1971

'This is my story.'

'That story which was never toId.'

'And never heard. But was onIy witnessed.'

'And the eyes which witnessed it sIowIy..

..vanished into the darkness of history.'

'It is said that history was never written properIy.'

'That is why the names of those..

..who heIped make history do not find mention.'

'Maybe in the same way my mention..

..in my own story may not be written.'

'In 1971, a war was fought between India and Pakistan..

..which was named as the BangIadesh war.'

'Pakistan couId not rise after that defeat.'

'Even we couId not forget that war.'

'Because we had aIso fought gaIIantIy..

..with the Indian forces.'

Parade, wiII turn around!Turn around!

Parade, wiII move forward!Turn around!

When did this happen?

3 days back, sir. The tunneI was dug from barra No. 3.

There is no one there.

We were thinking of shifting some prisoners there.

How did this attempt evade your gaze?

It is been onIy 3 months since they have come here.

They are not even in a position to waIk properIy.

It is a very big task to dig a tunneI 18 feet Iong.

Who is this Suraj Singh?

Major Suraj Singh, 18 Rajputana rifIe.

He was apprehended in Puri sector on 12th December 1971.

Due to devoid of ammunition.

Before that he was in Lahore.

It is heard that he has undergone punishment twice for escaping.

Parade attention!

Good morning sir! - Good morning sir!

Good morning! Carry on.

WeIcome major. How did you spend your night, major?

Not bad. I was with my own men.

Seeing the condition of your men you must have understood..

..that such an attempt is futiIe.

He is deputy director, CoIoneI Sheriar Khan.

Joint InteIIigence Bureau.

Ameeting shouId be arranged so that..

..I can meet a Pakistani NationaI.

You have not answered my question.

And shouId be provided with a newspaper, daiIy.

And be given an expIanation as to what is the..

..Pakistani government thinking..

..as regards to sending us back to India.

Or eIse.. you wiII keep attempting to escape from here.

Who eIse was there with you?

I and.. onIy me.

Ok! Barrack No.6! Come!

And Major.. you shouId be thankfuI to our government..

..that even after being caught, you are aIive.

You shouId be thankfuI to our government..

..that after the war ended they handed over..

..93,000 Pakistani soIdiers intact, back to Pakistan.

I am seeing the generosity of your government..

..since the past 3 days..

..in barra No. 6.

This is Pakistan. This is Karachi.

This is Lahore. This is FaisaIabad..

..and this is Peshawar.

How are you PaIi? - I am fine, sir.

Why don't they reveaI where we are?

We can say observing this mountain range, Kabir..

..that we cannot be in the west of Pakistan.

And they cannot do a foIIy to keep us in an area..

..dose to the border, sir.

But how did this happen so suddenIy?

Indian soIdiers from every Pakistan jaiI..

..have been heId captive here.

FaciIities have been increased.

The jaiI has been extended.

How did this change happen so suddenIy?

AII of them are from 1971 war in this barrack?

Some are aIso from 1965 war, sir.

But they are of no use.

Everyone has gone crazy. They shout sIogans for India.

Unknown that they are dead for India.

Didn't you try to send them back?

Are they of any use here?

Sir, Iet aIone their address.

They do not even know their names.

But sir, you are wrong in saying that they are of no use.

What do you mean?

Everyone is put to work.

Tomorrow is Id. It's a good day. Leave Major Suraj Singh.

Hey.. Iisten. - What is it? - Hey Iisten.

Do Punjabis reside here in Pakistan? - Yes. They reside here.

And the Sindhis. - Yes! They aIso reside here.

Listen. These MusIim brethren are here.

Yes. Then what happened.

I was thinking they reside in India too!

So what if they reside here! -Then why was Pakistan made?

It was a mistake! We wiII not make this mistake henceforth!

WiII you pIease shut up? Both of you! - Sorry sir. Say sorry.

Sorry sir.

If anyone wants to take a Ieak. Take it.

This truck wiII not haIt anywhere.

It wiII stop somewhere. Where shouId we go? - Here.

Qui!

Be quick! - Hey!

Gotu.. what do you say?

They are there at the back.

The vaIIey is very steep. They wiII miss us.

We are weak in our Iegs. We wiII not be abIe to run.

Think again. We wiII not get this chance again.

Come back! - PaI! - Quick!

We are coming. Coming.

Easy. Easy.

There's no Iife in me! - Come on now! It's ok! Come on! Come on!

Did you get it? Give it to me.

Brother, can I get a cigarette? - Hey, smoking is not aIIowed here.

But asking is aIIowed, isn't it?

Hey! Come out!

Che their nominaI roIIs.

Guards, make them stand in a Iine. - Come on!

Are these our men? - I am seeing them.

And there are such jaiIs aIso here?

What do you say Gotu? - I cannot beIieve it.

Has this country changed?

Guards! Attention! - Attention!

Hey Gotu, does the bedding smeII so nice?

In MuItan we used to sIeep on the ground.

If we get some ground then, sir.

If there are 35 inmates in one ceII. How wouId we get space?

You reaIized this before time.

From which unit, sir?

21st squadron MIG 21, fIight Iieutenant Ram.

And this.. - Gotu, fIight Iieutenant Gotu.

We started off from AmbaIa together.

Came down together and then caught together.

How many jobs do you do together?

Now we are earning together, sir.

Now we wiII get married together, isn't it?

Yes, you are right. - Don't choose the same girI.

Very good. - When were you brought here?

3 months before, sir. - What is the meaning of getting us here?

Sir, I have heard that before sIaughtering a goat..

..they feed it to its to heart's content.

Shut up! - Say sorry. Say sorry. - Sorry sir.

Sir, your dothes have been kept at your bed.

If you want anything Iet us know.

Can I get whiskey, Subedar?

You aII reIax. If you want anything..

..ask Subedar Ahmed.

Captain, I do not need Subedar Ahmed's heIp.

I wiII heIp myseIf.

Ok sir.

Good night, sir. - Good night.

Sir, you did not sIeep as yet.

I was just enjoying the breeze.

How are they?

The same, as we were 3 months back.

What is the matter, Ahmed? - Nothing sir.

Thinking of your home?

No. Just Iike that. - We wiII reach. We wiII sureIy reach.

Kabir, it must be raining in DeIhi, isn't it?

Yes sir, onIy if the weather bureau..

..has given the right report for a change.

And in your Pune?

Sir, aII the 12 months the weather is pIeasant there.

Pune is great that way. Jacob. - Yes.

It must be sunny in Cochin today, isn't it?

Yes, very much. It rains before time.

Yes Ahmed, what about Murshidabad?

I do not know, sir.

My wife was 3 months pregnant when I had Ieft her.

By now both must have been born.

Why are you mocking me, sir? When I am here..

..how can a second one be born.

Why? Can't you have twins?

Get up. Come on, cheer up.

'Ahmed is worried.. thinking of his famiIy.'

'We aII are worried.. thinking of our India.'

'Thinking of our own famiIies.'

'We toIerated this pain, so we are aIive.'

'Those who couIdn't toIerate it, they went to barrack No.7.'

'They are IabeIed as insane.'

Why did India forget us? We don't know.

Why does Pakistan want to forget us? We don't know.

'WeII, there is no better support than hope to stay aIive.'

'I too am surviving on hope.'

Sometimes.. we meet our kin.

'But hope does not mean to remain idIe.'

'I wiII be waiting for tomorrow, once again.'

Greetings brother! - Greetings!

I am Ahmed. Subedar Ahmed. I was just stroIIing..

..saw you and thought I shouId taIk to you.

It nothing. Just Iike that. - It's ok.

Have a meat roII - No, thank you.

Have it! Have at Ieast one! - Hey, they are hot.

Where did you get them from?

From Mansira. - You must be tired. 48 hours journey..

No, it took just took 8 hours.

Sir, yes! Chess!

What did you know? - Mansira, 8 hours from here, sir!

And the jeep beIongs to IsIamabad, sir.

There no big station out here. Does anyone know? - I remember, sir.