A 1971 War Hero Flies Into The Ages

Wing Commander Pratap Marathe's story is one of dedication, bravery, and humour, a shining example of the spirit of the Indian Air Force.

Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) salutes Wing Commander Marathe who passed into the ages on Thursday, January 24, 2025.

Commissioned in December 1958 as a fighter pilot, Wing Commander Pratap Ramachandra Marathe served the Indian Air Force in two stints -- retiring in 1979 and getting re-employed again for six years from 1988 to 1994.

Qualified to fly fighters like the Vampire, Hunters and Mystere, he converted to helicopters in 1962 and was immediately militarily baptised during the Chinese operations, carrying out casualty evacuation and supply drop missions along the borders in the North East.

Whilst deputed to the Aviation Research Centre in 1971, young Marathe was deployed along the border with then East Pakistan.

Flying his Mi-4 helicopter, he spearheaded dropping supplies and casualty evacuation missions for the troops of the Special Frontier Force who were dropped earlier behind enemy lines in the Chittagong hill tracts.

The Aviation Research Centre is the air arm of the Research and Analytical Wing (R&AW) and their involvement in the 1971 War has not been recorded well for various reasons.

Wing Commander Marathe was awarded 'Mentioned in Dispatches' for his contribution during the operations that heralded the birth of Bangladesh.

This is his unique story.

'Yeh Pakistani aap ko itna tang kar rahe hain... Kya aap inse ladoge? (These Pakistanis are troubling you so much, won't you be fighting them?),' asked the Border Security Force officer receiving the influx of refugees on our side of the border at Agartala.

In Bengali, the refugee replied, 'Punjabi to birat manus. Amhi to olpo. Olpo ki juddho kore? (Punjabis are huge people. We are small; can small people fight?)'

"Lines and lines of Bangla refugees were streaming across the border, and from the air, we could see miles of humanity and burning villages on the other side," remembers the veteran pilot as we commence our chat.

Veteran Wing Commander Pratap Ramachandra Marathe, a 1971 War veteran, lay in bed, ridden with old age ailments; but his boyish soldierly spirit was infectious. He peered at me through his handlebar moustache that covered half his face, and his eyes sparkled with energy as we got talking about his service to the nation.

I am stunned at his memory recall as I introduce myself on entering his bedroom.

"Sir, I had the privilege to fly with you whilst you were posted in Pune just prior to your retirement," I begin.

He waved me in with a cheerful smile. "Of course, I remember you! It was good to get some flying practice whilst doing a desk job at Pune then!"

I had written down many questions for him, but as the chat warmed up, the piece of paper was forgotten. At the end of an interesting hour, the veteran pilot had given me answers to all that I had planned to ask him and more.

May 1971 and then Squadron Leader Marathe was posted at the Charbatia base (near Cuttack in Odisha), home to the Aviation Research Centre which worked under the hush hush Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) with the legendry Mr R N Kao as its head.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had tasked Mr Kao to look at the feasibility of sending Tibetan troops of the Special Frontier Force under his command for special guerilla warfare tasks in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to cause attrition to the Pakistani forces and prevent their withdrawal as and when hostilities commenced.

'Unit 22' or 'Two-twos', as it was nicknamed, was formed under the legendry Brigadier (later Major General) Sujan Singh Uban as its Inspector General before the 1962 War against the Chinese.

This force had the specific task of liberating Tibet using Tibetan troops fighting the Chinese and was trained for the same. The unit had grown in numbers to almost 5,000 by 1971 but found itself without any operational tasks.

The Tibetan officers of Unit 22 argued that these troops be only used for their primary and only task -- to liberate Tibet from Chinese occupation, and therefore did not want to involve themselves in a war 'for' India.

But, under specific orders from the Dalai Lama at Dharamsala, these troops were ordered to train alongside the Mukti Bahini and inducted into Bangladesh in early 1971.

Of these, three companies (400 to 500 men) were air-dropped behind enemy lines using the two Mi-4 helicopters commandeered by Squadron Leader Marathe and Flight Lieutenant Parvez Rustom Jamasjee. Both were well qualified on the machine; Marathe having flown during the Chinese debacle in the north east.

Brigadier Uban, an independent commander operating under direct orders of the prime minister's office, called his outfit the '5th Army' and offered support to the Indian forces under General Sam Manekshaw's command; something that wasn't taken too kindly. This led to a turf war of sorts, percolating down to the grass root levels of the army.

Marathe, with his Mi-4, was attached to the Border Security Force HQ at Agartala commanded by Brigadier B C Pandey in May 1971. The chopper was used to carry out extensive aerial recce along the border.

"Whilst at Agartala, I met up with fighter pilots of the Pakistani 14 Squadron who had defected to our side. I believe that these pilots were later trained by our own to fly Chetak helicopters and Caribou transport aircraft."

"As we closed in on December 1971, I was asked to move to the Mizo hills at the Lunglei airfield opposite the Chittagong hill tracts. Flight Lieutenant Jamasjee was already there, and I was told to augment the efforts to induct the SFF behind enemy lines."

The drop zone was near the Kaptai dam, 50 odd km inside East Pakistan; and the commandos were tasked to decimate the defences of the Pakistani 3 SSG commando battalion located around the dam.

About five trips were planned for both aircraft on the first day, to drop 80 odd troops with their combat material.

"We carried out the first drops; and, whilst into our second drop sortie, the SFF men at the drop zone informed me that they were under heavy mortar attack by the Pakistanis, and we should wait for the situation to clear before we come for the next trip."

Marathe headed back, and whilst Jamasjee carried out his drop, his aircraft came under heavy fire. One bullet entered the cockpit through the rudder pedals, grazing Jamasjee's calf. A bleeding Jamasjee flew his bullet ridden aircraft back to base and was given first aid.

The aircraft, much to their relief, had suffered only superficial damage and was fit to fly after minor repairs. Jamasjee was not one to give up due to this injury. He was back in the cockpit as soon as the aircraft was ready for the next mission.

"For his bravery and commitment to the cause, I raised a citation for Jamasjee for a presidential award, little knowing that the SFF also had recommended his name for the same!" Then Flight Lieutenant Jamasjee was awarded a Vir Chakra during the Republic Day parade the next year.

"Our job during the war was to provide the SFF with much needed ammunition and rations and also get back casualties from the war zone in the Chittagong hill tracts."

The two Mi-4 helicopters flew extensively through the war and after Chittagong fell, they relocated at the airfield at Chittagong which was now under the Indian Army and the Mukti Bahini's control, returning to base a few days after the surrender ceremony on the 16th of December.

"Chittagong town was visible from miles with black smoke emanating from the burning fuel dumps for days after the war was over."

"While I roamed around the nice town, I bumped into my maternal cousin from the navy, Commander U R Dabir."

Dabir was in command of a ship involved in the blockade of Chittagong port and was awarded the Nao Sena Medal for his part in the war.

"We ended up doing some shopping for our families back home. Jute carpets were very cheap and nice as also some foreign goods. I remember picking up some tins of powdered milk of foreign make!"

The Mi-4 was a very basic (but reliable) aircraft with a rudimentary radio compass available for navigation.

"In bad weather, the radio compass was a blessing in disguise. Many a time, we tuned it to All India Radio and navigated our way back into own territory. Also, we flew in a very noisy environment since the rear doors of the helicopter were removed to facilitate quick exit of troops and material at the drop zone. A dedicated set of our ground crew -- all ex-IAF -- ensured that our helicopters were fit and ready for flying at all times."

"I did meet the famous commanders, General J F R Jacob, General Sagat Singh, Mr R N Kao and many more whilst we were deployed in the war zone. They were impressive personalities and a source of motivation for us."

"After the surrender ceremony and the end of hostilities, one of our aircraft was permanently deployed at Dacca for the next few years. I think it was in 1975, when Sheikh Mujib was killed, that we pulled out of Bangladesh. We stayed in the Bangladeshi army barracks, and wherever we went, we were treated like heroes."

The first president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, returned from jail in Pakistan in 1972 and soon thereafter, the helicopter was used to fly him to his village Tungipara in Gopalganj district of Bangladesh.

"I remember meeting his wife Begum Fazilatunnesa and have never forgotten the royal treatment and the sumptuous chicken meal we had at his home!"

It has been an hour since we have been chatting about the war. The octogenarian veteran appeared tired. I prepare to leave.

"One last question sir. What about the families back home in Charbatia?"

"I always sent our families at Charbatia an 'All Well' message whenever we got in touch with our base so that they weren't too worried about us."

"Oh, you can also ask that question to my wife," chuckles the veteran, calling for her.

A smiling Mrs Suhasini Marathe breezed into the room and looked lovingly at her husband. "He never did tell us where he was and what he was doing neither did I ever prod him about it. I knew that he was doing an important task, a task that he had been trained for right from the time he joined the NDA (National Defence Academy). I was -- and still am -- so proud of him!'

"As and when some aircraft or someone went to the front, we ladies got together and sent them some faraal (sweets and goodies) and that was our contribution to their high morale!"

And when they returned to Charbatia after the war, the ladies organised a fancy dress party to welcome the heroes that turned out to be a big hit.

"Pratap, not surprisingly, dressed up as a Mukti Bahini soldier, wearing a dirty lungi and a torn kurta above it, looking like a true fighter from Bangladesh. And while we danced, he suddenly took off his lungi inciting screams from the ladies. Thankfully, he was wearing his trousers below his wraparound!" recalled Mrs Marathe.

While all of us laugh, Wing Commander Marathe remembered another anecdote from the war. His weariness, it seemed, had vanished in the banter.

"We were sitting at Chittagong airfield relaxing just a day or so before the surrender. Our radios were tuned to Pakistani frequency since we wanted to be aware of what was happening on the other side."

As they basked in the warm December sun, munching biscuits with their tea, General Yahya Khan's voice boomed over the radio. The then Pakistan president's message over the radio to his troops went thus: 'Chittagong me ghamasan ladhai ho rahi hai, aur hum Hindustaniyon ko kuchal rahe hain... (There is heavy fighting on in Chittagong, and we are crushing the Indians there...)'

Such is history.

Wing Commander Marathe's story is one of dedication, bravery, and humour, a shining example of the spirit of the Indian Air Force. Such stories remind us of the unrecorded valour and sacrifices made by unsung heroes.

Wing Commander Marathe's legacy lives on, not just in the annals of history but also in the memories of those who served with him.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com