Retired Air Marshal K C Nanda Cariappa in Kodagu at Madikeri on 10 March 2019. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Much before Abhinandan, there was Cariappa, taken PoW by Pakistan.
The fighter aircraft blew up in a ball of flame and crashed. The pilot ejected safely, but when he landed with his parachute, he was immediately surrounded by Pakistani troops. It was September 22, 1965, and the officer was 27-year-old Flight Lieutenant K.C. Cariappa.
“I wasn’t sure whether I was in India or Pakistan. When our artillery opened up, one of the Pakistani soldiers said that your guns are firing at us. That’s when I realised that I had been taken as a prisoner of war (PoW),” recounts Air Marshal Cariappa (retd) in a telephonic interview from his home in Madikeri in Karnataka. He landed in Punjab’s Khem Karan sector, 5 km from the International Border, which had been occupied by the Pakistani Army.
The pilot spent the next few weeks being moved from one hospital to another because of a spinal injury and a damaged arm from shelling. As news of him being the son of then General K.M. Cariappa (who had retired as the Chief of the Army Staff and would be later conferred the rank of Field Marshal) spread, he was visited by Pakistan’s Army Chief General Muhammad Musa and one of Pakistan President General Ayub Khan’s son, who gave him a P.G. Wodehouse book and cigarettes.
Retired Air Marshal K C Nanda Cariappa in Kodagu at Madikeri on 10 March 2019. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Ayub Khan, who had served under Cariappa Senior in the North West Frontier Province, offered to return the young captive. But that offer was politely rejected by General Cariappa, who said that all Indian PoWs were his sons. The young officer was shifted to the main prison camp at Fort Dargai, where all the other Indian PoWs were detained. As a captive, life was far from comfortable.
“Food was terrible. We had pooris and a mug of tea for breakfast, and rice, two chapattis, lacey bhindi (lady’s finger) and a soupy preparation of turnip for lunch, which was repeated for dinner.”
The officers were given a pair of hawaai slippers, a dungaree and a blanket which were far from enough to keep warm. But, in the company of six other Indian Air Force officers at the prison camp life became somewhat cheerful.
“(Sqdn Ldr) Piloo Kakkar would read out chapters from Mahabharata and Ramayana and Sikky (Sqdn Ldr B P Sikand) had us in splits of laughter recalling his youth.”
A particularly memorable occasion was the New Year’s eve.
“We used to get a terrible fruit called mittha, which was a kind of a grapefruit but far from sweet. We asked for an earthen pot, put this fruit and our chapatis into the pot and added some methylated spirit stolen from the nursing orderly who would come to dress up our wounds. We then wrapped up the pot with a blanket and place it near a fire to prepare our brew, snake juice. For dessert, we had Marie biscuits and chocolates that we melted so we had almost the original Oreo sandwich!”
The 81-year-old says that while there was no ill-treatment or third-degree torture during his captivity, there was always “the fear of the unknown” haunting the prisoners.
Talking about Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman’s capture by the Pakistani military, he says that “the rules of the game have changed due to social media”, but there is a need to adhere to a “code of conduct”. “While there were horrible videos of his bloodied face circulating, these were also an acknowledgment of the fact that he was in Pakistani custody.” His were “kinder and benign years”.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Jagriti Chandra / New Delhi – March 11th, 2019
The Kodagu principality was ruled by the Haleri dynasty between 1600 and 1834.
During this time, a Havyaka family moved from Adamane in Shimoga to Palathadaka near Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada. Hence, they identify themselves as the Adamane Palathadaka (AP) family. Many AP family members were related to the officials who served under the Kodagu rulers.
A member of this generation, Dr A P Lalit Mohan, has their family tree.
The AP family claims their descent from Subbarasaya, who served as a karnika (treasurer) in Kodagu, as well as his brother Thimmarasaya. A number of Subbarasayas and Thimmarasayas can be found in the family tree.
Dr Mohan claims that two female members Mahadevamma, the wife of Dodda Vira Rajendra, and Gowramma, one of Chikka Vira Rajendra’s 13 queens, were born in the AP family.
Two missionaries, Hermann Friedrich Mögling in his Coorg Memoirs and Georg Richter in his Gazetteer Coorg narrated the story of the Rajas.
Linga Raja I died in 1780 while his three sons, Vira Raja, Appaji Raja and Linga Raja II, were still young. Hyder Ali became their guardian of the princes and took up the direct administration of Kodagu. He maintained that when they would come of age, the throne of Kodagu would be restored to them. In the meantime, he appointed Subbarasaya, from the AP family, as the amaldar of Kodagu.
In 1782, Kodagu rose in rebellion. The princes and their family members were moved to Gorur Fort in Hassan. After the death of Hyder Ali, his son, Tipu Sultan, succeeded as the ruler of Mysore. The Kodagu princely family was again moved to Periyapatna Fort. They were being held in confinement and were prevented from reaching their capital, Madikeri. Tipu marched through Kodagu in 1784. When Kodagu rebelled again, he returned.
Subbarasaya was succeeded as amaldar by his nephew Nagappayya. Nagappayya was charged with treason by Tipu Sultan and was condemned to death. He then fled to Wayanad and took asylum under Kote Raja in Kotangadi.
During 1788, two Kodagu leaders, Appaneravanda Achayya and Pattacheravanda Boluka, helped Vira Raja and his family escape. Most of the family members settled in Kurchi in Kodagu. From there, Vira Raja with Achayya, Boluka and his other men led a guerrilla war against Tipu Sultan.
Nostalgia
The Kote Raja sent bandits to Kurchi where they killed the family members, including Vira Raja’s first wife, looted the place and burnt it down. Despite this setback, by 1791, Vira Raja reclaimed Madikeri. In 1795, a new palace was built in Nalknad. Vira Raja had a daughter, Rajammaji, from his first marriage.
He desired to have a son. Hence, the following year, a mantapa (pavilion) was built in front of this palace where Vira Raja married Maha Devamma in a grand ceremony. Maha Devamma later came to be called as ‘Maha Deva Rani’. Vira Raja and Maha Deva Rani had four daughters: Devammaji, Muddammaji, Rajammaji and Mahadevammaji.
Remnant Kalyana Mantapa in front of Nalknad palace in Kodagu. Photo by author
Vira Raja had his will made before he died in 1809. Accordingly, Devammaji succeeded him to the throne. But two years later, her uncle Linga Raja forced her to abdicate the throne in his favour.
Linga Raja ruled from 1811 until his death in 1820. He got his four nieces married. Linga Raja’s son Chikka Vira Raja succeeded him. By 1826, Chikka Vira Raja got Muddammaji and her family members killed.
During the 1834 war between Kodagu and the British East India Company, Chikka Vira Raja surrendered to the British. After his exile, he went to London where he died in 1864. Karnika Thimmappayya, who was his brother-in-law, died in 1868.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Statesman / by Mookonda Kushalappa / March 10th, 2019
Jaggery coffee may not be your cup of tea but expect the brown brew to be presented as a welcome drink at a resort in the middle of a large coffee plantation, such as the Cottabetta bungalow in Pollibetta, Coorg, south Karnataka. Nearly 130 years old, this plantation resort was once the residence of British planters. Owned by the Tatas now, it consists of a Kerala-style house with the bedrooms around the inner courtyard, offering the old-world charm and comfort.
On the hillsides, a dense forest of short and stunted trees bearing this exotic berry, in the shadow of the taller trees on which pepper creepers climb high, abounds. The soil here is good for a host of other spices, too. That’s what the traders from the west came looking for, and then settled down to rule our country.
A tour of this particular plantation gives an insight into the process of producing coffee. According to a tour guide, Udhav, a coffee plant starts yielding berries after seven years, and then goes on doing it for over 75 years. Initially the berries are red, but turn brown once they go through several stages of drying, pulping, roasting and grinding before landing on our tables as the brew with a heady aroma. Robusta is the variety that grows here. It’s the favourite of the elephants, too. Most plantations are surrounded by an electric fence to protect them from pachyderms (animals like elephants, hippopotamus and rhinoceros) but, says Udhav, “sometimes they find out how to switch it off. Generally, it is the matriarch of the herd who knows how”!
Monastery
In another direction from Madikeri, about five kilometres off the Bangalore road, lies a Buddhist monastery, Namdroling. This seminary imparts education in the Nyingmapa tradition of Buddhism. Over 3,000 students from the primary to postgraduate level, from the Himalayan regions and abroad, “chant and study, work and practice” here. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche set up this monastery in 1963.
He “attained Mahaparinirvana” in 2009. The Dalai Lama consecrated it and christened it as Namdroling, though its full name is Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling (Land of increasing practice and teaching of the utmost yana that achieves spontaneous liberation). The centre is also known as the Golden Temple because of the three 40-feet high, gilded statues of the Buddhist icons. The entire complex has been elaborately decorated with the Tibetan-style paintings, murals and religious figures. Bylakuppe, a small town where this is located, is a far cry from Tibet in terms of climate and culture but it houses the second largest Tibetan settlement after Dharamsala.
Around 40km from Madikeri is Talakaveri, on the Brahmagiri hill, the source of the Kaveri river. A tank marks the source of the river, and a nearby temple is a popular place for pilgrimage. Not too far from Madikeri lies the Dubare elephant camp. It is located on the banks of Kaveri. Apart from watching big animals, one can do some still-river rafting close by. The best time to visit Coorg is soon after the rains when water cascades down the falls and mist rises up to shroud the mountains. Perhaps, that’s why it’s also known as the Scotland of India.
source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Spectrum> Travel / by Lalit Mohan / March 10th, 2019
The legend of Field Marshal KM Cariappa is well known as he was the first chief of the Indian Army after independence. But one anecdote from the life of the legend himself elevated him far above others who could rival his glory.
GENERAL AYUB KHAN AND FIELD MARSHAL KM CARIAAPPA, PIC COURTESY: AFP/WIKIPEDIA
Yes, the battle of 1965 where he refused the offer of Pakistan General Ayub Khan to release his son who was an IAF pilot and was captured and kept as Prisoner of War (PoW), the legend Field Marshal Cariappa not only refused General Ayub Khan’s offer but also asked to treat him at par with other PoWs.
Caught by Pak army when his plane was shot down
Sqn Ldr KC Cariappa was flying near the border and his plane was shot down. He had to eject and during the process of ejection and landing, the Sqn Ldr Cariappa ‘s spine was injured. Soon after the capture, like all other PoWs, the Sqn Ldr Cariappa told his name, rank and unit number. Like Wing Abhinandan, he also didn’t divulge any information.
News soon reached General Ayub Khan
REUTERS
Soon after his capture, the news reached General Ayub Khan that Pakistan army had captured son of India’s first army chief Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the General announced it on Radio Pakistan that his forces have captured Sq Ldr KC Cariappa, the son of legendary Indian Field Marshal.
When General offered Field Marshal to release his son
General Ayub Khan had served under Field Marshal Cariappa in the British Indian Army and always held him in high esteem. General Ayub Khan asked Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi to personally meet Field Marshall who in return politely refused General’s offer.
Field Marshal said other PoWs are also his sons
In his reply to the High Commissioner who had come on behalf of General Ayub Khan, Field Marshal Cariappa told him that he doesn’t want Pakistan to release his son but treat all PoWs well as all Indian soldiers are his sons.
FIELD MARSHAL KM CARIAPPA AND HIS SON AIR MARSHAL KC CARIAPPA, PIC COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA/BHARAT RAKSHAK
Recently speaking to the media, Air Marshal KC “Nanda” Cariappa said “My dad was a man of high principles. For him, his son and all other soldiers were the same. Even though Ayub Khan was his junior and was close to him, he refused to get me released before the others. I was later released with all others”.
Air Marshal was quoted by the News18. Sq Ldr KC Cariappa was caught on last day of the war and when he came back, he commanded a helicopter unit of the IAF and retired as Air Marshal. He had also took part in 1971 war.
(With News18 inputs)
source: http://www.indiatimes.com / India Times / Home> News> India / by Maninder Dabas / March 06th, 2019
It’s not what you expect to see in the heart of the Western Ghats around the spot where the river Cauvery originates.
Mottana C. Ravi Kumar
Nestled in the Western Ghats, where the river Cauvery originates, is a little-known memorial. On it are inscribed the names of 49 soldiers from a village nearby, who lost their lives in World Wars 1 and 2. It’s a heroic and elaborate effort by Mottana C. Ravi Kumar, an advocate and the son of an army man. Over the years, officers like Kargil war veteran Major Rakesh Sharma have visited the memorial, much to Kumar’s pride, writes Aksheev Thakur
It’s not what you expect to see in the heart of the Western Ghats around the spot where the river Cauvery originates. But venture deep into the green canopy of the ghats and you come across a war memorial inscribed with the names of 49 soldiers from a village here, who lost their lives in World Wars I and II.
Cherangala village in Kodagu has an advocate, Mottana C Ravi Kumar, the son of an army man, to thank for the memorial that pays tribute to its patriotic sons killed in the two wars.
It’s an elaborate memorial, the statute having come from Mohali. It nearly got a T-55 tank too, but the bridge in the village was not strong enough to carry it, forcing that plan to be abandoned . Next to the statue stands an Ashok Stambh with each side inscribed with Kavi Pradeep’s famous “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” Iqbal’s “Sare Jahan se Accha,” Rabindranath Tagore’s “Where the Mind is Without Fear” and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s “Vande Mataram. “
The songs and the memorial are meant to inspire the young of the village , the advocate tells you. “Soldiers serve in inhospitable conditions and this is my little ode to them,” he says.
Distinguished officers of the the country’s armed forces like Field Marshal K M Cariappa’s son, Air Marshal (retd) KC Cariappa, Lt. Gen. (retd.), G S Nanda, and Kargil war veteran, Major Rakesh Sharma have visited the memorial over the years, much to the pride of the villagers, who continue to honour the memory of the men they sent off to war.
The army man that he was, Mr Ravi Kumar’s father wanted him to join the armed forces too, but he insisted on becoming a doctor. “Ultimately, I did not become either a doctor or a soldier, but an advocate and moved to Bengaluru to practice,” he smiles.
But he did flirt with the idea of joining the army, spending some time at the Dholpur Military School near Agra as a young man. “Father joined the army in 1941. When I joined the military school, the 1962 Indo-China war erupted. The principal often gave five and six-year-old children news of their fathers achieving martyrdom on the battlefield and I saw them crying. The scene was repeated in the 1965 war and this drew me emotionally close to the armed forces,” he recalls.
But the idea of the memorial in the village was born quite by chance. Being an advocate, he once filed a writ petition in court on the lack of road connectivity to his village and the resulting disadvantage this placed its families in when it came to getting brides for their sons as parents were reluctant to send their daughters away to such a remote spot in the ghats. “ Children had to travel five miles to go to school. So when I became an advocate I filed a writ petition in the high court and it was passed by Justice Gopal Gowda,” he adds .
During one of their meetings, Justice Gowda pointed out to him that he had not invited him to the village after the road was built to connect it to the rest of the state. “It was then that the idea of the war memorial came up as I could not have invited him for just the road,” he says. And he went on to build it at the spot where it still stands in memory of the village’s bravehearts.
A strong believer in the words of Swami Vivekananda that, “They only live who live for others, rest are more dead than alive, “ the advocate has fought several cases of defence personnel too over the years.
But he has not stopped there. Unlike many in Kodagu, who run homestays, Mr Ravi Kumar runs an orphanage as he feels someone has to take care of children with no one to turn to.
“There over 25 million orphans in India according to the United Nations and of them 10 lakh sleep on the streets of Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. We have not even done an independent census of orphans although countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka have. But if we take the statistics of the UN into account, they form 2 per cent of the population and are not receiving any attention. The SCs, STs and OBCs have reservation, what about the orphans, who don’t know what their religion or caste is?” he asks pertinently.
Mr Ravi Kumar takes care of the children not only till they turn 18, but till they make their own way in life. “At least they can then go on to become soldiers in the Indian Army, if not officers,” he concludes.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle, viral and trending / by Aksheev Thakur, Deccan Chronicle / March 02nd, 2019
Whether you’re looking for a hot cup of tea, some authentic Indian food, or a hard cocktail, you’ll find it at Coorg Indian Café in Mt. Pleasant.
Owners Preethi and Darshan Ayandra are both full time employees of Boeing, but their coffee concept has been percolating for a long time.
They are from the coffee-growing region of Coorg in India. Indian Coffee is primarily distributed to Europe and Russia, but hasn’t been served up in the United States before now, the owners say.
Eventually they’d like to sell the coffee by the bag!
Coffee isn’t the only thing brewing at this café. Food is also a shining star. You won’t find the standard Indian fare. Curry Chicken and Coorg Ribs are traditional recipes from their region.
All entrees are served with a variety of chutneys with different levels of heat. Feeling bold? Try the mint!
Coorg is closed on Monday and Tuesday. The owners would like to expand their staff, so if you’re interested in working for them, stop in!
source: http://www.abcnews4.com / ABC4 NEWS / Home> News / by Emiley Gracey / March 01st, 2019
It was in 1836 that twenty-five-year-old Rev. Hermann Moegling, a German missionary from the Basel Mission, arrived in Mangalore. Christianity was already popular on the west coast of India. He founded the Basel Evangelical Mission Seminary, which became a hub of learning of not only religion but also Indian languages and culture.
Moegling, a linguist, was fluent in English, Sanskrit and Persian, besides his native German. He started learning Kannada and soon became proficient in the language. The credit for starting the first newspaper in Kannada “Mangaluru Samachara” goes to Rev. Moegling. The maiden issue of this newspaper was brought out on 1st July 1843. This eventful day is still being aptly celebrated as ‘Kannada Press Day.’ Rev. Moegling went on to translate several Kannada classics to German and vice-versa. Basel Evangelical Mission Seminary started by him in Mangalore continues under the new name Karnataka Theological College. Rev. Moegling laid the foundation for Mangalore becoming a centre for education.
In 1852, Rev. Moegling was preparing to leave for Germany for medical treatment when he had an unexpected visitor from Coorg — a man named Alamanda Somayya. The tall, impressive looking man was dressed as a sanyasi. He requested Rev. Moegling to accept him into the Christian fold. He offered his land in Coorg for construction of a church. Rev. Moegling was quite taken up with Somayya’s resolve.
Believing this to be a divine intervention, Rev. Moegling cancelled his trip. He moved to Coorg in 1853 along with his wife and adopted spiritual son Rev. Anandarao Kaundinya. Alamanda Somayya was baptised on 6th January 1853 and was christened Stephanas Somayya. Rev. Moegling built a house and a modest church on Somayya’s land in Armeri village.
Lt. Col. Mark Cubbon was the Chief Commissioner of Coorg at the time, and he encouraged Rev. Moegling to establish the first Protestant church and a school in Madikeri in 1855. Another notable personality in the field of education in Coorg was Rev. Georg Richter, also from the Basel Mission in Germany. He was brought to Coorg by Rev. Moegling in April 1856 and was given charge of running the school. Rev. Richter spent most of his life in promoting education in Coorg and was the first Principal of Central School in Madikeri, which was started in 1869. He later took charge as Inspector of Schools. His book, “Gazetteer of Coorg” published in 1870 is a comprehensive recording of social, cultural, historical and geographical aspects of Coorg. Rev. Richter’s wife, Armella, taught needlework to Coorg girls.
In a recent book by Albert Frenz (Stuttgart), titled “Georg Richter: His Work in Kodagu on the Basis of Official Reports” gives us an insight into Rev. Richter’s journey to India, and how he landed in Coorg and spent 38 years here except for an 18-month furlough in Germany.
The British administration granted 97 acres of land in Siddapur to Rev. Moegling to establish a church and to support a Christian settlement with a coffee estate. The work on this ambitious project started in 1857. Even though Rev. Moegling had his hands full with preaching the Gospel and opening the coffee plantation, he found time to author two books on Coorg. One in German, “Das Kurgland” details his evangelical work in Coorg. The other, written in English, titled “Coorg Memoirs” is one of the first in-depth study of history of Coorg.
Rev. Anandarao Kaundinya ably assisted his mentor. The new settlement was named Anandapura or ‘region of happiness.’ Rev. Moegling found Coorg to be an ideal place to live and called it his second country. In 1860, Rev. Moegling left for Germany to be with his ailing wife. He himself was in poor health. To his great disappointment, his illness did not permit him to return to Coorg. He died in 1881.
The work at Anandapura continued under Rev. Moegling’s disciple and another fellow German missionary Rev. Ferdinand Kittel. An Indologist and a polyglot, Rev. Kittel first came to India in 1853 and in time became a renowned scholar in Kannada. He too translated some of Kannada classics to German and wrote several books and poems in Kannada.
His most famous work is the first Kannada-English dictionary consisting of 70,000 words which he painstakingly compiled and published in 1894. It was while in Coorg that he started perfecting his proficiency in Kannada. He continued Rev. Moegling’s initiative in the field of education. Rev. Kittel also wrote a book on Kannada grammar. He was a regular contributor to Mangaluru Samachara. His work took him, besides Mangalore, to Dharwad as well. In recognition of his contribution to Kannada, an impressive statue of Rev. Kittel stands prominently on M.G. Road, Bangalore. Further, a Kittel Science College and a Kittel Arts College, have been established in Dharwad. There is talk of starting a University in Rev. Kittel’s name. That would be a fitting tribute to this great champion of Kannada.
One of the major hurdles faced at the Anandapura settlement was malaria, which the Europeans referred to as the ‘Coorg Fever.’ There were many deaths and gradually this scourge affected the project adversely. Anandapura coffee estate was subsequently taken-over by British planters who had shifted to Coorg from Sri Lanka. The coffee estate grew in extent and is now a part of Tata Coffee Limited. It still retains the name: Anandapura Estate.
Gabriel and Hanna Alamanda
These three Germans were pioneers in promoting education in Coorg. However, their hope of making Kodavas embrace Christianity did not find favour beyond Somayya and his family. Reproduced is a rare photograph of Alamanda Somayya’s son Gabriel and daughter Hanna, taken by Rev. Richter in 1862.
About the author: C.P. Belliappa
C. P. Belliappa, born in 1946, is a Chemical Engineer. He is currently settled in Coorg. He is known for his writings on issues pertaining to Coorg. Four of his books — Tale of A Tiger’s Tail & other Yarns from Coorg, Nuggets from Coorg History, Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg, and Tongue of the Slip, have been published by Rupa Publications.
He currently serves as President, Coorg Institute of Technology, Ponnampet, South Kodagu.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by C.P. Belliappa / February 24th, 2019
The event, which has even entered the Limca Book of Records, is being organised by Kodavas for 22 years.
Madikeri :
The highly anticipated annual Kodava Hockey Tournament, which was to be cancelled this year following the suffering caused to people due to the floods in Kodagu, will be held as usual, albeit in a modest manner.
The event, which has even entered the Limca Book of Records, is being organised by Kodavas for 22 years. It started with a handful of families, and attracted fame and popularity with a record-breaking participation of 334 families in last year’s Kulletira Hockey Cup.
Though the tournament was proposed to be cancelled, the tradition was sought to be kept alive. So, Kodava families approached the Coorg Hockey Association to continue the legacy though not in its usual glory.
“The cost of the tournament will be under `20 lakh,” said association secretary B Chengappa, ex-international player.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 19th, 2019
Most profound of tragedies are made when the valour of a soldier goes unnoticed and unawarded. While we have many heroes whose bravery encounters have gone down in the Indian armed forces’ annals of history, there must be some who remained unsung.
One such hero whose valour could have remained unsung was the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) recipient Squadron Leader Ajjimada Bopayya Devayya who was awarded this honour 23 years after in 1988 for his sacrifice in an epic dog fight on September 7, 1965 war against Pakistan Air Force’s Supersonic F-104 Star-Fighter.
INDIA’S SECOND HIGHEST BATTLE HONOUR MAHA VIR CHAKRA/ SQN LDR AB DEVAYYA, PHOTO COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA
But whether it’s the destiny or the solace from the enemy that his valour and sacrifice was first recognised by Pakistan and then by Indian Air Force after which the second battle honour for him followed.
If it had not been Pakistani Flt Lt Amjad Hussain admission whose plane was destroyed by Sq Ldr Devayya and the book written by British writer John Flicker’s Book-Battle for Pakistan: The Air War of 1965, the valour of Sq Ldr Devayya would have gone unnoticed.
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Flt Lt Hussain survived the dog fight as he ejected in due time, but during one sortie in the same F-104 Star-Fighter to destroy Indian assets stationed at Amritsar air base in 1971 war, Flt Lt Hussain’s plane was hit and this time too, he ejected safety, only to be taken as Prisoner Of War (POW) by Indian forces.
A The Tribune report published in 2015 and a PIB documentary available on YouTube titled 1965 Indo-Pak Air War claims that Flt Lt Hussain told the story of a dog fight between his F-104 Star Fighter and Sq Ldr Devayya’s Mystere and how Sq Ldr Devayya despite being hit, destroyed Flt Lt Hussain’s plane before being martyred in the crash.
7th September 1965
The India-Pakistan war was in its thick and going gaga over the initial gains, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was raiding Indian airbases on the western border. IAF was tasked to reply and attack the Pakistan airbases.
“Squadron Leader Ajjimada Bopayya Devayya flew in a Mystere Aircraft as a member of a strike formation that was assigned the task of attacking the heavily defended Sargodha airfield in Pakistan at 0555 hours on 7th September 1965. All members of the mission except Squadron Leader Devayya returned safely to base. As no other details were available at that time, Squadron Leader Devayya was listed as ‘Mission in Action,” reads the IAF Citation about Sq Ldr Devayya.
IAF/BHARAT RAKSHAK
The IAF had carried various strikes on Sargodha, Chota Sargodha and other bases of PAF and despite the difference having less advanced fighter jets- both in terms of speed and manoeuvrability, the IAF pilots gave their Pakistani counterparts befitting and scores of Pakistan highly advanced American F-86 Sabres and F-105 Star Fighter were destroyed.
When Sq Ldr Devayyas grit won over Flt Lt Hussain’s F-104
French Dassault Mystere was no match to F-104 Star Fighter as it was the first plane in the world which touched the Mach 2 Speed. Seeing the Mystere approaching the Sargoda airbase, F-104 intercepted Sq Ldr Devayya’s jet and dog fight which remained elusive and unsung resumed.
“The pilot of F-104 first fired an air-to-air Sidewinder missile, which Squadron Leader Devayya successfully evaded and the missile hit the ground. However, by virtue of its faster acceleration, the F-104 rapidly closed in on the Mystere and fired a burst of its 20 mm multibarrel cannon and succeeded in damaging Squadron Leader Devayya’s Mystere. The F-104 went ahead of the Mystere due to its higer speed,” reads the Citation.
IAF MYSTERES, PHOTO COURTESY: BHARAT RAKSHAK
Flt Lt Devayya despite being hit, didn’t eject and decided to give a far superior plane, a fight for its life. He chased F-104 and rained the bullets on it from his Mystere’s power gun. The F-104 got hit and soon the flames enveloped it and Flt Lt Hussain had to eject.
“Undaunted and with utter disregard for his personal safety, Squadron Leadder Devayya flew his damaged Mystere in pursuit after the F-104. His decision was critical because the Mystere were operating at the extremity of their range and combat with an F-104 meant significantly lowering his chances of return to base.”
“Neither the Pakistani pilots flying skill nor the F-104 superior performance were apparently a match for Squadron Leader Devayya’s determination and single-minded purpose. Manoeuvring a damaged aircraft, he finally shot down the F-104. Thereafter, it is conjectured that Squadron Leader Devayya was unable to maintain control of his aircraft and was either killed in an unsuccessful low-level ejection or in a crash because of the damage that his aircraft had sustained.”
First taken as missing and then presumed dead
The then Wing Commander O.P. Taneja, who had led the first wave of attacks of which Sq Ldr Devayya was a part of, waited for him after returning to the base, but he didn’t come.
“I was told he must have gone to 32nd Squadron to return their aircraft and to change,” Taneja told IndiaToday years later during an interview published in 1988, “but when more than 40 minutes passed, I insisted on seeing him.”
As a customary, Flt Lt Devayya was presumed dead after a year.
The book
The PAF in later years commissioned a British writer, John Flicker to write about air war between two countries in 1965. Since he was commissioner by PAF, Flicker obviously painted PAF as superior air force which had caused harm to IAF in the air battle.
But the truth was a larger version of the dog fight between Sq Ldr Devayya’s Mystere and Flt Lt Hussain’s supersonic F-104 and the IAF had literally annihilated technically superior aircraft like F-84 Sabres with the relatively older and less advanced fleet of Mysteres, hunters and others.
VICTORY IN 1965 WAR. PHOTO COURTESY: INDIAN ARMY FACEBOOK PAGE
But the book had an anecdote about this dog fight where it was admitted that a Mystere had destroyed F-104 before crashing with its pilot.
PAF’s retired Air Commador, Kaeser Tuffail has also written about it on his blog-Mystery of the Downed Mystère where he also talks about how locals gave Sq Ldr Devayya burial.
The struggle
The book left many surprised, especially the then Wing Commander O.P. Taneja who led the attack at Sargodha who said approached higher authorities with this as quoted by IndiaToday. “I moved higher authorities and told them it had to be Devayya.” Wing Commander Taneja was sure because that day only two were lost-one Sq Ldr Devayya in the morning and another Flt Lt Bahul Guha in the evening.
But none paid heed to his appeals.
But in 1987, the War Studies Division of the Ministry of Defence saw Fricker’s book and one of its members, the then Air Commodore Pritam Singh paid attention to an important anecdote. Singh had also seen action in 1965 as a young pilot. He told IndiaToday in 1988. “I knew all the pilots in the Mystere formation and began to trace them,” Singh said when he commanding the airbase in Jodhpur.
SAINIKSAMACHAR.NIC.IN
Singh put all his efforts to connect the dots and talked to all people concerned including Wing Commander Taneja apart from collecting evidence from Pakistani broadcast acknowledging the loss of an F-104 on September 7 morning. In November 1987, Singh presented all his findings to the high command and the pieces of evidence were compelling and convincing.
And finally, the Mahavir Chakra for the great air warrior
Finally, 1988, Sq Ldr AB Devayya was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) for an act of unparallel courage and bravery. His 51-year-old wife Sundari Devayya who received the news that husband was missing at the age of 29, had spent 23 long years without the country recognising her husband’s sacrifice.
INDIA
She spent those years in bringing up the couple’s two daughters, Smitha, 24, and Preetha, 23 (then in 1988) her gallant husband had left. Preetha was just eight months old her father sacrificed himself for the country.
(With inputs from IAF website, IndiaToday, The Tribune, blog of Air Commodore Kaiser Tuffail and PIB Documentary)
source: http://www.indiatimes.com / IndiaTimes.com / Home> News> India / by Maninder Dabas / February 14th, 2019
Coorg Indian Cafe, located in Mount Pleasant Square, features food and coffee from the region of Coorg in India.
Lavanya Sabin, left, and Preeti Machiah prepare dishes at Coorg Indian Cafe on Thursday, January 24th, 2019 / Lauren Petracca / Staff @ postandcourier.com
source: http://www.postandcourier.com / The Post and Courier / Home / February 06th, 2019
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