- 11. The NAGA problem and the issues in North East. The solution ahead for the region.
The British government was treating Naga problem very slowly and steadily. For example out of 6 Naga districts, i.e. Naga hills kohima, Tuensang, Tirap, Kamaing, Subansari and Siang, the British appointed Deputy Commissioner only in Naga hills Kohima, the other 5 districts were called Administered area. The British government did not interfere with anything except to send Assam Rifles to help the weaker Naga in case of of any internal trouble. At that time the Assam Rifles was also under deputy commissioner. It was only after independence that a colonel named Colonel Sidhi Man Rai, who was my old friend, was appointed as the first head of the Assam Rifles. In my opinion Army should not have been sent to suppress the Naga insurgency. The whole Naga culture had no similarity to Indian culture. Government failed in J&K with their appeasement policy, but this policy could have been fruitful in Nagaland.
- 12.The Nanda Devi episode. Some insight into the planting of radioactive device at Nanda Devi. Later search operation of the device.
Nanda Devi episode was top secret. My whole battalion was operating but even me as the commandant of the battalion was also kept out this secret mission. Almost all the equipments were buried in the avalanche which could not be recovered. I was ordered to send a bottle of water from Rishi ganga beyond Joshimath to Delhi every day. After a year or so, one day I did not sent the bottle and lo, I got a heavy stinger from Delhi asking me the reason. I sent a false statement that the Jeep carrying the water bottle met with an accident and the water bottle broke. I realized the importance of water and a bottle of water was sent everyday by jeep to Delhi. Many years later Morarji Desai, the then PM opened the secret.
It was the time when B M Malik was DG Security and he was a very strong and very hard working. I remember a doctor was detailed to go with the Nandi Devi Mission, and when he told Malik that he cannot climb the steep mountain beyond 9000 feet due to poor health conditions, he was ordered to go and nobody would dare to disobey Malik’s orders. The poor doctor really collapsed on his way up the mountain. .
