1971 Indo-Pak War Diary- 2 :--Mig 21 AF Plane Saved Barmer Town
In the wake of crash of Mig 29 on 2nd September 2024 I am reminded of the first
Mig 21 which landed at Uttarlai on 9th. December 1971..
As Collector and DM Barmer during Indo- Pak War 1971 and ex officio Civil Defence Controller I could address citizens of Barmer town on Simultaneous Broadcasting System (SBS? which proved a boon for the district administration.
On the night of 8th- 9th December night Pakistan fighter planes had bombed Railway Station Barmer to cut off incoming army
supplies.loaded in goods train Out of the entire goods train 4 --5 wagons were totally destroyed and a few others kept burning at night in the flames generated by napalm bombs Then .District SP Shri Shantanu Kumar and I iviewed the burning wagons from the front of the Railway Station also lying down for a few minutes as alarm siannounced likely sortie of Pak fighters F 104
We left in SP's jeep driven by him and had a hair breadh escape from head on collision with a truck loaded with sand ( suggested by Archana ,my wife).
Next morning I hastened to request Air Command at Jodhpur Air Marshal Engineer to send night cover of protection by Mig 21 planes as Uuarlai was protected by HF 24 and Gnats smaller fighter aircrafts which were day flyers only but had given good fight to Pak fighter planes in what was named dog- fight.
By evening twilight time they announced their arrival with a loud bang breaking sound barrier.The loud bang decibel was so high that housewives baking their bread ran outside throwing tava and bread out of fear of Pak bombers who had bombed Railway Statiom previous. night.
Getting this report ,I immediately addressed the citizens on Simultaneous Broadcasting System of which wires were laid in all the lanes and mohallas of the town.People were calmed down and I received greetings and grateful response from people for providing night protection quickly.
A cherishable memory indeed
f
.
सर, आपका उत्रलाई एयर अटैक से जुड़ा लेख पढ़ा। 1971 के पश्चिमी मोर्चे और विशेषकर बाड़मेर क्षेत्र से जुड़े आपके प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव हमारे लिए अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण हैं।
ReplyDeleteमैं वर्तमान में 1971 के युद्ध के बाखासर के बलवंत सिंह पर एक पुस्तक के लिए शोध कर रहा हूँ। आपके लेखों/संस्मरणों में उस दौर के बाड़मेर, बाखासर, उत्रलाई तथा सीमा क्षेत्र से जुड़ी कई ऐसी जानकारियाँ हो सकती हैं जो आज उपलब्ध सामान्य स्रोतों में नहीं मिलतीं।
यदि आपके पास इस विषय से संबंधित कोई अन्य संस्मरण, पुराने दस्तावेज, तस्वीरें अथवा उस समय की घटनाओं/व्यक्तियों से जुड़ी जानकारी उपलब्ध हो, तो कृपया मार्गदर्शन करें। विशेष रूप से यदि आपने बलवंत सिंह बाखासर या 1971 में उनकी भूमिका के बारे में कुछ देखा, सुना या लिखा हो तो वह मेरे शोध के लिए अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण होगा।
यदि संभव हो तो मैं आपसे व्यक्तिगत रूप से या फोन पर कुछ प्रश्न भी पूछना चाहूँगा।
सादर। पारस सिंह गंगासरा 8302389835
rajputparassingh1998@gmail.com