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The missing 54

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The missing 54 are 54 soldiers and officers of the Indian Armed Forces who went missing in action during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and whom the Indian government believes to be secretly held by Pakistan. Pakistan denies the existence of such prisoners of war.[1][2]

History

During the war, The fifth battalion of the Assam Regiment was deployed as part of 191 Infantry Brigade on the west of Munnawar Tawi River in the Chambb region. 10 Infantry Division on the Indian side faced 23 Division on the Pakistani side. 5 Sikh were at Chhamb and were in the middle of the brigade group with 5 Assam and 4/1 Gorkha Rifles on either side. On 4 December, Pakistani artillery and PAF were in action in the areas of 5 Sikh and 5 Assam, the Pakistani infantry supported by armour captured Mandiala North after fighting. On 5 December, two tanks of Deccan Horse and a platoon of 5 Sikh recaptured the Mandiala Bridge. These three battalions were subjected to intense shelling and repeated PAF attacks. During this battle, Major Ashok Suri went missing.[3][4]

The Pakistan government invited family members to Pakistan to identify, if found, its missing defence personnel in November 1982 when India and Pakistan signed a protocol on exchange of prisoners when Zia Ul Haque visited India. On May 30, 1983, Narasimha Rao said that he would take up at the highest level the visit of the parents of missing defence personnel to Pakistan. A delegation of six next-of-kins were allowed to go, it was made very clear that this was a classified visit that the press were not invited to. The families left on September 12, 1983, Monday to visit Lahore. This was the first time the Indians had got consular access after 1971. The families got to know that some officials of the MEA will also be going with them to Multan jail. Indira Gandhi was making aggressive statements in favour of Khan Abdul Gafar Khan and the MQM movement which was irritating Pakistan. On Sept 14th they flew to Multan, India was supposed to grant Pakistani officials reciprocal access to 25 Pakistani prisoners at Patiala jail which did not happen. The news came in Pakistani papers that "India goes back on its words". On Sept 15, 1983, the soldiers families visited Multan jail.[5]

On the Eastern front where there were 93,007 POWs (of which 72,795 were soldiers), an agreement was signed by the Foreign Ministers of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan on 30 April 1974 at New Delhi. Thereafter the Pakistani POWs captured on the Eastern front were also repatriated.

Named officers

Indian Army

Lieutenants
Captains
Second lieutenants
  • 2nd Lt. Sudhit Mohan Sabharwal - SS-23957 (87th Lt. Regiment)
  • 2nd Lt. Paras Ram Sharma - SS-22490 (The Grenadiers)
Majors
  • Major SPS Waraich - IC-12712 (15 Punjab). It was reported that he was shot shortly after being taken prisoner.
  • Major Kanwaljit Singh Sandhu - IC-14590 (15 Punjab)
  • Major Suraj Singh - IC-18790 (15 Rajput)
  • Major Ashok Suri - SS-19807 (5 Assam)
  • Major Jaskiran Singh Malik - IC-14457 (8 Rajput Rifles)
  • Major SC Guleri - IC-20230 (9 Jat)
Subedar
  • Sub. Assa Singh - JC-41339 (5 Sikh)
  • Sub. Kalidas - JC-598 (Jakli)
Lance Naik
  • L/Nk. Jagdish Raj (army officer)|Jagdish Raj - 9208735 (Mahar Regiment)
  • L/Nk. Hazoora Singh - 682211303
  • L/Nk. Balbir Singh Pama - (SBS Chauhan)
Havildar
  • Hav. Krishna Lal Sharma - 13719585 (1 Jat Rifles)
Gunner/Sepoy
  • Gnr. Sujan Singh (army officer)|Sujan Singh - 1146819 (14 Field Regiment)
  • Gnr. Pal Singh - 1239603 (181 Lt. Regiment)
  • Gnr. Madan Mohan (army officer)|Madan Mohan - 1157419 (94 Mountain Regiment)
  • Gnr. Gyan Chand
  • Gnr. Shyan Singh
  • Sepoy Daler Singh - 2461830 (15 Punjab)
  • Sepoy Jagir Singh - 2459087 (16 Punjab)
  • Sepoy Jaspal Sing
  • capt Nityanand Sharma - 2467936( Assam )

Indian Air Force

Wing commander
  • Wg Cdr. Hersern Singh Dandoss - 8160-F(P) (32 Sqn)
Squadron leader
  • Sqn Ldr. Mohinder Kumar Jain - 5327-F(P) (27 Sqn)
  • Sqn Ldr. Jal Manikshaw Mistry - 5006-F(P)
  • Sqn Ldr. Jatinder Das Kumar - 4896-F(P) (3 Sqn)
  • Sqn Ldr. Devaprasad Chatterjee
Flight lieutenant
  • Flt Lt. Sudhir Kumar Goswami - 8956-F(P) (5 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Vijay Vasant Tambay - 7662 –F(P) (32 Sqn
  • Flt Lt. Nagaswami Shanker - 9773-F(P) (32 Sqn
  • Flt Lt. Ram Metharam Advani - 7812-F(P) (JBCU)
  • Flt Lt. Manohar Purohit - 10249(N) (5 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Tanmaya Singh Dan doss - 8160-F(P) (26 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Babul Guha - 5105-F(P)
  • Flt Lt. Suresh Chander Sandal - 8659-F(P) (35 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Harvinder Singh (army officer)|Harvinder Singh - 9441-F(P) (222 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. LM Sassoon - 7419-F(P) (JBCU)
  • Flt Lt. Kushalpal Singh Nanda - 7819-F(N) (35 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Ashok Balwant Dhavale - 9030-F(P) (1 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Shrikant C Mahajan - 10239-F(P) (5 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Gurdev Singh Rai - 9015-F(P) (27 Sqn)
  • Flt Lt. Ramesh G Kadam - 8404-F(P) (TACDE)
  • Flt Lt. Pradeep Vinayak Apte
Flying Officers & Pilot Officers
  • Flg Offr. Krishan L Malkani - 10576-F(P) (27 Sqn)
  • Flg Offr. KP Murlidharan - 10575-F(P) (20 Sqn)
  • Flg Offr. Sudhir Tyagi - 10871-F(P) (27 Sqn)
  • Plt Offr Tejinder Singh Sethi

Indian Navy

  • Lt. Cdr. Ashok Roy (Naval officer)|Ashok Roy
  • Lt. Cdr. Akash Patel (Naval officer|Akash patel

This list was tabled in the Lok Sabha in 1979 by Samarendra Kundu, Minister of State of External Affairs, in reply to a question raised by Amarsingh Pathawa.

See also

References

  1. ^ "1971 Prisoners of War: Why 54 Indian soldiers are still languishing in Pak jails". Indiatoday.com.
  2. ^ Biswas, Soutik (2020-01-26). "The mystery of India's 'missing 54' soldiers". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  3. ^ "Pilot freed, kin of 'Missing 54' ask, 'What about our men?'". timesofindia.com.
  4. ^ "भारत ने रिहा किए थे पाकिस्तान के 93 हजार युद्धबंदी, हमारे 54 सैनिक अब भी उनकी जेल में बंद". amarujala.com.
  5. ^ "Abhinandan Varthaman Isn't the Only POW in Pakistan, 54 Others Remain Forgotten in Time". news18.com.
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