Bhubaneswar: "The Indian Army bunker was just five KM away from the battlefield. The roar of the wounded soldiers could be heard inside the bunker while they were being treated. Within the next 15 minutes, the soldiers were ready for the battle again," recalls Dr Rajendra Nath Samantaray, the country's first Paramilitary forces medical DG, during an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat's Tapasa Parida.
Then a Captain, Dr Samantaray may not have fought the enemies in the battlefield, but he was always in the war zone, like a soldier, providing treatment and medical services to other soldiers of the 1971 war against Pakistan.
The Retd Army doctor from Odisha's Bhubaneswar recollects every single event that unfolded during the 1971 conflict as he starts narrating the tense situation.
After his internship with SCB medical college and hospital in Cuttack in 1970, Dr Samantaray joined the services of the Armed Forces on October 5, 1971; just two months before the war.
An Indian Army bunker at Tura station, located 30 KM away from the East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) border near Agartala, was used for treatment of injured soldiers. Inside the bunker, 2-3 doctors were on duty. And Dr Samantaray, just two month-old in the Army, was one of them.
"Injured soldiers would return from the battlefield after being hit by bullets. Some were constantly bleeding, while a few had burn injuries caused by bombs," he says. With sheer commitment for the motherland, he provided treatment to the injured soldiers so that they could go to the war zone again.
"In the Pakistan range, at the Advance Dressing Station (ADS) inside the bunker, we provided first aid to the injured before they could go back to fight. That was our primary job. At times, 40-50 soldiers would come in injured. We would immediately decide who could be sent back after treatment and who all were to be shifted to a field hospital. We checked bleeding, did minor surgeries if necessary, and gave anesthesia before removing bullets."
"While the soldiers who had suffered minor injuries returned to the battlefield after receiving first aid, others who were seriously injured or were not in a condition to fight were immediately shifted to Guwahati Base hospital, Calcutta Barrackpore or to Delhi via air ambulance. We had never seen such a horrific medical emergency before. Treating the injured soldiers was emotionally very challenging for me," says Dr Samantaray as he recounts the experience.
"In the war zone, it was like a race against time. We had to treat as many soldiers as possible in a short time. But not a single soldier seemed afraid, as all of us were fighting for the country and with the zeal to finish the enemies. That moment cannot be described in words," he adds.
A few days after the war, Indian Army personnel and prisoners of the war who were refugees came to the Prisoners of War camp. It was our responsibility to serve the war prisoners too. There were 93,000 soldiers who were refugees. Some came from Kolkata, some from Assam. We rehabilitated everyone and provided required services. There was limited blood and it was not possible to provide saline to 100 soldiers. We also provided services to the prisoners of war. Situation was dire. We also had East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) refugees flooding India, putting tremendous strain on our economy," said Dr Rajendra Nath Samantray.
Sharing a vivid memory, he recalls how the doctors tried to save a Pakistani soldier whose chest had been blown open, with his heart visibly pumping. "There was no bone or flesh in the area. He was pumping his heart. Still, we tried to keep him alive for seven days," he says.
On receiving the call to join war zone, Dr Samantaray says, "Just two months before the war, during the junior doctors' training at Cuttack SCB, an Army team came and spoke to the Dean. Those who wanted to join were given the opportunity. Some were roped in through spot interviews. But I did not appear for the interview at that time. However, after seeing my friends, I also wanted to join the Army. Later, I went to Delhi for an interview where I was offered the joining letter. Surprisingly when the interview was conducted at the Delhi headquarters, the selection process was simple. In the end they asked me whether I would be keen to go if there was a war tomorrow. To which I responded, 'If I join the Army, how can I not go to war?' That's how I grabbed the opportunity."
Dr Samantaray joined the Guwahati Army Base Hospital on October 15, and soon, preparations for war began. Uniforms were distributed and new entrants were given training in handling of weapons including rifles, pistols, and stun guns. By November, the number of beds at the hospital increased from 200 to 2000, and the medical team strength also rose from 20 to 30 doctors. Soon, staff from Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Odisha joined the unit. The staff in the hospital increased tenfold overnight," Dr Samantaray recounted.
Recognition From Indira Gandhi And Sam Manekshaw
Dr Samantray further says, "After the war, we returned to the centre in Guwahati, where we met Sam Manekshaw. I got five minutes to see him there. He wished me best of luck and left after cheering me off. Indira Gandhi followed him and praised our entire team. We would sit in a line at the meeting in the big hall at Guwahati station. She (Indira) came and sat in front. Her face was as radiant as her words."
Joining Army Wasn't Acceptable To Family
"When I shared with my family that I was selected to join the Army in 1971. my mother tried to convince me not to join. My elder sister, who is 20 years older than me, also did not agree because after my father's death, she was managing everything at the house. She aske me, is there no job here (in Odisha)?"
First Paramilitary Forces Medical DG
Born on January 8, 1946, Rajendra Nath Samantaray studied at Khordha Bakshi Jagabandhu Vidyardhar school till Class 10 and then completed Plus-II at Puri SCS college. In 1965, he graduated with MBBS from SCB, and was interning with SCB when opportunity knocked on his doors. Dr Samantaray served in various positions before being appointed as the first Director General (DG) of the Medical Services of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in 2005. He retired in 2006.
Dr Samantaray is a proud recipient of eastern star war medal and western star war medal after the 1971 conflict. He has also been bestowed with the prestigious President's Police Medal for his services to the nation.
