Yahya
01-12-2005, 06:47 AM
On 15th July 1410 AD, a combined force of Polish, Lithuanians and Russians met the German Knights of the Teutonic Order in the First Battle of Tannenberg. The German Knights fought heroically but were defeated. They lost all their banners (each banner signifying a unit). The Teutonic Knights blamed the Russians for their defeat. The priest Anton Grabener of Lubeck wrote a report shortly after the battle to various Crown heads of Europe claiming that there were 100,000 heathen Tatars, which was why the Teutonic Knights were defeated. The Germans never forgot the defeat and the valour of their Knights in that battle. Five hundred years later, in August 1914, at the Second Battle of Tannenberg, the German Army routed the Russians taking over 90,000 prisoners.
On 16th December 1971, Commander Eastern Command Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered to the Indian Army. That day we not only lost more than half of our country but also our pride. Also lost in the recriminations that followed were the stories of courage and sacrifice of our officers and men in former East Pakistan. Stories of courage displayed not only in battlefield, but also moral courage.
On 4th March 1971, Lieutenant General Sahibzada Yakub Ali Khan Commander Eastern Command resigned when he failed to convince President Yahya Khan to visit Dacca in order to negotiate a political solution with Awami League. Fifteen days later the courageous commander of the Pakistan Air Force in East Pakistan, Air Commodore Zafar Masud (popularly known as ‘Mitty’) stood up during a briefing to President Yahya Khan and pleaded for a political solution. Air Commodore Masud, a 1965 War hero, under whose leadership the outnumbered but valiant pilots from the Pakistan Air Force Base Sargodha outfought the Indians in the air, had placed his career on line. A few days later he was relieved of his duties. Both Lieutenant General Yakub and Air Commodore Masud displayed moral courage at a time when this commodity was as rare as it is now.
Notwithstanding the outcome of the events of 1971 in former East Pakistan, the war is full of accounts of bravery of our men in that theatre. The defence of Hili by 4 Frontier Force and the heroism of Major Akram (Shaheed), Nishan-e-Haider are stories which make up legends. At Kamalpur, Captain Ahsan Malik and his men surrounded from all sides had beaten back repeated Indian assaults since 14th November. On 3rd December he was asked by the Indian commander to surrender. Ahsan’s men were out of ammunition and supplies. He refused to surrender although he had nothing to back it up with. That night the enemy overran the post. At Jamalpur, Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Ahmad, Commanding Officer 31 Baluch, was in a similar situation. Surrounded, his line of communication cut off, he fought on. On 10th December, Brigadier Hardyal Singh Kler Commander of 95th Indian Brigade (that had surrounded the Jamalpur garrison) sent a note asking Colonel Sultan to surrender. Sultan returned the note with a bullet enclosed in it and asked the Indian commander to ‘give up the pen and take up the sten gun’. These and many other accounts of heroism epitomise the stock to which the fighting men of our nation belong.
The outcome of Kargil conflict may not have been in Pakistan’s favour, but it is replete with accounts of gallantry of our soldiers – some of which have been acknowledged by the Indians as well. Burying these tales of courage and sacrifice in the ashes of defeat will be an injustice to those who have shed their blood for the nation and also deprive our future generations of heroes and role models to emulate.
We do not have to wait five hundred years to avenge our defeat in former East Pakistan. We also do not necessarily have to wage a military campaign to do so. If we can gain from the lessons of defeat, take inspiration from our heroes (in all fields) and start emulating them, we would emerge as a strong and a proud nation.
Let us not forget our heroes. Nations who do that never get to be anywhere. As a nation that is surrounded by darkness where role models are concerned we need to look at our success stories, no matter how small, and tell them to our youth. Our success stories will act like rays of light in the darkness. If we can come up with enough of these, perhaps, there will be light.
Yahya Jamil-ul-Haq
On 16th December 1971, Commander Eastern Command Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered to the Indian Army. That day we not only lost more than half of our country but also our pride. Also lost in the recriminations that followed were the stories of courage and sacrifice of our officers and men in former East Pakistan. Stories of courage displayed not only in battlefield, but also moral courage.
On 4th March 1971, Lieutenant General Sahibzada Yakub Ali Khan Commander Eastern Command resigned when he failed to convince President Yahya Khan to visit Dacca in order to negotiate a political solution with Awami League. Fifteen days later the courageous commander of the Pakistan Air Force in East Pakistan, Air Commodore Zafar Masud (popularly known as ‘Mitty’) stood up during a briefing to President Yahya Khan and pleaded for a political solution. Air Commodore Masud, a 1965 War hero, under whose leadership the outnumbered but valiant pilots from the Pakistan Air Force Base Sargodha outfought the Indians in the air, had placed his career on line. A few days later he was relieved of his duties. Both Lieutenant General Yakub and Air Commodore Masud displayed moral courage at a time when this commodity was as rare as it is now.
Notwithstanding the outcome of the events of 1971 in former East Pakistan, the war is full of accounts of bravery of our men in that theatre. The defence of Hili by 4 Frontier Force and the heroism of Major Akram (Shaheed), Nishan-e-Haider are stories which make up legends. At Kamalpur, Captain Ahsan Malik and his men surrounded from all sides had beaten back repeated Indian assaults since 14th November. On 3rd December he was asked by the Indian commander to surrender. Ahsan’s men were out of ammunition and supplies. He refused to surrender although he had nothing to back it up with. That night the enemy overran the post. At Jamalpur, Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Ahmad, Commanding Officer 31 Baluch, was in a similar situation. Surrounded, his line of communication cut off, he fought on. On 10th December, Brigadier Hardyal Singh Kler Commander of 95th Indian Brigade (that had surrounded the Jamalpur garrison) sent a note asking Colonel Sultan to surrender. Sultan returned the note with a bullet enclosed in it and asked the Indian commander to ‘give up the pen and take up the sten gun’. These and many other accounts of heroism epitomise the stock to which the fighting men of our nation belong.
The outcome of Kargil conflict may not have been in Pakistan’s favour, but it is replete with accounts of gallantry of our soldiers – some of which have been acknowledged by the Indians as well. Burying these tales of courage and sacrifice in the ashes of defeat will be an injustice to those who have shed their blood for the nation and also deprive our future generations of heroes and role models to emulate.
We do not have to wait five hundred years to avenge our defeat in former East Pakistan. We also do not necessarily have to wage a military campaign to do so. If we can gain from the lessons of defeat, take inspiration from our heroes (in all fields) and start emulating them, we would emerge as a strong and a proud nation.
Let us not forget our heroes. Nations who do that never get to be anywhere. As a nation that is surrounded by darkness where role models are concerned we need to look at our success stories, no matter how small, and tell them to our youth. Our success stories will act like rays of light in the darkness. If we can come up with enough of these, perhaps, there will be light.
Yahya Jamil-ul-Haq