‘We worked very well together’

I remember that moment in our history very well indeed. On December 16, I was ordered to go and get the surrender. I left Calcutta for Dacca by helicopter. Around mid-day, I got through to General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi’s headquarters and asked him to implement the ceasefire. This he did. We read out our draft surrender document to him and left it before him to consider. Half an hour later, when we returned, it was still lying where I had left it on the table. I asked him if he accepted it. He did not reply. I repeated this question twice. I then told him that I took it as accepted. He still did not reply.

I went ahead with the modalities of the surrender. I told General Niazi that he would have to surrender in public at the Race Course Maidan in front of the people of Dacca. He objected to this but we insisted. We then drove to the airport in his car to pick up General J.S. Aurora and his wife, along with others who had come to witness the surrender. General Niazi signed the document and then General Aurora appended his signature to it. There were tears in General Niazi’s eyes. Those who had gathered to watch had wanted to mob him and it was with some difficulty that we could put him into a car and drive him away.

Not too long ago, we — Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who was army chief during the Bangladesh war; General Aurora, chief of Eastern Command and myself, his chief of staff — met at a party thrown by then army chief, General Vij. The three of us sat on a sofa and talked a little bit about that famous moment. But it was a difficult conversation to maintain because we had all grown old, and General Aurora couldn’t hear very well. But we had a little chat on old times, nevertheless!

Over the years I kept in touch with General Aurora although, towards the end, his health began to fail him. I think the loss of his wife — who I remember as a particularly charming and vivacious person — furthered this process greatly. I will miss him. He was a true soldier and a good friend.