Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora - RIP
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora - RIP
Lt Gen J S Aurora dead
http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/may/03hero.htm
May 03, 2005 09:47 IST
The hero of the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971 Lt General J S Aurora died in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.
Aurora, 92, is survived by a son and a daughter.
The funeral will take place on Thursday with full military honours, army sources said.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/may/03hero.htm
May 03, 2005 09:47 IST
The hero of the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971 Lt General J S Aurora died in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.
Aurora, 92, is survived by a son and a daughter.
The funeral will take place on Thursday with full military honours, army sources said.
A very saddening news. He was a great hero.
I had the good fortune of hearing him in person during the height of Punjab problem. He was giving lectures along with an author Maheep Singh. His presence was imposing like a lion and even in his sixties he was sharp like a hawk. He talked against the militancy which was pretty radical in those dark days when people from Punjab, both hindus and sikhs were indiscriminately killed if they went against the terrorists.
My condolences to the family.
I had the good fortune of hearing him in person during the height of Punjab problem. He was giving lectures along with an author Maheep Singh. His presence was imposing like a lion and even in his sixties he was sharp like a hawk. He talked against the militancy which was pretty radical in those dark days when people from Punjab, both hindus and sikhs were indiscriminately killed if they went against the terrorists.
My condolences to the family.
My last salute to the hero. May the Lord give his soul peace and His grace.
His photo that is itched in my mind reading the newspaper that fateful day in Dec 1971, having spent the 14 days of the war glued to radio listening war news many times a day.
It is to honour that date that my email ID is arun_s1971 at Yahoo dot com
And some people think I was born in 1971.
His photo that is itched in my mind reading the newspaper that fateful day in Dec 1971, having spent the 14 days of the war glued to radio listening war news many times a day.
It is to honour that date that my email ID is arun_s1971 at Yahoo dot com
And some people think I was born in 1971.
Last edited by Arun_S on 03 May 2005 11:42, edited 1 time in total.
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The General officer has made the nation proud. RIP sir.
I pray that our Lord God watches over his soul.
"O Valiant hearts, who to your glory came,
Through dust of conflict and through battle flame;
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,
Your memory hallowed in the land you loved.
These were his servants, in his stems they trod,
Following through death the martyred Son of God,
Victor he rose; victorious too shall rise
They who have drunk his cup of sacrifice.
O risen Lord, O Shepherd of our dead,
Whose Cross has brought them and whose staff has led,
In glorious hope their proud sorrowing land
Commits her children to thy gracious hand."
I pray that our Lord God watches over his soul.
"O Valiant hearts, who to your glory came,
Through dust of conflict and through battle flame;
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,
Your memory hallowed in the land you loved.
These were his servants, in his stems they trod,
Following through death the martyred Son of God,
Victor he rose; victorious too shall rise
They who have drunk his cup of sacrifice.
O risen Lord, O Shepherd of our dead,
Whose Cross has brought them and whose staff has led,
In glorious hope their proud sorrowing land
Commits her children to thy gracious hand."
Last edited by shek on 03 May 2005 18:52, edited 1 time in total.
Not the usual RIP post, but something that lets us know more about the man and that historic event - the highpoint of the general's career : An eyewitness description of that historic day
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/kase ... r16_71.htm
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/kase ... r16_71.htm
After about 20 minutes, an army jeep arrived at the site. It was the jeep that brought General Niazi and some of his Lieutenants. General Aurora and his men stood up. I saw General Niazi and General Aurora saluted each other in chost military fashion. Then General Niazi took his revolver out of his holster and put it on the table. This, of course was a symbolic act. The two Generals then shook hands and to our great surprise they hugged each other. It was just unbelievable! I never expected that to happen! I thought I saw both the Generals eyes were wet. All the gestures of General Niazi suggested that at last he was relieved. I thought that General Niazi was simply happy to surrender to the Indian army rather than dying in the hands of the Mukti boys. At last, he was on the hands of the professional soldiers who will ensure his safety and survival as per the Geneva Convention.
May he rest in Peace (RIP).
I feel that using the term "died" in not at all appropriate. For some reason, it sounds too crude. As it is said. " A soilder never dies, he just fades away".
I would rather use "moved on" or "passed away".
Also, I was trying to find some details on the contributions by Gen Aurora. Don't you agree that he should be mentioned in the "Legendary Officers of the Army" section of BR?
Also, on a different note.. What happened to Gen Niazi after that?
I feel that using the term "died" in not at all appropriate. For some reason, it sounds too crude. As it is said. " A soilder never dies, he just fades away".
I would rather use "moved on" or "passed away".
Also, I was trying to find some details on the contributions by Gen Aurora. Don't you agree that he should be mentioned in the "Legendary Officers of the Army" section of BR?
Also, on a different note.. What happened to Gen Niazi after that?
Even though I never met Lt. Gen. Aurora, I have always felt that I have. I will always remember him as a true patriot and a believer in India. He could have or perhaps should have been the Army Chief in the land of King Bharat but sometimes people like him sacrifice personal achievments for their country and the greater good.
I second nbagga's proposal that Lt. Gen Aurora be on the list of BRF's legendary Officers.
Beautiful thoughts, nbagga, I can imagine the General soldering on for India in the after-life.
May he rest in peace.
I second nbagga's proposal that Lt. Gen Aurora be on the list of BRF's legendary Officers.
Beautiful thoughts, nbagga, I can imagine the General soldering on for India in the after-life.
May he rest in peace.
Amir Abdullah Khan "Tiger" Niazi died in Lahore, Pakistan - on 01 Februay 2004 - at the age of 89, due to heart disease and diabetic complications. I would assume after the '71 war, he took up a post (GOC, Command, etc) in West Pakistan. He died a bitter man and believed that the Pak Army would have been better off fighting the Mukhti Bahini and the Indian Army.
It would be nice if someone wrote an article on Gen Arora. We can certainly add it in the 'Legendary Officers of the Army' section. Just email me if you would like to do so. Thanks.
It would be nice if someone wrote an article on Gen Arora. We can certainly add it in the 'Legendary Officers of the Army' section. Just email me if you would like to do so. Thanks.
Last edited by Rakesh on 03 May 2005 19:41, edited 3 times in total.
He didn't. He was already GOC-in-C Eastern Command when he surrendered. He went back to Pakistan with the last of the POWs in 1974 and retired. I dont think he held any other post. He did float a political party that went no where. His Autobiography is an interesting read.Rakesh wrote:Tiger Niazi died in Lahore, Pakistan - in early 2004 - at the age of 89, due to diabetic complications. I would assume after the '71 war, he took up a post (GOC, Command, etc) in West Pakistan.
Aaah...interesting to know. I love Military History, you can bounce back dates and facts off history buffs! This link also states that Tiger was detained by the Pak Army for another year!
http://web.mid-day.com/news/nation/2004 ... /75432.htm
http://web.mid-day.com/news/nation/2004 ... /75432.htm
PM's condolence
Describing him as "a heroic and gallant son of India", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed grief at the death of Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora saying generations would recall his glorious role in the liberation of Bangladesh.
"I join the Nation in paying tribute to the courage, valour and patriotism of this highly decorated officer of the Indian Army. Generations will recall with gratitude and pride Lt Gen Aurora's glorious role in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971," the Prime Minister said in his condolence message.
"It is a measure of this courageous soldier's foresight and statesmanship that he once told a young admirer, 'as a human being I feel that India and Pakistan will have to learn to live with each other and not continue to fight at the expense of the progress of each country'. Lt Gen Aurora's qualities of head and heart will be sorely missed," he said.
He offered his condolences to the family members and the soldiers and officers of the armed forces "who held him in high esteem and whom he led with great distinction", the message said.
When the last post is sounded,
Only the colours start fading away,
The memory will always remain fresh,
As long as a nation called BD exists.
A soldier arrives as commonly as every one does,
What makes him great is his style of departure.
My boss, I pay my salutations to you, the weapon upside down, head bent a little, eyes closed and silence all around.
Mind full of memories, your glorious achievements, the honour you brought to this country and reverence you instilled in us.
Srini-M
Only the colours start fading away,
The memory will always remain fresh,
As long as a nation called BD exists.
A soldier arrives as commonly as every one does,
What makes him great is his style of departure.
My boss, I pay my salutations to you, the weapon upside down, head bent a little, eyes closed and silence all around.
Mind full of memories, your glorious achievements, the honour you brought to this country and reverence you instilled in us.
Srini-M
My condolences to his family. Gen. Jacob's tribute in Pioneer, 3 May 2005.
The man who broke Pakistan
By General (Retd) JFR Jacob
In the run-up to the 1971 Indo-Pak war, one of Lt General JS Aurora's first missions was to organise the Mukti Bahini into a fighting force. The refugee problem from then East Pakistan had grown quite serious, and Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram was sent by Indira Gandhi to persuade the United Front Government to set up camps for a tide of human settlers in West Bengal.
The political leadership at the Centre was well aware that the crisis was going to hit a fever pitch very soon. But the State Government had its limitations; the problem was more in the nature of an external threat. We - that is, Lt General JS Aurora and I, (as the Chief of Staff in the Eastern Command) - were closely involved in administration and planning to deal with this threat.
The preparations went on for months. We worked, in conjunction with the Army Headquarters, towards ironing out the logistical difficulties. An entire infrastructure of roads, communication and bridges had to be built. The East Pakistan theatre presented peculiar problems because the Eastern Command of the Indian Army had been organised for mountain warfare.
With monsoon due to arrive, we trained our men in riverine engagement with the enemy and prepared the Mukti Bahini for guerrilla warfare. There were no Indian troops in Tripura. We had 30,000 tonnes of supplies transported to the State. It was all meticulously carried out.
Early on December 3, 1971, Pakistan launched air strikes on a number of Indian airfields. The Pakistani army also shelled Indian positions in the western sector. The Indian forces made rapid gains and by December 15, Dacca fell. I was ordered by General Sam Manekshaw to get a surrender on the morning of December 16. I arrived alone at Dacca but Niazi wasn't prepared to surrender. He only wanted a ceasefire and withdrawal under UN. Niazi took a great deal of persusaion to agree to a surrender. In fact, in his account, he accused me of blackmail.
The surrender was negotiated and signed in four hours. I drove to the airport with Niazi to pick up Aurora and others. A simple ceremony was arranged on the Race Course with the public of Dacca looking on.
The surrender was signed by both Niazi and Aurora. The people of Dacca were exuberant and wanted to lynch Niazi. We had trouble getting an Army car and driving him to safety. We then returned to Calcutta.
Niazi had 30,000 troops in Dacca. He could have fought for several days more with the UN in session. Incidentally, on December 13, there was an American resolution calling for India's withdrawal under UN, which was vetoed by Russia. On the 15th there was a Polish resolution when it was part of the Soviet block. Bhutto tore that resolution up because it did not condemn India as aggressor. On December 16, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced in Parliament that West Pakistan forces in Bangladesh had surrendered unconditionally in Dacca at 4.31 pm.
The credit for that famous victory goes not just to the commanders but equally to the officers and men who fought that war. Nearly 1,200 of our men were killed and 4,000 wounded. The latter are generally forgotten. It was their bravery that that led us to our great and decisive military triumph; not only did we liberate a country but also took 93,000 enemy soldiers as prisoners.
I knew General Aurora since 1951-52, when he was an instructor at Staff College, Dehradun. We were all young majors. He was physically tough and active. He was a good communicator, outgoing, and compassionate. He was also deeply religious. He had been in indifferent health for the last few years and had a pacemaker fitted sometime back.
I will remember him as a colleague, a comrade-in-arms and a thorough gentleman. I had the highest regard for him and his charming wife, Bhanti, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago. They were a devoted couple.