of Cytoplasm and Cytoplasmic inheritance to account for the ability to survive in Nature.
Inheritance of DNA in cytoplasm (mitochondria or chloroplasts) Inherited from mother only. Sperm contributes nucleus, but no cytoplasm. Characteristics exhibit extensive phenotypic variation. Each cell can contain hundreds of mitochondria, and may not have same genetic information. Homoplasmy – all the same. Heteroplasmy – different genetic information. Ratio of normal to mutant
The process of adaptation and Natural Selection or exposure to ionizing radiation from cosmos or from Earth itself could lead to changes in DNA and mutations which are very harmful to the health and wellbeing of the organism. The DNA inside the cells is damaged on a regular basis due to products of cell’s own metabolism (OXIDATION), or due to exposure to drugs, toxic chemicals and sources of ionizing radiation such as X-rays and microwave. Cells are continuously involved in repairing the damaged DNA. Could you help your cells to choose particular kinds of DNA change that would give you an advantage in terms of survival or in evolving into a better species? What is man’s essence and what does he do to exist?
We could use wisdom to fight disease, we could protect ourselves by avoiding exposure to drugs, toxic chemicals and radiation. We could provide nutrients and anti-oxidants to cells and help their metabolic functions. However, cells are functionally autonomous. If cells display an erratic behavior such as when they develop tumors or multiply in an unregulated manner causing cancer, we could only hope to destroy or kill those erratic cells. We may not be able to impart our wisdom to our cells and guide them to function at our will.
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom. TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS – DOES IT DESCRIBE THE POWER OF TIME?
Charles Darwin is correct in his observations. Things in nature will change with time. It is a foundational principle and Time would not only change things but would also dissolve all things including the youthful vigor, wealth, social status, intelligence and wisdom of the individual. Truth or Reality which may not be subject to a change would prevail. In our struggle for survival, how could we just depend upon our intelligence and wisdom which could change with Time?
SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – ESSENCE – IDENTITY – UNITY – EXISTENCE: MAN’S EXISTENCE IS GOVERNED BY THE ETERNAL LAW OF AGING. MAN EXISTS WHILE HE PASSES THROUGH VARIOUS STAGES SUCH AS BOYHOOD, YOUTH, ADULTHOOD, AND OLDAGE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGES IN FORM AND APPEARANCE.
Man begins his life journey as a single cell and the phenotype or the external morphological appearance changes as man passes from infancy, boyhood, adolescence, youth, manhood, and old age. However, the genotype remains the same. Man’s individuality remains the same or constant during his entire life journey while the physical identity is subject to change. The Identity and Individuality are two sides of the same coin. The genome by its functional variation keeps changing the phenotype or the physical identity. Man does not exist in Nature because of this ability to change his Identity in relation to Time.
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom. Energy for Life.
Man exists in Nature because of his ability to acquire energy from Nature, his physical environment. Man is able to acquire energy because of the connection between the energy seeker and the energy provider. Man does not establish this connection because of his physical or mental effort. Man is conscious or aware of his energy dependence and is able to make a connection for his energy acquisition because of Knowledge that is implanted in the Egg Cell which further grows and develops into an embryo and a fetus. Man’s status in Nature is described by his partnership, association, or connection with his energy provider. The Theory of Evolution speaks about random, unguided mutations of the genetic code and fails to describe the nature of association, partnership, and connection that is fundamental to the process called Living.
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom. Man does not exist in Nature because of his wisdom.
Man does not exist in Nature because of his Wisdom. It could be foolish but man may save his individuality by his faith, a belief that is not derived by reason, or understanding.
A POUND OF FOOLISHNESS IS BETTER THAN A PENNY OF WISDOM:
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom.
For it is written :
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom.
Where is the wise man ? Where is the scholar ? Where is the philosopher of this age ? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world ?
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom
For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (The Holy Bible, The New Testament, 1 CORINTHIANS, Chapter 1, verses 19-21)
Wisdom may not last long enough to help you to survive, but through your foolishness if you choose to believe there is a better chance to get saved.
A pound of foolishness is better than a penny of human wisdom.
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