Days at Palatana Training Camp

After the first battle of Bilonia, on June 21, 1971, the invading forces reached the Indian border of Bilonia, creating a frightening situation through heavy gunfire and incredible destruction. Before that, however, the people of the entire area, out of a natural urge to save their lives and honour, took refuge in the border areas of the Indian state of Tripura, especially in the city of Bilonia. The city of Bilonia was then flooded with freedom fighters and the common people of East Bengal. The Indian people welcomed them with a smile and sheltered them. I had already reached Bilonia to join the Palatana training camp. My friend Wali joined me on the way. In Bilonia, I met Jahangir and Ansar, students of Dhaka University.

I started organising those who were interested in participating in the liberation war from among the young men who had recently taken refuge in India, including Jahangir and Ansar. Fortunately, the activity of gathering freedom fighters in Bilonia and our eagerness to join the liberation war came to the attention of Major Pradhan of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF). He called me and, being confident about our good intentions, arranged two ‘Shaktiman’ brand military trucks for us. With two trucks full of young men determined to fight the invading Pakistani army with military training, we finally started our journey towards Palatana.

It was a winding mountain road. Mountains and mountains all around. The mountains are covered with dark green trees and bushes. Only greenery all around with blue sky above where the white clouds were moving slowly. A clear and gusty wind is ruffling our hair and clothes. We are on the road to the unknown. A kind of exciting feeling with uncertainty and anxiety. The heavy military truck is moving forward winding its way up the steep road to the very top of the mountain. Looking down makes you dizzy. If the brakes fail or if you have an accident on this dangerous road for any other reason, you will fall straight into the mountain gorge thousands of feet below. I saw an overturned truck, which had fallen into such an accident, lying in a deep gorge below, sleeping eternally. From so high up, the truck looked like a small toy truck.

Our truck now started to roll and descend, like an angry bull. None of us were used to this kind of journey on the mountain road. Many of the boys sitting in a pile in the truck started vomiting terribly. One such stream of vomit passed over my left shoulder at a rapid pace and fell on the back of another fellow brother. I was saved for a short while; but there was no room for complacency. The next moment, I saw another stream of vomit coming towards me. I moved my head away in an instant. The stream of vomit went straight and hit the neck and upper chest of another fellow brother. What a terrible journey. So, in this way, amidst the vomiting, swaying, shaking and singing the chorus of “Durgom giri kantar moru dustor parabar he/ Longhite hobe ratri nishithe jatrira hushiar”, we finally reached the Palatana training camp. Camp Commandant Captain Shujat Ali MP welcomed us and completed some formalities including a physical fitness test and registered us for military training. We then went to the barracks for food and rest.

The ‘Palatana’ area is located five kilometers northwest of Udaipur city in the Indian state of Tripura. There was a school here called ‘Palatana Primary School’. There is a large field in front of the school. Small hills and mountains all around. A calm, green and pleasant environment. The population is few. Most of the residents are Bengali Hindus. There were tribal people and Muslims also. They coexist peacefully and in harmony.

Captain Sujat Ali, a retired British Army officer, was elected as a member of parliament from the Debidwar area of Cumilla in the 1970 elections as an Awami League candidate. He was the founder-commandant of the Palatana Training Camp. He was a man of a rash nature. He was reticent and angry. His complexion was fair, but when he became angry, he turned bright red. He had a bunch of moustaches under his nose. He liked the place very much for training freedom fighters. The chairman and members of the local panchayat (union parishad) gladly extended their hands of cooperation. Local influential and respected people came forward. All the people concerned, including the district administration, extended their hands of help. The school was declared closed for an indefinite period. The work of setting up the training camp began.

The school house was in the eastern part of the field. Captain Shujat Ali was accommodated in one of its rooms. He had two young sons aged 8 and 10. The next room was designated as the ‘Commandant’s Office’. The other rooms were used as a medical centre, information centre, instructors’ quarters and a warehouse.

Barracks were built on the north, west and south sides of the field with thatched roofs and bamboo fences all around. Langarkhana, meaning kitchen, was set up in the north-east corner. The main gate was built on the south-east side with shal and gazari woods. The second gate was built in the middle of the barracks on the west side with bamboo. Some 30 raw toilets were built in rows on both sides 20 yards away from that gate. They were made of bamboo and bamboo fences two feet above the ground. 30 earthen vessels were kept near the toilets. After answering the call of nature, they had to carry water into a vessel from a small mountain stream flowing nearby and perform their toilet duties.

Every day, a stream of young men and women from East Bengal began to arrive at the Palatana training camp, eager to participate in the liberation war. Among them were students, workers, farmers, hawkers and small businessmen. The average age was 15 to 28 years. The students ranged from ninth and tenth graders to college and university students. The number of students among the freedom fighters in training was higher.

In a small room next to the main gate, interested trainees were selected for training after undergoing physical and psychological tests. The authorities were particularly vigilant so that no one could enter the camp disguised as a trainee to spy for the Pakistanis, while ensuring that genuine aspirants who wanted to join the war were not left out. I saw many people who were not selected for training despite their great desire due to their physical and mental condition as well as their age, crying profusely. What a desire to fight for the independence of their homeland and to give their lives if necessary.

The trainees were organised into sections, platoons and companies in a disciplined manner. The companies were named Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Fighter, Gamma, Hero, etc. Each company was divided into three platoons and three platoon commanders and a company commander were appointed. Before the commander was appointed, extensive tests were conducted in addition to interviews on leadership qualities, including physical, mental and educational qualifications. I was nominated as the commander of the fighter company. Jahangir and Wali were appointed as the commanders of Echo and Gamma companies respectively. I cannot remember the names of the other company commanders today.

Separate barracks were built for each company, with a small path in the middle of the barracks for walking and rest of the space on both sides was allotted for sleeping in rows. Each trainee was given two empty burlap sacks, two 10-inch bricks, an aluminum plate, and a large aluminum mug. We were told to make pillows by wrapping two bricks in a burlap sack and using the remaining burlap sack as a bed. We did so. However, our lower body, including our waists, remained on the ground. Despite much effort to ‘complete’ the bed, a third sack was not allocated. Many of us collected leaves from the nearby forest to make the beds wider and more comfortable.

Food was prepared in the camp's kitchen or langarkhana. After the morning PT parade, we were given one flour roti and a mug of tea as breakfast. At noon, we were allotted one plate of rice and one spoon of 'labra' type curry. At night, two flour rotis and one spoon of dal. However, once a week, a piece of fish or 2/3 pieces of goat meat with broth or a piece of chicken meat with broth was served. That day, waves of joy flowed in everyone's eyes and faces.

After 8/9 days of the official start of the training, 12 boys including Wali were separated from the trainees. They were told that they would be taken somewhere in Assam to provide espionage training against the Pakistanis and for the Indian/Liberation Forces. They all agreed. An Indian Army vehicle was also ready at the gate. Wali was one of my childhood friends in the camp. But he was leaving. My heart was filled with sadness. I bid farewell to Wali with tearful eyes. The moment Wali left, my two dear childhood friends Shahid Ullah and Mosharraf Hossain (Harun) arrived in a rented jeep. Both were students of Feni College. The arrival of the two friends on the eve of the departure of a friend dispelled my depression. As soon as they arrived, they were completely overwhelmed with happiness and joy when they saw me in front of them. Well, after being selected as fighters and completing other official formalities, I took them to the barracks designated for them. Both of them were included in the Hero Company. Shahid was later appointed commander of Hero Company.

The training began. With the sound of the bugle in the morning, all the trainees appeared on the field. The companies were arranged in the order of the English alphabet. Company commanders were made to stand in front of each company. Behind them were three platoons in three rows. A platoon commander stood in front of each platoon. Some of the trainees were wearing lungis, while others were wearing pants. As per the instructions, the lungi-wearers had to stand with their lungis folded over their knees. Some 15/16 habildars and subedars from various regiments of the Pakistan Army, who were on leave, retired or had left the unit, were our trainers. One of them cannot be forgotten. He was Habildar Barek. Barek Ustad was of a simple nature, but he was huge in body, height and width. His voice was like thunder. During training his roaring voice could be heard from afar.

On the first day, the trainees of seven companies were made to stand at attention after physical training and parade. Within a short time, two trainers escorted the camp commandant Captain Shujat Ali Saheb. The commandant welcomed us all and gave a speech in a very emotional language and in a radiant voice. In his speech, he delivered a touching description of how cruelly the East Pakistani Bengalis were ruled and exploited by the West Pakistanis in Pakistan, an unreal state based on the two-nation theory. The language movement of 1952, the Jukto Front elections of 1954, the martial law of 1958, the six-point movement of 1966, the eleven-point movement of the students of 1968, Ayub Khan's Agartala conspiracy case against Bangabandhu, the student uprising of 1969, the devastating coastal cyclone and elections of 1970, the Awami League's absolute majority in the elections, the trickery of the West Pakistanis in handing over power to Bangabandhu, Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech, the attack and massacre by the Pakistani forces on March 26, and finally the touching description of Bangabandhu's declaration of independence in the early hours of March 26, came up in his speech. He called upon us to participate in the liberation war as soon as possible, to get the training done in the shortest possible time, and to defeat the invading Pakistani forces and achieve the independence of the country. In response, more than a thousand trainees expressed their emotions, feelings and determination that day by shouting slogans like 'Brave Bengalis, take up arms, liberate Bangladesh' and 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu'. 

(Shortened)

Golam Mustafa: Valiant freedom fighter, commander and commanding staff officer of a section of the Pioneer Platoon of the 10th East Bengal Regiment.