Tribute to a great soldier

Late Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora

As we discussed the upcoming visit by such an icon of our liberation war with the freedom fighters there was a great excitement. On personnel level the enthusiasm was overwhelming. But we were meeting roadblocks trying to get an official stamp to the visit. We were hoping the government would come forward to give him a 'VIP' status. Unfortunately we were getting nowhere. A valiant freedom fighter Matin Chowdhury was of great help in trying to pull all his connections but to no avail. He and I spent hours trying to find ways to set appointments with all high officials without any luck. At last we gave up and set our own arrangements to make his visit a 'grand' one from private citizens. Matin arranged a grand dinner with freedom fighters for one night and we set out visits to Museum, Smriti Shoudha, Shikha Chironton etc. Our friends in the print media were very excited and promised to give us all out support that they surely did, as always.

On the day of March 20, he arrived, and our friend freedom fighter Zafar, who was the boss in the civil aviation, arranged for the VIP lounge to receive him. From the airport we drove him to the Sheraton Hotel so that he could rest. I had promised his daughter I would make sure he was not over exerted and followed his diet and took the medicine. I became his aide-de-camp and attached myself from morning to night to his services. It was one of my greatest moments to have spent so much time with one of the Heros of our Liberation War.

We spent hours in the car traveling from one appointment to another and shared reminiscences of the great moments of 1971. I have come to know him and respect him much more by that attachment. He shared memories of his personnel life, of his youth when as a young lieutenant he was married to the beautiful woman whom he loved so dearly and that on the historic moment of December 16, 1971, when he came to Dhaka to accept the surrender of the Pakistan Army, she accompanied him. It was not a journey free of possible risk, but he was not going to deny to his love the joy of sharing the most precious moment of his life.

While talking about our freedom fighters, for which he had great admiration, respect and love, he also recollected his frustrations that were overpowered by his determination of the ultimate goal to assist in the liberation of Bangladesh. He recalled General Zia as a professional soldier and a valiant sector commander and remembered fondly later meeting him as the President of Bangladesh.

When Aurora was made the commander of the Eastern Command to lead the war against Pakistan Army it was one of his high point of life. He was professional to the hilt and took the challenge as a true soldier and promised to deliver within the set time. He did it and after the war when the job was done he made sure his troops left Bangladesh in the shortest time possible. He was the commander of an allied force, not an occupying army, which he kept reminding both his superiors and subordinates. He wanted to make sure his troops were in Bangladesh for the shortest possible time and departed as soon as possible.

Not only that, it was his professional duty to make sure neither his allied victorious troops, the Indian Army or the Bangladesh Forces, were indulged in any looting, arson or vendetta against the defeated forces, which were not only the Pakistan Army under his custody, but the Biharis, collaborators such as Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams. He took stern action against the perpetrators and was very displeased when a few collaborators were publicly punished at Paltan Maiden by some freedom fighters. Many may criticize General Aurora's such professionalism but for that in today's world Bangladesh can be a shining example of not seeking vendetta after its victory.

After he returned to India he was awarded the Padma Bhusan for his command during the war and retired from the military services. In 1984 he fell out of favour with Indira Gandhi as he opposed the security forces' 'Operation Blue Star' at the Golden Temple. When she was assassinated in October the same year, he condemned the assassins for such a cowardly act. He took up the cause of victims of anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of Indira Gandhi. In 1986 he was elected to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, as a candidate of Shiromani Akali Dal.

Although many of his compatriots from the 1971 on both sides wrote many books he never penned his experiences except for giving a few interviews, for which he got in trouble. When I asked him why he never wrote, his simple answer was 'I am a soldier not a scholar'. I remember Lt. Gen. J S Aurora as an excellent soldier and a thorough gentleman. He will always live on, as good soldiers never die.