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A TRIBUTE Ayub Khan to sign the Tashkent Agreement. Defense analysts have also noted that Gohar Ayub Khan has in the past been known to make statements without credibility. It has also been suggested that he was eager to gain publicity for his forthcoming autobiography by making these claims. Other sources note that fake plans may have planted by Indian Intelligence Agencies, in order to fool the Pakistan Army. Whatever may be the case, whether a strategy or wild allegation, Sam Bahadur stopped not till he taught Pakistan a lesson and had the entire nation on his side Triumph at New Delhi after the war. From left to right, Air Chief Marshal P C Lal, Admiral S M to defend his position. We all Nanda, General Sam Manekshaw join Indian Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram. Notice the defence salute him. minister’s closed fist, symbolically representing a knock-out punch against Pakistan. questions about detail. This country honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 1972. But the worst thing happened when Gohar Ayub Khan, son of former Pakistani President Ayub Khan, in an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN IBN on May 8 last year made allegations that a very high ranking general of the Indian Army had sold War Plans to Pakistan during the 1965 War. Refusing to name the person, Khan described him to Thapar in hints as a brigadier who was Director of Military Operations. On being asked by Thapar whether he was talking about Manekshaw, Gohar Khan replied, “I can’t name him. I have given hints... you fit the cap.” This news came one week after the release of Ayub’s father’s memoirs. However, the allegations drew strong criticisms and skepticism from within the Indian Military establishment. It has been pointed out that Indian Military doctrine underwent considerable change after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Moreover, it was also pointed out that the Pakistani Military should have been in a better position to win the 1965 war if they were indeed in possession of the Indian Army’s battle plans, as opposed to the war situation that forced 36

July 08

CONTROVERSY

A hostage returns TNT News Desk Abduction of a high profile man in Arunachal Pradesh on June 18 has hit the headlines across the region and found much prominence in some national media – thanks to the stature of the abducted

lowing intelligence inputs from the Assam police, state police and the army. On the basis of their information, police had cordoned off a predominantly Bodo forested area on the AssamArunachal border, he said, adding that though the area was cordoned off from

man and his political connections. The abducted man was Getam Apang, the second son of the former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Gegong Apang, while the abductor was none other than his maternal uncle who fell into police dragnet as the curtain came down suddenly on this high voltage abduction drama that continued for ten days or so. State Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin said Getam’s uncle Tahak Tatak and two others were arrested on June 21 fol-

that date, the police could not rescue Getem and his music teacher immediately considering possible risk to their lives. Director General of Police Ajay Chadda said both Getam and Rai walked down on their own to meet family members on June 26 night at Holongi on the inter-state border with Assam. Asked if extremists were involved, he named former Bodo militant Upen Basumatry, who was among the arrested. Four more involved in the abduction had been identified whose antecedents July 08

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