A Review from Canada
Ikram! I finished the book two days back. In the absence of a forum like Amazon or Goodreads to write a review (since your book is not published there), I thought of completing the courtesy by writing this feedback.
This book ripped open the healed wounds all over again. A painful chapter of our history that will live and haunt me for as long as I’m alive. And the pain becomes intense when I observe that we have learnt nothing – literally nothing – from history and continue to follow a rudderless direction and focusing on immediacy.
But let me come back to the book. It was a gripping read and I couldn’t put it down. It’s well researched, well laid-out and well written. I particularly admire how Dr. Robotka and you skillfully managed to unfold the scholarly work of history alongside narrating your personal story (à la biography) without losing the flow, the scope and direction of your goal.
It was eye-popping to read that you served as a personal messenger between Gen Yahya and Sh. Mujib. I’ve never known a person in my life who has enjoyed so much trust across the aisle and that is a lifetime-achievement which many aspire for but only a few achieve
As a soldier who witnessed the events of 1971 myself while posted in West Pakistan, I can well relate to the events from the other side. It was deeply depressing and tragic to see our leadership walk into a trap blindfolded and hands-tied. Their incompetence and lack of understanding of global politics were naive and immature that landed Pakistan into a strange paralysis. It was equally unfortunate that no one stood up to hold back the coterie from falling off the precipice.
I’ve read a few other books on this tragedy – like those from Rao Farman Ali, Khadim Husain Raja, Sarmila Bose etc and can certainly attest that I found no anomalies or aberrations in the events detailed in your book: if anything, your book complements those I’ve mentioned above in filling a void and completing the picture, and for this Dr. Robotka and you deserve credit.
Allow me the opportunity to refer you to a book by Brig FB Ali titled Prison Journey: A Memoir ISBN-10: 0992132401 that fills yet another void – of how the Yahya regime was finally driven out of office. It’s another interesting part of the puzzle to complete the story. Instead of my writing any more about that book, I’d rather point you to my short review on Amazon which you can read here.
And lest I forget, a quick word about Chand – a person who I have known since 1974 but really never enough or as much as I’ve got to know after reading this book. Ikram! I always knew you to be intelligent and gifted but was never aware of this side of your personality – the side which Gen Yahya, Sh. Mujib, Gen Iqbal, Gen Sharif, JA Rahim, Lt Gen Ali Kuli trusted so much personally. It was eye-popping to read that you served as a personal messenger between Gen Yahya and Sh. Mujib. I’ve never known a person in my life who has enjoyed so much trust across the aisle and that is a lifetime-achievement which many aspire for but only a few achieve.
Shah Alam (PA 7375) is Ikram Sehgal’s (PA 7374) Coursemate from 34th PMA. One of the finest Cadets in the Course, he graduated third as Senior Under Officer and served briefly alongwith Ikram Sehgal in Army Aviation before retiring