Raiganj:

“War is not at all good for anyone. It is always better if war can be avoided. Infact, it should be the last resort,” said octogenarian Santosh, who lives in Udaipur village of Kamalabari 1 Gram Panchayat in Raiganj block after migrating from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Santosh Kumar Biswas is set to turn 80 but the horrors of the 1971 India-Pakistan War and his family's escape to India are still fresh in his mind.

After completing his studies, Tarani got a job as a primary teacher and has now established himself as a Baul artist. His wife, Bijoli Karmakar Biswas, is a homemaker and he has two sons, Tanmoy and Chinmoy. Tanmoy is a leading singer and Chinmoy is a private bank employee. He lives with his family in Kashibati village of Kamalabari 1 Gram Panchayat.

"There has always been hostility between India and Pakistan. Even when India and Pakistan play cricket, the outcome is fierce. The current war atmosphere between the two countries did not happen in one day. But whatever be the reason, no one benefits from war. War leads to huge losses for a country. So it is better not to have a war unless there is no other way to address matters," he said.

Recalling the haunting memory of the 1971 war Tarani said. "I was studying at Raiganj University College at that time and was an NCC cadet. During war, a lot of refugees from Bangladesh came to India. Being an NCC cadet, I used to go to the Malon and Baharail borders to serve those refugees.

"I used to help the doctors and patients in the medical camps there and provide medicines to the refugees. I did this work for a long time on behalf of the college. At that time, we also had to construct trenches for self-defence. One or two trenches were dug in every house. Whenever a shell exploded somewhere nearby, we would take shelter in the trenches. Thankfully, no shells fell on us. At that time, it was forbidden to switch on lights at night due to the blackouts. ,” Tarani recounted.

Many terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been destroyed by the Indian Army's 'Operation Sindoor'.

Recalling those days, Santosh said he used to live in Banpara town of Chittagong. "When the war broke out, people were extremely frightened and everyone ran for cover. The Pakistan Army would have kill me as well. They caught me and made me stand in front of the firing squad. I worked as the driver of the manager of an oil company at that time. When I told them my profession, they allowed me to leave. The war continued for nine months. Several houses were burnt down. We had almost no food but somehow managed to sustain," he recalled.

During those days, Santosh's family was helped by their Muslim neighbour. "To save myself, I went to the mountains and hid in the caves for many days while I sent my family to my in-laws' house. Bombs would be dropped every minute. Bombs were dropped on an oil company there and the fire couldn't be extinguished for a month-and-a-half. Warplanes were always sighted in the sky. Having witnessed war from so close I know it is not a good thing. All efforts should be taken to stop it and it must be the last resort. Finally, Pakistani soldiers surrendered to India, bringing an end to the war," Santosh said.

Post war, Santosh moved to India with his wife, Chabirani Biswas, and family, leaving behind their property and all other assets. After coming to India, they started living in the Udaipur village. Santosh started milk business and now it is run by his two sons, Biswajit and Satyajit.

Septuagenarian, Tarani Mohan Biswas, who had also resettled in India after the 1971 war, recalls the terror and panic citizens undergo when two nations fight. Tarini's ancestral home was in Barun village under Kapasia police station in Bangladesh's Dhaka district. He was good at studies and after passing school in Bangladesh, he enrolled at Raiganj University College in 1970. War started a few months later. At that time, his parents and family members were still in Barun village.

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