16 December 1971; the day Bangladesh was born

As I wake up to a bitterly cold 16 December morning it takes me back to 16 December 1971.

Our formation has move from Kalimpong to Lungthu, in west Bengal, guarding the Jalapala pass from any ingress by the Chinese.
Lungthu with the Chinese just a stone throw away with the battle raging down below with its rarefied air, deficient of oxygen, its intense cold, the bleak landscape its mountain sides denuded of the trees by years of illegal falling by the troops positioned there for cooking and heating, all combined to create an atmosphere totally alien to us dwellers of the planes. The sensation was particularly strong and overpowering at night with the full moon appearing unusually large the stars so near and shining bright in the thin clear air of the night. The stark wilderness bereft of any human or animal being in the near vicinity that late made one aware of some supernatural power some where very near.

Normally, at that height, we would wake up to a bitterly cold morning, albeit to a clear sky with the early sun bathing the surroundings in a golden hue.

This day, however was different, the daybreak came not with bright sun-shine but with a severe storm raging in its full fury, it was more like a tornado with the corrugated tin-sheets from various structures around getting uprooted from their moorings by the force of the wind and flying around like unguided missiles. Coming out of my hut I was buffeted by the strong gusts of the wind, crouching low and struggling against the wind force I slowly made my way to the mess for breakfast. However, the mess was in a mess with soot every where. No breakfast could be served that morning as the strong gusts of wind flowing in and out of the kitchen made it impossible to light the stove.

Down below in the planes of the then East Pakistan birth of Bangla Desh had taken place and the post-delivery calm prevailing. It was all quiet once again after days, months and years of killings of the locals prolonged fighting by the Mukti Bahini and a short fight with Indian forces when 90,000 odd of the Pakistani Army had surrendered to India Armed forces.