My Indian Army Service from September 1969 to January 1984 keeps on marching in the Republic Day Parade
My Connection to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Nehru-Indira Legacy Lives
On January 19, 1966 I was a student at Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India. The appointment of Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister delighted my nationalist sentiment. I immediately sent her a letter of congratulations. She graciously responded to the same. During June 1967, I had the opportunity to meet her at her official residence in New Delhi along with a group of college students participating in a National Student Seminar on National Integration. I was granted Short Service Regular Commission in the Indian Army Medical Corps in the rank of Second Lieutenant during September 1969 while I was still studying in Kurnool Medical College. My career in the Indian Army Medical Corps began in 1969 and concluded on January 10, 1984, during the years she was Prime Minister of India.
Simon Cyrene
INDIRA GANDHI BECOMES INDIAN PRIME MINISTER – JANUARY 19, 1966
Clipped from: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indira-gandhi-becomes-indian-prime-minister?
1966
Following the death of Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi becomes head of the Congress Party and thus Prime Minister of India. She was India’s first female head of government and by the time of her assassination in 1984 was one of its most controversial.
Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the independent Republic of India. She became a national political figure in 1955, when she was elected to the executive body of the Congress Party. In 1959, she served as president of the party and in 1964 was appointed to an important post in Lal Bahadur Shastri’s ruling government. Soon after becoming Prime Minister, Gandhi was challenged by the right wing of the Congress Party, and in the 1967 election she won only a narrow victory and thus had to rule with a deputy prime minister.
In 1971, she won a resounding reelection victory over the opposition and became the undisputed leader of India. That year, she ordered India’s invasion of Pakistan in support of the creation of Bangladesh, which won her greater popularity and led her New Congress Party to a landslide victory in national elections in 1972.
During the next few years, she presided over increasing civil unrest brought on by food shortages, inflation, and regional disputes. Her administration was criticized for its strong-arm tactics in dealing with these problems. Meanwhile, charges by the Socialist Party that she had defrauded the 1971 election led to a national scandal. In 1975, the High Court in Allahabad convicted her of a minor election infraction and banned her from politics for six years. In response, she declared a state of emergency throughout India, imprisoned thousands of political opponents, and restricted personal freedoms in the country. Among several unpopular programs during this period was the forced sterilization of men and women as a means of controlling population growth.
In 1977, long-postponed national elections were held, and Gandhi and her party were swept from office. The next year, Gandhi’s supporters broke from the Congress Party and formed the Congress (I) Party, with the “I” standing for “Indira.” Later in 1978, she was briefly imprisoned for official corruption. Soon after the ruling Janata Party fell apart, the Congress (I) Party, with Indira as its head, won a spectacular election victory in 1980, and Gandhi was again Prime Minister.
In the early 1980s, several regional states intensified their call for greater autonomy from New Delhi, and the Sikh secessionist movement in Punjab resorted to violence and terrorism. In 1984, the Sikh leaders set up base in their sacred Golden Temple in Amritsar. Gandhi responded by sending the Indian army in, and hundreds of Sikhs were killed in the government assault. In retaliation, Sikh members of Gandhi’s own bodyguard gunned her down on the grounds of her home on October 31, 1984. She was succeeded by her son, Rajiv Gandhi.
The Celebration of Makar Sankranti. The World of Experience is not constructed by the Knowing Mind
The Earth revolves around Sun and reaches the same location in its orbit on the same calendar date each year. On Friday, January 14, 2022, Earth reaches the location that an observer on Earth recognizes as the constellation of Capricorn when he sees Sun against the backdrop of stars in the Celestial Sphere. The man is blissfully unaware of Earth’s motion and merely perceives the apparent motion of Sun, Moon, and stars.
The experience called Life is possible for man’s terrestrial home is set upon firm foundations so that it is never moved. The Celestial Drama unfolds on the vaulted Dome called Sky which seems to be strong and resembles molten looking glass.
Indian religious festival known as Makar Sankranti is celebration of an event witnessed by man who dwells in the Natural or Terrestrial Realm recognizing Sun’s apparent journey across Sky Dome which belongs to the Supernatural Realm. This separation of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial domains is a creative event. God created Earth separating it from the Firmament.
The separation and distinction between Natural and Supernatural Realm is important to understand the nature of man’s conditioned existence as a terrestrial organism. Firstly, I would extend Happy Makar Sankranti Greetings to my readers and share some information about Sun’s Path across the Sky known as ECLIPTIC.
I am happy to extend my greetings to all of my readers on this festive occasion called ‘SANKRANTI’. In the Indian tradition, Sun is represented as personification of the Divine Energy that sustains the life of all that lives on planet Earth. Apart from being the source of primary Energy, Sun is viewed as the Source of Knowledge and Indians seek Lord Surya, the Sun God’s blessings to illuminate their inner, mental world to banish darkness called ignorance. This would lead me to reflect about the theory of Knowledge and the revolutionary change caused by Immanuel Kant in understanding our philosophic problems and procedures. In the context of our celebration of the Indian festival of ‘SANKRANTI’, I would like to pay a special tribute to Nicholas Copernicus (1457-1543) who laid the foundation for modern astronomy with his heliocentric theory of planetary motion which replaced the geocentric cosmological theory established by Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus) of 2nd century A.D. Ptolemy’s theory placed Earth motionless at the center of the universe with all celestial bodies revolving around it. Copernican system places the Sun motionless at the center of the Solar System with all the planets, including Earth, revolving around it.
THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE – A COPERNICAN REVOLUTION:
Copernicus caused a revolution when he discerned reflections of the Earth’s own motion in the apparent motions of the planets, and stars. To the same extent, German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) inaugurated a new era in the development of philosophical thought. He did comprehensive, and systematic work in Theory of Knowledge, Ethics, and Aesthetics.
Kant alters the nature of philosophic inquiry. He recognizes the limits of the philosophical traditions of both Empiricism that stresses Experience, and Rationalism that stresses Reason. He analyzes the tradition of Rene Descartes (Rationalism) and clarifies the tradition of Francis Bacon (Empiricism). Kant attempts to incorporate both Experience and Reason, without falling into the Skepticism of the empirical school and without embracing the unverifiable metaphysical structure of the rationalist school. He criticizes Leibniz rationalism in his book, “Critique of Pure Reason” (1781). In Kant’s view, objective reality is known only insofar as it conforms to the essential structure of the knowing mind. Only objects of experience or phenomena may be known. Things lying beyond experience or noumena are unknowable. Kant states that the human mind provides the forms and the categories that can be used to describe experience. He holds the view that the problems like the existence of God, freedom, and immortality are insoluble by scientific thought. Kant proudly asserts that he accomplished a Copernican Revolution in philosophy. He claims that the subject doing the knowing constitutes, to a considerable extent, the object of knowing; i.e., that knowledge is in part constituted by the mind itself which imposes its influence upon the data of experience. Hence, knowledge is the product of the knowing subject and not a simple description of an external reality. Kant accounts for the application of the mind’s principles to objects by showing that the objects conform to the mind; in knowing, it is not mind that confirms to things but things confirm to the mind. I examine this issue for its relevance to the fundamental concern about human existence.
SPIRITUALISM-A COPERNICAN REVOLUTION:
The man’s earthly existence is conditioned by constant change under the influence of Space and Time. To make Life happen, the existence has to be synchronized with the external events on which the man has no control. While Earth is spinning at an amazing speed, the man perceives Earth as a motionless object, and experiences the apparent motions of planets and stars. The speed of Earth’s motion, if perceived, is not compatible with human existence. The reality of Sun shining brightly in the sky all the time is not also helpful for human existence. The man needs alternating periods of light and darkness called day, and night. Human existence demands alternating periods of wakefulness and sleep. To experience the physical reality called existence, the man needs the influence of a powerful illusion that changes the perception of reality of this world, and universe that is constantly changing, and moving. The man exists for he cannot alter the sensory experience of Sun’s journey across the heavenly dome.
In the Indian tradition, it is stated that the Creative Force/Power/Energy called Maya clouds man’s sense of perception of the world experience and the man has no ability to overcome the Power/Force/Energy that causes ‘ILLUSION’. This world experience caused by ‘ILLUSION’ has a survival value as it intends to protect the man from the harsher realities of the world and the universe.
In my analysis, the man needs the guiding and regulative mechanism called Soul to perform his living functions in a moving, and changing world. Soul establishes the man’s ability to derive energy from an external source and hence Soul is always associated with the living body. The unity of man’s body and Soul could be named as the ‘God-Connection’ as this ‘Connection’ is not formulated by man’s mental, or physical work. This ‘God-Connection’ helps the man to express his desire for Freedom which includes a desire to seek Freedom from the world experience called ‘Death’. If Soul and Spirit are present in the living body that exists in the earthly, material realm, it points towards the operation of the Divine Providence in this terrestrial realm. If God by the nature of His existence is present in the immanent realm, the problems of metaphysics such as Freedom, Immortality, and God’s existence do not belong to unknowable, transcendental realm. I may have to suggest that Kant could be wrong in his view about the relationship between human mind, and the world of experience.
The man is fortunate for things of world experience do not always confirm to the knowing mind.
Simon Cyrene
A Gunner Officer of the Indian Army officiates as the Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai, Bangladesh on December 17, 1971
A Personal Tribute to Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, The Regiment of Artillery, Indian Army. An Islamic Scholar Who Served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971.
I was in college from 1962 to 1965 and obtained the Bachelor of Science degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad. I remember this period as the Golden Age of immortal Mohd. Rafi whose melodies still fill my ears. I grew up in this cradle of Urdu language Culture and had acquired my love for ghazals and qawwalis. I spent time in Lucknow, a crown jewel in the Urdu speaking world, where you meet in the market place, ordinary folks who speak in tones that have made the language famous for its sweetness. Much later, I had served in the Royal Oman Army and took my first lesson in Arabic language. My love for Urdu and my Knowledge of Arabic language pales when I write about this Islamic Scholar and Arabic language expert whom I met in India during 1971. He passed away on Sunday, May 2, 2004, in Bahrain where he worked for over 20 years as the Head of the Translation Department at the Bahrain Archives. This is not a tribute about his academic accomplishments, the books that he had published, his military career or about his famous friendly relationship with President Gamal Abdel Nasser and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt. I am writing this tribute to recognize his personal qualities and the values that he had promoted. I am writing this tribute to recognize him as a “peacemaker.” He represents a symbol of hope and the light that he had shown may lead us on to a path of peaceful co-existence.
I met Lieutenant Colonel.B K Narayan in Demagiri, Mizoram in October 1971. He hails from Karnataka, and he grew up as a Hindu. We gathered in Demagiri to make preparations to launch Operation Eagle in support of Bangla Muslims seeking freedom from military dictatorship imposed by Pakistan. In Demagiri, I reported to him to serve as his Medical Officer of the South Column Unit. He had the unique distinction of commanding an Infantry Unit in the conduct of War while he belonged to The Regiment of Artillery. I have not known a ‘GUNNER’ who could plan and execute Infantry Attacks on Enemy posts. Colonel Iqbal Singh, the Chief of Staff at the Force Headquarters also belonged to The Regiment of Artillery. But, the role played by Colonel Narayan as an Infantry Commander during War is exceptional and has no comparisons that I am aware of. I had the opportunity to converse with him for extended periods of time and came to know his admirable personality. It is not the knowledge of Arabic language that has made him unique and sets him apart from all other language experts. He is special because of his love for Islamic Culture and his ability to project the deep understanding of that Culture when he speaks to others. He performed the holy pilgrimage of Hajj and had observed all the rituals of that spiritual journey like a true and devout Muslim. When he narrated his Hajj experience, I could know the sense of joy and the purity of his intentions. His observance of Hajj, a ritual performed by all devout Muslims, was genuine, real to its core.
From Tlabung, Demagiri, South Column marched to Borunasury and then we marched towards Barkal after neutralizing the enemy post at Jalanpara and had encounters with aggressive enemy patrolling to resist our advance at two other locations. Finally, on Friday, December 10, 1971, the enemy fought a very decisive battle on the east side of Karnaphuli River to stop our advance towards Barkal. After losing the battle, the enemy promptly beat a retreat and withdrew from Barkal, Rangamati, Kaptai, and further moved out of Chittagong without putting up a fight. Col Narayan was able to quote the Quran from his memory and would convey his understanding of the verses with great clarity. I personally witnessed his amazing performance in a little town called KAPTAI, on the banks of Karnaphuli Lake, Rangamati Division of Bangladesh. He conducted the Friday Worship Service for the local Bangla Muslims and delivered a sermon which was received with great appreciation by the worshipers. His job in Uniform did not impose any obligation to organize such an event. He held that prayer meeting entirely on his own initiative and it was purely an expression of his love to worship in the Islamic tradition and it also affirms his faith that the worship of God is not limited by one single tradition.
The Friday Prayer Service was held at the State Guest House in Kaptai where I stayed after my Unit had captured Kaptai. It had a large Conference Room. Col Narayan contacted the Muslim Clerics of the local Masjid and they were absolutely delighted when they met him. His Scholarship and devotion to Islam had captivated them and they immediately agreed to convene the local congregation at the Guest House and organize the Friday Prayer Service. The Conference Hall got totally packed with worshipers. I could watch the proceedings directly from my room in the State Guest House. The Bangla Muslim Community of Kaptai were truly appreciative of Colonel Narayan and his military campaign for bringing Peace and Joy to their Community.
I knew Colonel Narayan’s great admiration for Arab people. He always described them as peace-loving people. He knew this as a fact and it was based upon his understanding of Islamic Culture and traditions. I would describe Colonel Narayan as God’s humble servant. It is important to remember and pay tribute to such “peacemakers” as we can achieve true peace through reflecting and understanding the revelations from the Holy Scriptures of all people. The Regiment of Artillery of Indian Army must record this historical contribution made by a Gunner officer who served as an Infantry Commander during the Bangladesh Ops of 1971-72.
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE – ESTABLISHMENT NUMBER. 22 – OPERATION EAGLE – LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH 1971:
Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India initiated Liberation of Bangladesh during 1971 with military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The battle plan of this military action is known as Operation Eagle. She conceived this battle plan to bring peace in that region. She was inclined towards peace. She wanted to deliver peace to people of Bangladesh who had earlier declared their independence from Pakistan. During Operation Eagle, Bangladesh Operations of 1971-72, I served in South Column, an Infantry Unit Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan. He was a great Islamic Scholar. He had explained to me that PEACE is the greeting of Righteous people.
R. R. Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number: MS-8466, Rank: CAPTAIN Branch: Army Medical Corps/Short Service Regular Commission;
Designation: Medical Officer, South Column, Operation Eagle
Organization: Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO.
My father created the SFF, I commanded it
By Inspector General GURDIP SINGH UBAN (retd)
September 22, 2020 Rediff.com
Major General Sujan Singh Uban, a legendary veteran of the Second World War, was a natural choice to raise, train and command the Special Frontier Force and mould them into a well oiled fighting machine, recalls his son Inspector General Gurdip Singh Uban (retd), who led SFF troops during the Kargil War.
As the Indian Army moved in with their major thrust into East Pakistan, the SFF, while supporting the flank of the Indian Army, by a blitzkrieg, cleared the Chittagong Hill Tracts, destroyed the Kaptai dam and encircled and prevented the escape of Pakistan’s 97 Brigade and No 2 Commando Battalion, all of whom were taken prisoner.
The SFF was poised for the capture of Chittagong port when a ceasefire was declared; a daring move which paid handsome dividends.
This earned them the title ‘Phantoms of Chittagong’.
The Bangladesh Ops of 1971-72. My Story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts
LEE FALK’S PHANTOM:
Leon Harrison Gross, popularly known as Lee Falk had created the comic strip superhero ‘The Phantom, The Ghost Who Walks’. The story of Phantom was initially set in the deep woods of Bengal of India. Later, the setting of the story moved to the jungles of the fictional African country of Bangalla. In that story, the true nature of Phantom is only known to the PYGMY tribe, the natives of the forest.
THE PHANTOMS OF CHITTAGONG: THE FIFTH ARMY IN BANGLADESH
Allied Publishers of India had published this book on April 1, 1985. The author of this Phantom fiction is Major General (Retd)Sujan Singh Uban. He commanded the Special Frontier Force in the rank of Inspector General. In his story, General Uban narrated the military exploits of the Special Frontier Force during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. General Uban was deputed to carry out a hazardous operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. His force was airlifted to the northeast corner of India and had reached the border of Mizoram State and had proceeded on foot to accomplish its mission. The force had operated independently in the most difficult terrain of Chittagong Hill Tracts. The phrase Fifth Army makes the important distinction between Special Frontier Force and the Indian Army.
For the success of this operation, General Uban was awarded the medal for distinguished service of exceptional order known as ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’ ( PVSM). Just like the ‘bush people’ of the forests of Bangalla know the true nature of PHANTOM, the native forest dwellers of the Chittagong Hill Tracts described as ‘CHAKMA’ know the true nature of the Phantoms, the ‘Fifth Army’ in Bangladesh. The Chakmas have eyes that can see. They had silently witnessed the movements of the Fifth Army. General Uban may not have contacted these denizens of the forests. He may have no clue as to what the Chakma might have seen. In the execution of General Urban’s military plan some of the Phantoms, gallant members of the Fifth Army sacrificed their lives. General Uban was not present when the real heroes were cremated or buried. Apart from myself, I presume that the Chakma might have seen where the ‘Phantoms of Chittagong’ were buried.
THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY:
General Uban in his book did not describe the full story about his military expedition to Bangladesh. He did not describe the Medical Evacuation Plan for his operation.
In the history of the Indian Army Medical Corps, a unique chapter was added in the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts. It would be my privilege to narrate that historical moment. General Uban may not be aware of the fact that I had actually marched into enemy territory without my personal weapon to defend myself.
General Uban was not aware of the ‘SERMON’ delivered by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, my South Column Unit Commander in Kaptai. On Friday, December 17, 1971 morning, the religious worship service for Bangla Muslims of Kaptai was conducted by Colonel Narayan, a non-Muslim. I shared this story at my blog post titled ‘A Sermon in Kaptai, Bangladesh’.
General Uban was not aware of the use of Telugu language in military radio communications during a crucial phase of our Unit’s encounter with the enemy. Our enemy was not in a position to comprehend a South Indian language like Telugu. Myself and Colonel Narayan took advantage of the language barriers and had openly communicated in Telugu language. The enemy might have intercepted and listened to our radio conversations but did not decipher our messages. During 1971 War, for brief moments, the airwaves in Chittagong Hill tracts had carried words spoken in Telugu.
General Uban is entitled to take credit for his military plan. However, the real credit goes to the person who had executed the plan on the ground. Lieutenant General T S Oberoi, PVSM, VrC who was the General Officer Commanding – in – Chief at Headquarters Southern Command, Pune during 1982-85 should get the real credit. I knew General Oberoi. In 1971, he was a Brigadier. While I was heading to Kumbhigram airfield, he had personally seen me off in the early morning hours at Sarsawa airfield. He delayed the departure of the aircraft. He insisted that the men must be served a hot breakfast before boarding the plane. I remember him for his sense of devotion to the men he had commanded. He displayed this devotion in his actions and the manner in which the military plan was executed on the ground. Rajiv Gandhi. the Prime Minister of India had simply overlooked his merit and had denied him the opportunity to serve the nation as the Chief of Army Staff. I had also served under General K S Sundarji at the First Armoured Division. In my blog post titled ‘Living Under The Shadow – A Prescription For Death’ dated June 22, 2009, I wrote that I could not perform the simple task of medical evacuation when I was called to attend upon his ailing wife. Whereas while serving under the Command of Brigadier Oberoi, in the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts, I had written a new Chapter in the History Books of the Indian Army Medical Corps. Based upon that story, I ask the Government of India to award me the Gallantry Award Vir Chakra that was recommended but not presented. A gallantry award is not the equivalent of winning a lottery ticket. The award is only a recognition of a past event that had taken place. History cannot be rewritten. Apart from the Citation recommending me for this decoration, my Annual Confidential Report for the year 1971, Colonel Iqbal Singh’s Remarks on my application for Direct Permanent Commission – AMC Examination held in 1972 are part of the documents archived at Ministry of Defence, New Delhi. My actions in Chittagong Hill Tracts were witnessed by Bangla Muslim refugees who had accompanied us and more interestingly by a young Chakma man who had silently observed me while I cared and comforted the battle casualties. I am happy to narrate this Untold Story. Kindly view my Blog Post:
I want to express my sense of appreciation and give my warmest regards to Mr. Siddique Ahmed who served at Karnaphuli Complex at Chandraghona near Kaptai and had joined our Unit during the execution of Operation Eagle. I thank him for sharing his comments on this post.
R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number: MS-8466, Rank: CAPTAIN, Branch: Army Medical Corps/Short Service Regular Commission,
Designation: Medical Officer, South Column Operation Eagle, 1971-72,
Organization: Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO.
The Medical Plan for the Fifth Army in Bangladesh. An unexpected eyewitness of the covert military operation
Major General (Retd) Sujan Singh Uban, PVSM, AVSM, the former Inspector General of Special Frontier Force published a book that is titled ‘The Phantoms of Chittagong: The Fifth Army in Bangladesh’. He narrated the story about his Special Frontier Force that liberated the Chittagong Hill Tracts during the India-Pakistan War of 1971. In his book, he did not discuss the Medical Plan for the evacuation of battlefield casualties. He coined the phrase “The Fifth Army” to make the distinction between Special Frontier Force and the Indian Armed Forces. For all practical purposes, the Special Frontier Force operated with the same infantry weapons, ammunition, field gear, equipment, and supplies used by the US Army in the Vietnam War. We have not deployed field guns or artillery and had very limited airlift support. As such, Special Frontier Force is raised to engage the enemy with unconventional warfare and the men are not trained in the use of field guns. However, we have several Gunner Officers who adopt to the tactics of Special Frontier Force that doesn’t need their expertise in Artillery Warfare.
THE ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAL SUPPORT IN THE BATTLEFIELD:
Each Unit or Regiment of the Armed Forces operating in the Field have to initially take care of their wounded soldiers at the Front Line of real combat. Units in the Field often set up a Regimental Aid Post (RAP) to give medical support. The Army Medical Corps positions its staff which includes Ambulance Assistants, Nursing Assistants, and Medical Officers who give this morale-boosting blanket of comfort. However, the medical resources that are available at RAP are very limited. Because of the distances, time, and practical difficulties involved, the battle casualties are evacuated from the forward-most line of contact to the nearest Field Hospital of the field formation/Division by positioning Staging Posts along the Chain of Medical Evacuation. A Staging Post that is often used is known as the Advanced Dressing Station (ADS) which supports the regimental Units of a brigade. At the ADS, the battle casualty could be resuscitated by intravenous fluids. Apart from resources like stretchers and blankets, the ADS can deploy ambulances to speedily evacuate wounded men to a Field Hospital or another intermediate Medical Staging Post.
THE MEDICAL PLAN FOR THE FIFTH ARMY IN BANGLADESH:
The Fifth Army was tasked to operate independently with very limited logistical support. Fundamentally the battle was designed as a covert operation and hence the use of field guns was excluded. During the initial phases of the military operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the men had operated on foot, on a ‘Man-Pack’ basis in roadless forests. A military Field Hospital with a Surgical Team was established at Lungleh or Lunglei in the Mizo Hills. Between the battle field and the Hospital, there were no Medical Staging Posts along the route of Casualty Evacuation. The Fifth Army did not set up any Advanced Dressing Stations. The Medical Plan was to initially provide medical support at any place selected by the Battalion in the Field and to directly evacuate the battlefield casualties to Lunglei Field Hospital by using the two Mi-4 helicopters. It was indeed a simple plan. None of us including my Battalion Commander Colonel B K Narayan, Brigadier T S Oberoi, the field Commander of this task Force, and his Chief of Staff Colonel Iqbal Singh had ever imagined that there could be a big surprise in the execution of this straight forward Battlefield Medical Evacuation Plan.
A SHOCKING SURPRISE AND A COURAGEOUS RESPONSE:
The first attack on the enemy position was made by the men led by Major Savender Singh Negi and Major G B Velankar of my South Column Unit which was Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan of the Regiment of Artillery, the first Gunner Officer to Command and participate in an Infantry style assault in the conduct of military action. Another Gunner Officer of the Regiment of Artillery, Lieutenant Colonel Krishan Lal Vasudeva Commanded the Central Column Unit of this Operation.
Later, both the Company Commanders of my South Column Unit received the Gallantry Awards of Vir Chakra for the courage displayed by them. In the India-Pakistan War of 1971, these two Officers were the first decorated apart from Major Raj Kumar Malhotra 4 PARA who was with the North Column Unit under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel Prasanta Coomar Purkayastha of Garhwal Rifles. As this successful attack of South Column Unit was concluding, my Unit Commander was informed that an airlift of battle casualties was not possible due to tactical and working difficulties as at that time the Prime Minister of India did not specifically sanction the entry of Indian aircraft into the Pakistani airspace. A helicopter flight to the enemy post that we captured was not possible on that day as the flight was not sanctioned by the Prime Minister. Most of the enemy defenders of the post that we attacked had escaped into the forest. The enemy could regroup and launch a counterattack to retake their lost position. Our men without wasting any time had taken up the defensive positions and were ready to fight if the enemy wanted to retake the post.
The use of helicopter airlift for air medical evacuation was vital to ensure the success of our military expedition. The men reacted to the news with a sense of utter disbelief. In fact, the grumblings of the men were loud, clear, and specific. It was not a sign of mutiny or the lack of trust in the Unit Leadership. Their concern was about the change of the game plan while we were in the middle of the game. I heard the men explicitly saying that they would shoot down any helicopter if it were to be deployed for any other operational reason without meeting the purpose of the battlefield medical evacuation of the casualties. I was not surprised for the men are not directly commanded by the leaders employed by India. The men have their own leaders and their leaders are involved in the planning and the execution of the battle operations. We were inside the enemy territory without stretchers, blankets and equipment for the proper conduct of ground medical evacuation. The nearest Border Security Force (BSF) outpost on the Indian border was over forty miles away. This BSF Post had a secure helipad. The challenge we had faced was to carry our battle casualties across a difficult terrain and to keep them alive until they could get to the helipad. None of the wounded were in a condition to walk on their own. All of them needed transportation as lying patients in stretchers. The Unit had not come ready to use any of its men as Stretcher Bearers. Each man had an assigned role in his own Platoon/Company. I willingly accepted to respond to this challenge and assume the responsibility to safely evacuate my patients and go with them on a foot journey to the BSF Post. The morale of the men got instantly boosted up. Pointing towards the stands of Bamboo, I suggested to the men that we could make our own improvised stretchers. It was a pleasure to watch these smart and talented men who went into action and the stretchers were assembled and ready for use in a short time. I did not get a chance to offer any guidance about how to prepare an improvised stretcher. They had entirely acted on their own.
THE MEDICAL EVACUATION – A MEMORABLE FOOT JOURNEY:
My South Column Unit Commander Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan had to make a very difficult decision. He had to spare his fighting men for performing the duty of stretcher bearers. He assembled a party of about sixty or sixty-five men to lift and carry the stretchers and to defend the party. Stretcher bearing is a difficult task. A Bangla Muslim refugee was given to us as a guide. He did not depute any of the Infantry Officers to go with us on this tedious mission. I did not make any such demand. My medical staff, the AMC Nursing Assistants were distributed to different Companies and I wanted them to stay at their posts as the situation on the ground was still unpredictable. Hence, I was the only Army Medical Corps medical support person in this entire party proceeding on a foot journey to the BSF Post at Bonapansuria in Mizo Hills. After marching for over three hours, the nightfall and darkness obscured our path and we could not move any further. We decided to halt for the night on that jungle track. The men took turns to stay awake and remained vigilant. I kept a close watch on the condition of my patients, provided comfort and assurance and encouraged them to keep drinking small amounts of water to keep them hydrated and to prevent shock associated with blood loss due to injuries. I administered the water and medications (broad spectrum antibiotic pills to prevent wound infection and Injection Tubonic Morphia to relieve pain), checked and applied dressings and bandages as needed. We were concerned about the Mizo rebel activity in those forests. Fortunately, we spent the night without any untoward incident. We continued our march early morning before the sunrise and finally reached a stream that marks the boundary between the Indian Mizo Hills and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The water level in the stream was low. We waded through knee level water with our stretchers. The BSF Post police personnel at Bonapansuria were delighted to receive us. They had rejoiced because of our recent victory and for capturing the enemy post. The staff at the Bonapansuria BSF Post were among the first group of Indians who knew about our military expedition and its success in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Mi-4 helicopter had soon arrived at that BSF Post to further transport my patients to the Field Hospital in Lunglei. All of my patients survived this prolonged ordeal. They remained calm and hopeful during the entire trip. I only used the very basic principles of Medicine and Resuscitation to give support to my patients. I had arrested bleeding, prevented further blood loss, provided relief from pain, and kept them well-hydrated. My physical presence provided them with a sense of reassurance that they needed. I was their doctor, their nurse, and their medical attendant during our march. This was a memorable, one of its kind medical evacuation story in the history of the Indian Army Medical Corps. If I had shown a sense of resolve, determination, and confidence, it was because of all these wonderful people acting as my eyewitnesses. I was performing in front of their eyes. They had absolute trust in my abilities. My patients not only survived but also cheerfully provided a telling testimony to others who had visited them at the Field Hospital in Lunglei. That was the unique, one of its own kind of battlefield medical evacuation of lying patients with only one medical support person.
THE EXPERIENCE OF ‘MADHURYA’ (SWEETNESS) AND A CHAKMA EYEWITNESS:
Once my patients got airlifted, I had the experience described in the Indian tradition as ‘Madhurya’ or a sense of Sweetness. At the conclusion of our medical mission, we were not feeling tired. We were simply filled with joy. We were ready to walk back immediately and rejoin the Unit in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. We started back, briskly walking through the forest without any breaks. Due to security concerns, we did not bunch up as a single group. The men remained vigilant with their loaded weapons and were fully prepared to engage any enemy. During that return trip through the forest, to my utter surprise, a young Chakma male appeared before me, apparently from nowhere. The Bangla Muslim refugee guide who was walking slightly ahead of me had stopped. The Chakma tribe speak a Bengali dialect. He spoke to the Bangla guide and could communicate that he needed my help. His father was bedridden and was in great pain. I was totally shocked to know that this unknown Chakma living in the middle of a forest had correctly identified me as a doctor of medicine. At that moment, I just looked like any other soldier. My Olive Green uniform was crumpled and dirty. I was in the same clothes for more than seven days both day and night. I had not changed my socks. I had no shower and I had not shaved. This Chakma youth did not bother to stop other men who were in my party hurriedly walking. He had not only approached me, but also he had a very specific reason for stopping me. For he had correctly known my identity, I guess that he had actually observed me while I was at work. He was my silent eyewitness. He knew the trip we made through the forest on the previous day. He had quietly observed while I nursed and treated my patients. I did not want to refuse his request for help for he had correctly identified me . I was a known stranger. I was not a soldier running through the forest. The Chakma had eyes that could see. He correctly comprehended my trade and understood that I help people who are in pain. When our party was returning, he decided to make use of that opportunity to seek my help. He did not treat me as a threat to his existence but as someone who could help his existence. I agreed to go with him to his house. I was shocked when he pointed his house to me. He lives in a tree house which was hidden from our view when we walked on the track near the house. He dropped a ladder for my use. I asked my Bangla Guide to stay on the ground. My escort party of armed men were not alerted and they stayed at about twenty feet distance from that tree and had no clue about my sudden disappearance. I did not want the Chakma family to feel intimidated by our presence in their area. I climbed up and entered the living room to find a Chakma man, the father of this young man who had stopped me. He was lying on the floor and was in pain. He had middle ear infection which was giving him a terrible pain. I dried up the ear discharge and showed him the importance of keeping the ear dry by using the cotton swab sticks that I provided him. I instilled antibiotic ear drops and showed him the way to instill ear drops after gently drying any discharge. I had a tube full of antibiotic pills. I also gave him pills for his pain and a supply of multivitamin pills. All of these pills come in different colors. I could instruct him in the use of the pills that I dispensed. I personally administered the pills and he felt better with my brief visit and intervention. I climbed down the ladder to rejoin my Bangla Guide and the escort party and we made a safe return trip to our Unit location. During this entire foot journey of over eighty miles, I had no sense of tiredness or physical fatigue. I had no sense of resentment or bitterness for making this trip which was not included in our initial Medical Plan for Casualty Evacuation. I did not experience even a trace of fear about my personal safety or wellbeing. The experience of ‘Madhurya’ was such, I was not irritated when a Chakma man had suddenly stopped me. I gave him no excuses. I entered the stranger’s house without my personal weapon and without any concern about my personal security. I provided him the medicines he needed for his recovery.
The young Chakma man displayed courage in approaching me and stopping me while I was in the company of a large group of armed men. The previous day he had apparently watched us silently as we journeyed through the forest. He had overcome that sense of fear that forced him to stay mute. He was able to communicate with a stranger who does not belong to his Land or Community. On my part, I had no desire and had no initiative that could have let me climb a tree and enter a treehouse. Just like a physically handicapped person would have declined the challenge of climbing a tree, I would not have exercised my physical ability in climbing a tree and taking the risk of entering an unknown dwelling. The Chakma did not use a threat or coerce me in any way while he approached me to get my attention.
I do not seek any personal credit or recognition for rendering medical help to an unknown forest dweller. I did not discuss the findings of my house visit with my Bangla guide or with the rest of the soldiers who were waiting for me. I did not describe this incident to my Unit Commander and to other Officers upon joining them. We just got busy with preparations for our next move to accomplish the goals of our military expedition to the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Was I predestined to help the Chakma patient?
This Chakma man was sick and was suffering with pain even before Indian Army attacked the enemy post in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He was confined to his treehouse unknown to any of us. He had no chance of getting any help from the external world. We carefully planned to avoid any direct contact with Chakma tribe forest dwellers and other civilian noncombatants during the course of our military expedition. We planned to directly attack the enemy positions and help the Bangla Muslim refugees to return to their homes which were at a much farther distance in fully inhabited areas. This foot journey for medical evacuation was a total surprise and was not planned. I wonder if the Chakma patient prayed for the medical intervention that had happened. If the helicopter had arrived to provide airlift, I would have never made that journey. Did the prayer of the Chakma patient had the power to stop the helicopter arriving for the battlefield casualty evacuation? Most interestingly, in 1964 while I lived in Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh, studying for my Bachelor of Science degree, I suffered from an acute middle ear infection which ruptured the eardrum, the tympanic membrane. Fortunately, the rupture healed with treatment. The ENT Specialist ( Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgeon) at Military Hospital, Secunderabad examined me during the Medical Board Examination to assess my Fitness in 1969. He could easily discover the healed eardrum and approved my fitness to serve in the Indian Army Medical Corps. It amazes me even now that I had to unexpectedly provide help to a total stranger who was experiencing a medical condition which I had already experienced in my personal life.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number. MS-8466 Rank. Captain AMC/SSC
Medical Officer, South Column Unit, Operation Eagle 1971
Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 A.P.O.
The Liberation War of Bangladesh. The Fifth Army in Bangladesh is more like the US Army in Vietnam
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE – OPERATION EAGLE – LIBERATION WAR OF BANGLADESH 1971:
Major General ( Retd) Sujan Singh Uban, PVSM, AVSM the former Inspector General of Special Frontier Force published the book titled,’The Phantoms of Chittagong: The Fifth Army in Bangladesh’. He narrated the story about the military exploits of his force in the Chittagong Hill Tracts during Indo-Pak War of 1971.
Okay, here are the SFF Awards for the 1971 Conflict
PVSM
Hon Maj Gen Sujan Singh Uban, AVSM (Retd) IC-1003
Maj Gen SS Uban was deputed to carry out a hazardous Operation in Bangladesh with his force. His force was airlifted and thereafter operated independently and entirely on a limited air supply in most difficult terrain. The mission allocated was successfully completed. This resulted in the liberation of the Chittagong Hill tracts as well as breaking up of Mizo hostile camps organised by Pakistan. The success of the op was largely due to the initiative, drive and sound planning by Maj Gen Uban
Vir Chakra (VrC)
Lt Col Prasanta Coomar Purkayastha IC-2486 (Garhwal Rifles), Commander, North Column Unit, Op Eagle
Maj Raj Kumar Malhotra IC-20824 (4 Para), Company Commander, North Column Unit, Op Eagle
Maj Survendra Singh Negi IC-22805 (The Grenadiers), Company Commander, South Column Unit, Op Eagle
Major G G Velankar, Company Commander, South Column Unit, Op Eagle
Flight Lieutenant Parvez Rustom Jamasji, IAF, Mi-4 Helicopter Pilot, Aviation Research Centre (ARC), Op Eagle
MS-8466 Captain R R Narasimham, AMC, Medical Officer, South Column Unit, Op Eagle. Recommended but the Army Hqrs, MS Branch, Ministry of Defence declined to offer the Gallantry Award stating that the Director of Medical Services, DMS (Army), Medical Directorate, MoD has failed to forward the citation to the MS Branch in the stipulated time.
Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)
Lt Col Krishan Lal Vasudeva IC-7203 (Arty), Commander, Central Column Unit, Op Eagle
Major Harish Chandra Sharma IC-21075 (Jat), Company Commander, Central Column Unit, Op Eagle
Major Tarachand Pande, Company Commander, South Column Unit, Op Eagle
Captain Ashok Kumar Jaiswal, AMC, Medical Officer, North Column Unit, Op Eagle
Major Ramesh Chandra, Senior Medical Officer, Force Hq, Op Eagle
Major PCM Mehta, AMC, Surgical Specialist, Field Hospital, Lunglei, Op Eagle
Sena Medal (SM)
Capt Ugam Singh IC-22297
Company Commander Major SK Suri, Op Eagle
Asst Company Commander Baldev Singh, South Column, Op Eagle
Asst Company Commander Captain Man Singh Gurung, South Column, Op Eagle
Asst Company Commander Surinder Nath Khanna
I am pleased to share some excerpts from the views shared by Lieutenant General Oberoi who served in the Military Operations Directorate, Indian Army Headquarters during the 1971 War. I ask my readers to note that no field guns were deployed in the conduct of the military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Special Frontier Force used the basic infantry weapons, ammunition, radio sets, field gear, rations, medical supplies which the US Army was using in the Vietnam War.
1971 War in the Eastern Front – A View from Army Headquarters
Lt General VIJAY OBEROI | 3 DECEMBER, 2021
https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/4/21191/1971-war-in-the-eastern-front—part-2
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, PVSM, AVSM, VSM is an infantry officer (The Maratha Light Infantry) and a former Vice Chief of Army Staff. Despite losing his right leg in the 1965 India–Pakistan War, he soldiered on till his retirement in September 2001. A prolific writer and analyst, he was founder director of the Indian Army’s think tank, the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) for five years where he is now director emeritus. He is currently founder president of the War Wounded Foundation, set up for meaningful rehabilitation of war disabled personnel.
The brilliant victory of the Indian Armed Forces during the 1971 India-Pakistan War is rightly being celebrated this year, as Swarnim Vijay as we approach the Golden Jubilee of Vijay Diwas on 16 December. While the media has focused on battles and bravery of individual personnel, very little has come out about the perspective from Delhi, especially about the planning and conduct of operations.
Since I have first-hand knowledge of this, I am writing this piece, so that readers get a glimpse of this important aspect too. My narration will be confined to plans and actions of the Eastern Front only, as I was dealing with operations in the East in the Military Operations Directorate (MO Dte).
By September/October 1971, mobilisation and orbatting of forces was still going on and in mid-November our postings were announced. Mostly everyone was going to units and formations already in their assembly areas/launch pads. I was one of the two officers posted to Army Headquarters. I was posted to MO Dte as GSO2 MO2.
I reported for duty in MO Dte on 4 December 1971; the war had commenced the previous evening. MO Dte was the smallest directorate in Army Headquarters (AHQ) at the time, consisting of just six Sections. During several subsequent postings to MO Dte, including as DGMO in 1994-95, it remained the smallest and most prestigious directorate in AHQ.
The Special Frontier Force (SFF) launched from Mizoram for clearing the jungles of the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) was commanded by their Inspector General (IG) Maj Gen Sujan Singh Uban (Artillery). All signals sent by him, including Situation Reports (SITREPS) were always addressed directly to the Chief and commenced with “Greetings to Gen Sam Manekshaw from your Fifth Army Commander”, and were invariably long without saying much!
The Chakma tribals inhabiting CHT had a fair degree of autonomy under Pakistan. After the war ended, Gen Uban had taken the ceremonial sword of the Chakma Raja, Tridev Roy as a souvenir and this had created quite a diplomatic stir. It was resolved after the sword was returned to the Raja of the Chakmas.
In early 1972, it was decided to launch operations against the Chakma insurgents in Rangamati District of the CHT. I was asked to prepare an Operational Instruction for the operation, which I produced within a few hours and named it Operation Jungle Jim. My GSO 1 was surprised with the speed it was prepared! It was approved the same day and sent to HQ Eastern Command. After the Indian Forces were pulled out of Bangladesh, the operation was handed over to the Bangladeshi forces.
In addition, a hush hush operation (Operation Eagle) under HQ Special Frontier Force (SFF), under the command of Maj Gen Uban was launched from Mizoram to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), primarily to capture any Pakistani personnel who may attempt to escape to Burma (now Myanmar). They were also tasked to threaten Chittagong.
Dr. R. R.Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number – MS-8466 CAPTAIN AMC/SSC
Medical Officer South Column Operation Eagle
Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO
A tribute to Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi for her leadership in the Liberation War of Bangladesh
I take this golden opportunity to acknowledge the leadership role of Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi in the execution of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. I have first-hand knowledge of her stewardship for she approved the battle plan code-named Operation EAGLE which initiated the liberation with direct military action in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Her initiative was very critical and she balanced the opposition and the resistance exerted by the United States.
I also pay my tributes to all the fallen heroes of the War including the membres of Special Frontier Force, Establishment No. 22, now known as Vikas Regiment.
Service Number: MS-8466 and MR-03277K Major R. Rudra Narasimham, AMC, Medical Officer, South Column, Operation Eagle, Special Frontier Force.
The Reality of Self. Mortal vs Everlasting Life
The Experience of Life in the Natural World
What it is to be a Substance? and What it is to Exist? We need to establish knowledge about the man on a firm basis and the information it provides must be tested for its accuracy and consistency with an external reality. We have to make the fundamental distinction between the living and the non-living matter. The scientific advances of the 19th and 20th centuries reinforced the materialistic position concerning the basic similarity of organic living and inorganic physical matter. The man is viewed as a product of natural evolution and is thought to be subject to the same laws of Physics and Chemistry or mechanistic principles.
We need a methodology to study philosophy and to understand philosophical statements. Logical Positivism, also known as Scientific Empiricism aims to clarify concepts in both everyday and scientific language. It describes analysis of language as the function of philosophy. This analysis of language and of concepts is important to understand questions of belief and ideology which affect what we think we ought to do individually and socially. I would use this method of ‘Applied Philosophy’ to analyze the concept of Spiritual Optics, the Spiritual dimension of the Man’s experience of Life in the Natural World. There are two facets of the man’s experience of his own existence. These are, 1. The Identity which keeps changing or varying over the entire lifetime, and 2. The Individuality which continues to be the same without changing under the influence of time. The man can be presented as the constantly changing or varying, transitory, mortal, physical being on the basis of his Identity and on the flip side there is the dimension of unvarying, unchanging, constant, and eternal being defined by his Individuality.
THE LOTUS EFFECT-THE TWO FACETS OF LOTUS FLOWER
Botanist Wilhelm Barthlott of the University of Bonn in Germany discovered in 1982 that the lotus leaf has a naturally self-cleaning, water-repellent surface. The secret lies in waxy microstructures and nanostructures that, by their contact angle with water, cause water to bead and roll away just like mercury. Barthlott patented his discovery, calling it the Lotus Effect.
While Barthlott takes credit for his discovery of the waxy surface of the lotus leaf, Indians have known the Lotus, an aquatic plant, for a very long time. Lord Vishnu, the Protector always carries a Lotus flower in his hand, He is generally depicted in images in a lying pose with a lotus springing out of His belly button, His eyes are always compared to the petals of the Lotus flower and His consort Goddess Lakshmi prefers to be seated on top of a Lotus flower. Indians use the Lotus flower for their worship and in Indian Art and Literature, Lotus finds a prominent place and the Lotus is given the official status of the National Flower. Indians are also equally impressed about the waxy nature of the surface of the lotus leaf and they know that the surface causes the water to bead and the drops rollaway with great ease. This phenomenon is very often used to describe the transient nature of human existence. But, the Lotus is the only flower that is constantly held in the hand of Eternal God.
TWO FACES OF THE COIN – TWO FACETS OF EXISTENCE:
The coins that we use are minted with two different faces and we need to flip the coin to see the face on the opposite side. So also, human existence has its two sides, an eternal entity and at the same time a transient, perishable, temporary, ephemeral, fleeting, and finite entity. I would refer to the following two verses to illustrate this view-point.
THE BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER II, VERSE 13:
“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth, and then to old age, similarly, the soul also passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change”.
Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his body at every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth, and sometimes as an old man, the spirit soul however remains the same and does not undergo any change. The individual soul eventually changes the body itself, the soul transmigrates from one body to another body and hence death is viewed as the soul changing bodies from old to new one. According to one’s work in the present life, the living entity experiences enjoyment or suffering with the changing of bodies. This view helps the individual not to lament about death.
SHANKARA’S BHAJA GOVINDAM AND NIRVANA SHATAKAM LYRICS:
The ‘ADVAITA’ school of Indian philosophy was founded by the great teacher Shankara who is popularly referred to as Adi Shankaracharya. He composed lyrics known as Bhaja Govindam (Praise Lord Vishnu, the Protector) in which he describes the transient, ephemeral, and fleeting nature of human life and existence.
He compares human life to that of the bead of water drop on the surface of the Lotus leaf. He reminds us to understand that the body’s existence is very temporary and he observes that the entire humanity is suffering due to sickness caused by ignorance which makes people to crave with a sense of attachment and desire to keep their impermanent existence.
The very same Adi Shankaracharya in the lyrics known as Nirvana Shatakam describes the individual entity as an embodied Soul. The Soul is eternal but the physical body is temporary and just like the water drop on the surface of the Lotus leaf, the drop could roll away any moment, and the Soul may change bodies sooner than we wish or desire. There is no point in cultivating a sense of attachment to the body as the Soul is not willing to cling to the physical body. Man is a created being, exists as an Individual with Individuality, and has living substance constituted by Chemical Elements that are immortal, imperishable, or eternal. However, Man, the physical being with a shape and form is transient as he is born with a plan for the dissolution of its form.
Simon Cyrene
Earthly Existence is governed by the Unreal Experience of Earth
The Man’s Experience of Life in the Natural World
What it is to be a Substance? and What it is to Exist? We need to establish knowledge about the man on a firm basis and the information it provides must be tested for its accuracy and consistency with an external reality. We have to make the fundamental distinction between the living and the non-living matter. The scientific advances of the 19th and 20th centuries reinforced the materialistic position concerning the basic similarity of organic living and inorganic physical matter. The man is viewed as a product of natural evolution and is thought to be subject to the same laws of Physics and Chemistry or mechanistic principles.
We need a methodology to study philosophy and to understand philosophical statements. Logical Positivism, also known as Scientific Empiricism aims to clarify concepts in both everyday and scientific language. It describes analysis of language as the function of philosophy. This analysis of language and of concepts is important to understand questions of belief and ideology which affect what we think we ought to do individually and socially. I would use this method of ‘Applied Philosophy’ to analyze the concept of Spiritual Optics, the Spiritual dimension of the Man’s experience of Life in the Natural World.
The Beginning. The Story of Creation
The Holy Bible, The Old Testament, Book of Genesis, Chapter 1 (verses 1,3,4,5,14 and 15) describes the creation of day and night.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.”
Explanation: How does your favorite planet spin? Does it spin rapidly around a nearly vertical axis, or horizontally, or backwards? The featured video animates NASA images of all eight planets in our Solar System to show them spinning side-by-side for an easy comparison. In the time-lapse video, a day on Earth — one Earth rotation — takes just a few seconds. Jupiter rotates the fastest, while Venus spins not only the slowest (can you see it?), but backwards. The inner rocky planets, across the top, most certainly underwent dramatic spin-altering collisions during the early days of the Solar System. The reasons why planets spin and tilt as they do remains a topic of research with much insight gained from modern computer modeling and the recent discovery and analysis of hundreds of exoplanets: planets orbiting other stars.
Different planets have different rates of rotation. We use Earth’s spin to define coordinate systems for locating objects both on the ground and the sky. The timekeeping system that we use is related to the rotation of the Earth. My human existence in this Universe is synchronized with the rotational spin of the Earth. The spin gives me alternating periods of light and darkness known as Day and Night while the Sun is shining all the time.
Synchronization of the External and Internal Environment of the Living Things
The Biological Clock – Every living system studied behaves as if it contains a highly dependable clock. The specialized properties of this clock suggest that it involves some unique biological mechanism indissociable from life itself.
The Biological Clock is a self-sustained internal timing mechanism that controls cyclic patterns, or rhythms, of a living organism. All organisms have this ability to synchronize their existence to events in both their internal or external environment. Because of this internal timing, certain physiological and behavioural events vary in intensity. Such time-dependent variability is expressed as a rhythm, or oscillation, with a frequency equal to that of the underlying biological clock. Biological clocks time the Solar day, the period of the Earth’s rotation relative to the Sun.
The Biological Rhythm – Biological Rhythms represent the periodic biological fluctuation in an organism that corresponds to and is in response to periodic environmental change. The most important example of such environmental change is that of the cyclical variations in the relative position of the Earth to the Sun and the immediate effect of this variation is that of night alternating with day or the change from darkness to light. Biological Rhythms that occur once a day are called Circadian(Latin circa:”about,” di: “day,”), Solar day, diel, daily, diurnal(day-active), or nycthemeral rhythm. Circadian rhythms are the most pervasive rhythms regulating many events for every day in the lives of most living organisms. Circadian rhythms are synchronized to an external time-giving stimulus. The external stimulus that is important for most living organisms is that of Sun rise and Sun set, the daily light-dark cycle determined by Earth’s rotation.
The Day Active or Diurnal Rhythm Regulating the Man
Within the 24-hour cycle(circadian), a person usually sleeps approximately 8 hours and is awake 16 hours. In man, the daily alteration of sleep and wakefulness is accompanied by many changes, including activities of the nervous and endocrine systems and the liver and kidneys. Daily variations occur in body temperature, in heart and respiratory rates, and in blood pressure and composition of the blood.There are daily variations in chemical syntheses and in cell divisions.
During the wakeful hours, mental and physical functions are most active and tissue-cell growth increases. During sleep, voluntary muscle activities nearly disappear and there is a decrease in metabolic rate, respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure. The activity of digestive system increases during the resting period, but that of the urinary system decreases. Hormones secreted by the body, such as the stimulant epinephrine(adrenaline) are released in maximal amounts about two hours before awakening so that the body is prepared for activity.
If a person tries to break the circadian rhythm by ignoring sleep for a number of days, psychological disorders begin to arise.
The Laws of Nature
Diverse aspects of human physiology and behaviour show that human existence is synchronized with the Laws of Nature. When we live in accordance with the law, we get a chance to know the provider of the Law.
Simon Cyrene
Whole Dude - Whole Concept 
