Colonel G S Jolly: A fearless Commander who led young guns into enemy territory

 

 

There are many 1971 War Veterans in Nagpur who have scripted the victory in golden words. Colonel G S Jolly is one such veteran, who while going down memory lane feels fortunate to have been a part of this historic War. Octogenarian Colonel G S Jolly, joined the Army in 1963 when he was 26 years old. After completing his NCC ‘C’ certificate from the 4th Naval Wing, Nagpur, this youngster joined the Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant, and slowly but steadily rose in the ranks. Colonel Jolly is not just a soldier but a sports enthusiast too! Having represented Maharashtra in national-level football competitions during his college days, he continued playing for the Services and represented the Western Command in Durand Cup for three consecutive years as part of the team. Clearly his love for the sport didn’t wane even after he was commissioned in the Army.

 

 

Having played a role in the Indo-Pak 1971 War, he remembers many anecdotes related to it and gladly shares them with The Hitavada. To recollect all that happened 50 years back is not easy as it seems. After clearing the cobwebs from his memories, he narrates his side of the story. “When I joined the Army, I was first posted with 1 Bihar Regiment where I served for around 3 to 4 years and after that I was posted to a newly-formed regiment the 11 Bihar Regiment as a Company Commander in Danapur, Patna. I worked hard and raised that battalion. As the clouds of war loomed on the horizon, our battalion was asked to move to Barrackpore in West Bengal on November 24. The battalion was divided into four companies -- Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and the medical team. I was asked to head the Bravo as a Company Commander and my unit with 124 soldiers was asked to move towards East Pakistan,” informs Colonel Jolly. “This was my ‘time of calling’,” he says. Having led a football team on the field a few years ago, Colonel Jolly was leading from the front a batch of 124 soldiers, most of whom were fresh recruits. Sharing the war experience and how he and his company executed the plan, Colonel Jolly said, “Among all the young guns who were recruited, maximum of them were in my company.

 

And as a Commander, the responsibility of all 124 soldiers was mine. Our company’s main task was to enter East Pakistan and find out the areas where the enemy was located. I motivated them not to worry and promised them of our safe home coming.” In war zone the toughest job is to keep the morale high. The Colonel, a hard nut to crack, made it a point to always motivate his team. “Our only aim was to eliminate the enemy by showing strength of unity. United my team was, for their response would always be -- han Saab hum jeet ke aayenge,” the Colonel says with a firm grin on his face. The Bravo company began the task of moving into East Pakistan from Barrackpore. As they reached Satkhira in East Pakistan (presently Bangladesh), Satkhira, a team of Mukti Bahini joined and guided them to move forward. It is not easy to lead a team during critical times. The responsibility of every single act lies on the commander. However, Jolly, a young Commander then and a true soldier of the Motherland, made it possible with his outstanding skills and presence of mind.

 

When asked about his entry in East Pakistan, the Colonel said, “After entering through Satkhira which was the hub of enemy activity, my squad walked about 24 kilometres inside Pakistan. After walking for 15 to 17 kilometres, we crossed a river named Meghna to reach Khulna. In Khulna, our company traced three locations of the enemy and our soldiers successfully captured all the points in less than 48 hours. Then, we were ordered to keep vigil on the area and my company stayed there for over three days. We got information that the enemy was planning to prepare another tent some 7 to 8 km ahead of Khulna. So, our company moved ahead and that motive of Pakistan Army was also crushed. We were asked to stay in the forest patched area till further orders. On December 14, I was told to take my company back from the post and report to Kolkata.

 

We reached Kolkata and got the news that Pakistan has surrendered and were happy with the victory.” But the war was not over yet and Colonel Jolly and two other company commanders were allotted a new task of taking Prisoners of War (PoW) to a camp in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. “My team and I took 1,000 4 Baluj Army prisoners to Dhana in Madhya Pradesh. It was a very arduous task of taking all of them by train. Around 24 special trains were arranged by the Indian Army to take prisoners to MP from the East,” recalls Colonel Jolly. It needs a braveheart and a positive mind to fight any battle. Arms are secondary in front of human mind. The nation salutes the courageous act of the heroes who do not hesitate to give their lives in the service of Motherland, and Colonel G S Jolly is one among them.