By RS Jassal
The Text Of Statement Made By The Union Defence Minister Shri Vk Krishna Menon Both In Lok Sabha And The Rajya Sabha
1. There has been local recrudescence of action by Naga Hostiles in our remote corner of Kohima Dist.
2. Our post at Purr, manned by the Assam Rifles was fired upon on the 25th Aug, injuring personnel of the Garrison, one of whom died as the result. The post which had to be supplied from the air took necessary defensive action. The incident did not assume more serious proportions till the next day on the 26th Aug. Some 500 hostiles with Rifles and LMGs closed in on the post from all sides from 0230 to 0430 hrs. The post held out against heavy ODDS but was running short of water and ammunition.
3. Two IAF Transport planes were assigned the task of dropping supplies for the Post. One of them was able to drop some water but neither was successful in helping to replenish, the post with necessary food and ammunition. Naga hostiles used their Rifles and LMG against the IAF supply planes which necessarily had to fly low with speed to discharge their mission. The first plane was hit more than once by small arms fire but was able to return to base. The second plane was also hit, lost height thereby and therefore had to effect a forced landing near Meluri , where there is another post also manned by the Assam Rifles. The plane however had touched the ground on the wrong side of the river which separates the post at Purr from Meluri.
4. On the afternoon of 26th Aug, service HQ and the Defence Ministry received the first Info of these incidents and that IAF AC had been hit one of them had force landed somewhere. I was in Ladakh at that time and due to return the next morning. I decided to return to Delhi the same day evening to confer with the Service Chiefs and Ministry officials as to the action to be taken.
5. The attack on the post had developed into a large scale incident. The house should be informed that this post which is near to the Indo-Burma border is an area where the hostiles are very active. The Garrison AR at Purr although holding out was in danger of annihilation as their supplies were running short. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered and at that time due to shortage of ammunitions, were fighting under considerable handicaps.
6. The Garrison had to be relieved at all costs. Although two planes had been hit and any further efforts had to be made at low height and low speed, the task to be undertaken on the 27th Aug. Therefore AOC- in-C Eastern AIR Command, Air Vice – Marshal Sondhi, ordered further immediate supply dropping and in the best traditions of the IAF, he went in this plane and was successful in dropping some ammunition and medicines. This plane was shot at by the hostiles, but was able to return safely to base. Unfortunately weather conditions have been very much against us and in favour of the hostiles.
7. Meanwhile the Army had set itself the task of sending reinforcement as well as patrol from Meluri post with regards to which, as I said before, there is a river between it and Purr, reinforcement which were on the move almost. Soon after the news reached HQ that they could not cross the river which was in spate. The bridge had been destroyed by hostile’s action and our troops were under heavy small arms fire both at the Post and on the reinforcement column.
8. The far side river bank was dominated by the hostiles and crossing party therefore was under heavy fire. The situation of the post was becoming increasingly critical, but is stoutly held out.
9. On the 27th Aug, the AF charted out a photo recce. They located the force-landed plane. Attempts on the part of the reinforcement column as well as patrol from the Meluri Post to cross the river were made several times. Due to the river being in spate and hostile fire from the opposite side. The patrol was unable to cross the river, but reinforcement column crossed it, further north at 1800 hrs on the 28th Aug. Throughout the night of the 27/28th Aug, hostiles kept on sniping at the post during which two OR at the post was wounded.
10. By the 28th Aug, it was found that, the position of the post which was fast running out of ammunition and was being continuously fired at was rendered well-nigh impossible unless supplies reached them. Although one flight by unprotected transport aircraft dropped some ammunition and medicine supply had been made. The full task of dropping supply could not be accomplished without almost certain danger of destruction unless there was fighter cover. Therefore fighter cover had to be provided and co-ordinated air action became inevitable. IAF tpt planes were accordingly sent on supply dropping mission on the 28th Aug with fighter cover. The hostile fire was silenced and supply was successfully completed. As a result of this, the hostiles withdrew from the post to a distance of 8 to 9 hundred yards. Similar co-ord action was to be taken again on the 31st Aug. The post at Purr is now well stocked with ammunition, water, medicines and rations.
11. Meanwhile, the Engrs constructed a foot bridge across the river by the 30th Aug. Reinforcement column despite considerable hostile opposition was able to reach this post at Purr on the afternoon of the 31st Aug. The Det which had been sent towards the crashed AC was able to reach only on the AN of 3rd Sep. Meanwhile three patrols from Meluri made constant attempts to cross the river and in doing so, I regret to say that two ORSs of the Army lost their lives on drowning. The search party which reached the AC on the 3rd Sep, however, did not find anyone in the vicinity of AC.
12. I regret to say that the personnel in the AC which had to force land have not yet been found. The AC had been located by our patrol, but it does not bear much signs of damage by hostile’s action after landing. Intensive search for the personnel continues and is being maintained while it is too early to say whether they are alive or otherwise. Uncertainty about their safety has caused us considerable anxiety.
13. The house should know that there is renewed hostile activity in certain parts of Naga Hills. It may well be that this is a determined effort on the part of the small minority of unreconciled hostiles to create terror and thus sabotage our constitutional development. Govt. is fully posted with the situation and such firm action as is necessary to protect the overall majority of the Nagas in the villages will be taken.
14. I feel sure that the house would share Govt’s. concern in regards to the crew of the AC whose fate is unknown and desire to express its sympathy to the families of those who had have been the victims as a result of the hostile action. The post will be maintained so long as they are required for the restoration of law and order. Any assistance required by civil authorities will be given. The task of re-constructional settlement will progress as a result of agreement and Nagaland Govt. will take firm action against those who seek to overthrow constitutional authority by violence and crime.
Part II
15. The copy of the above statement has been collected from 14 Assam Rifles War Diary. This being the mind gobbling saga of ‘Karmanyeev, adhikar aste maa phalesu Kadachin’ ‘touched the chords of my heart, what is that force spiritual and physical both which emboldens the soldier in a ‘do or die’ spirit to uphold the services tradition of sticking to the ‘Kasam Parade’ pride for Nation’s sake and honour. Author feels this event of 1960 is of the highest order in line of sacrifice. A worse than war like situation when there was no declared or even contemplated war with Naga Hostiles it happened in this manner. In other parts of Naga Hills and the consolidated HQs of the then North East i.e., Shillong, hectic activities to finalise Sixteen Point Agreement were on to create Nagaland out of Naga Hills, here in the wilderness on the IB with Burma just like IB line of Lungwa – Tingwa (Konyak area of Mon District of Nagaland) a battle at PURR was forced on a Platoon post of the
Assam Rifles who were directed to ensure not to vitiate the atmosphere since the Government of Assam was deeply engaged in an exercise to bring peace to Naga Hills.
16. Its main features were
• A platoon post with a JCO in command was brought to the verge of annihilation as is evident by air dropping plane shot at & brought down to force landing away from post in thick jungle.
• Coordinated action of Eastern Army and Air Force Commands played most crucial role in redeeming the situation. It was just unimaginable and superb.
• AOC-in-C Air Marshal Sondi took himself to wings to ensure no latitude in breaking the cordon of post- beaconing call for the young officers of today forever to emulate such high ideals of call to duty – Nation’s honour First.
• Despite the fact then Defense Minister VK Menon and Chiefs of Army- Air Force infuriated on the unwarranted action of Naga Hostiles, he took to exceptionally cool, soothing and comforting statement in the Parliament treating Naga Hostile as own brothers and sons of the nation and at the same time conveying annoyance in no uncertain terms over the incident. No retaliatory action, there or elsewhere except heavy reinforcements both by land and air support was undertaken situation was dealt with in a most professional way.
• Group leader who shot at aero plane with LMG was SS Gen Zuheto then called as ‘Father of the Naga Army’ a Sema by tribe. He later surrendered with his deadly guerillas (800-850) in 1973 after Nagaland was carved with Naga Hills + TNHA and Dimapur combined on 1 Dec 1963. A complete Bn No 111 of BSF with his men and him as first Comdt was created by MHA, GOI and located in his native village Satakha as Bn HQ. He served throughout with the same Bn and retired as DIG. A unique way how Govt. of India tackled hardcore people through private negotiations.
• Pilot of the shot down plane was Flying Officer Kartikeya a Maharashtrain an brother of the wife of famous film industry icon late Devanand. UG’s did not harm the plane nor removed anything from the plane as souvenir or something nor troubled the young officer and released him latter after negotiations through High Diplomatic Channels at London with AZ Phizo who had reached London then.
(These inputs are corroborated by Shri. RV Mingthing Tangkhul who was then a student in Theological College but at that particular time he was inside Burma. He had also visited Lushai Hills (Now Mizoram) to contact Laldena. He became Minister in Jaichandra’s Ministry later)