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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh PalOn a cold night in December, 1971, INS Khukri was sunk by a Pakistani submarine off the coast of Gujarat. Was her sinking merely the case of an older frigate sparring with a new and very modern submarine? Or could the outcome have been changed by doing certain things differently? The matter has been debated at length, with occasional acrimony.
Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla chose to go down with his ship. He chose to follow a stern naval tradition which was no longer mandatory - during the course of the Second World War that tradition had been amended. As his warship sank, each Captain was to decide for himself what he should do.
Those then who knew Captain Mulla well, would not have been surprised at all at his decision to join his crew as they sank to their final resting places.
This is a survivor’s account of the events of that night.
The author also describes various other important events, both civil and military, on our sub-continent in 1971. He comments on the misuse of religion by Pakistan’s leaders and its negative effect on the state.
There is a chapter devoted to the birth of Bangladesh and another one to Major General Ian Cardozo and 4/5 Gurkha Rifles.
Lieutenant Commander Madanjit Singh Ahluwalia (Retd), NM
Madanjit Singh Ahluwalia was born in Ropar, India. He did his schooling at Punjab Public School, Nabha. In January, 1965, he was admitted to the National Defence Academy, Pune. He was commissioned in the Indian Navy in July, 1969. He served until 1980 and then joined the Merchant Marine. In 1988 he moved to the USA and started afresh as a realtor. He resides in Norman, Oklahoma, with his wife Joyce and their four-legged friends: two good-natured dogs - Raja, a very busy, alert basset hound, and Reese, a patient, laid-back Labrador; Luna, a dark, big horse.
