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BRAINS TRUST: Great Minds Build Bridges with Knowledge
Lt. General Shamsher Mehta
During 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, as a young major he commanded an independent squadron of PT76 tanks as a part of 4 Corps commanded by the legendary Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh.
He was tasked with a near impossible mission of floating his squadron of tanks across the mighty river Meghna in Bangladesh on the 9th of December 1971, he accomplished this and joined up with his infantry and artillery units on the 14th of December and raced to Dacca.
Rear Admiral S K Gupta Maha Vir Chakra
The INS Vikrant played a pivotal role in the 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh. She had been acquired from the UK where it was called HMS Hercules.
India's first Aircraft Carrier was deployed to dominate the Bay of Bengal, which she did despite several technical challenges and a threat to the very existence from the formidable submarine arm of the Pakistan Navy which had mandated the PNS Gazi should sink the Vikrant.
The story is narrated by Lt Cdr Santosh Kumar Gupta the Commanding Officer of the 300 squadron flying Sea Hawks off the Vikrant.
Air Commodore Sridharan
Stories from the Battlefield 110 Helicopter Unit Special Heliborne Operation into Sylhet
This is an account of how a squadron of MI4 Helicopters blown by a bunch of young pilots, assigned for rescue and evacuation role were drawn to battle in 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh. The legendary Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh changed the course of the war by getting the squadron to helilift over 6000 troops, artillery, equipment across the river Meghna and raced to Dacca.
This story is narrated by a youngest pilot of the squadron.
This is a part of our series of stories from the battlefield.
Ambassador Asoke Mukerji
India in UN 1971.
The former permanent representative to the UN shares the account of India’s diplomacy related to the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. In the first phase, India engaged with the major powers of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the wider international. The second phase of India’s diplomacy focused on the UNSC, to ensure that any UNSC resolution must uphold a political settlement in East Pakistan.
Click on the links below and watch the episodes on our Brains Trust India channel.
The Peninsula Studios Music, Theatre and Emperors of Melody.
Tappa singing has complex Taans.
Set to 'Punjabi taal' in Raag Khamaj with the lyric - 'Bhanda ve Mehboob Piyara', the lyrics are sung in irregular speed and pronunciation.
This style of Tappa singing is a specialty of Gwalior gharana, with its beautification with Geetkari, Khatka, Mukri and Harkat
Shashwati Mandal is a fine exponent of the Gwalior style.
Enjoy her rendition of this classic.
She is accompanied on Harmonium by Paromita Mukherjee, on Tabla by Prashant Pandav.
We record all our music @ The Peninsula Studios, watch all the music videos on our Youtube channel.
Brains Trust
Thought Leaders Of The Month - Click, Watch, Share
Brains Trust is a confederacy of thought leaders from the UK and India who tell a story which we record and film.
This season we present a series of documentaries in which veterans of the battles of 1971 are narrating the events.
These are part of the larger military history project of “Stories from the battlefield. Each video takes up a specific battle, produced by The Peninsula Studios.
This brings alive some of the most important battles on the 1971 campaign. It is perhaps the first time that stories from the Army, Navy and the Air Force are being brought together and narrated by officers who commanded squadrons or companies. They drove the tanks, flew jets and helicopters and did hand-to-hand combat.
The series covers the entire spectrum of conflict. It narrates how the 20 Squadron of the Indian Air Force — then based at Pathankot — and commanded by Wing Commander Cecil Parker carried out audacious raids deep inside west Pakistan, including one over Peshawar.
One of his pilots was a naval aviator on an exchange programme with the IAF, who later rose to be the Naval Chief Admiral Arun Prakash. He narrates his experience of the 20 Squadron IAF 1971.
Lt Gen Shammi Mehta dwells on the larger issues of the war, humanism over barbarism, liberation over occupation, democracy over military rule, manoeuver over attrition in his episode of ‘Just and Unjust Wars’. Great commanders like Lt Gen Sagat Singh, Major Gen Ben Gonsalves, Group Capt Chandan Singh and several others we tend forget come to life through these stories.
Music
Artists Of The Month
Dialogue With Peers
Dialogue With Peers is a conversation with leaders from the world of industry, agriculture and commerce. You will meet professionals who have provided leadership to large businesses. They will share their ideas, beliefs, and concerns.
In The News
Brains Trust - in the news
Brains Trust India initiative of producing the documentaries on stories from the battlefield was covered by The Tribune Chandigarh. This support goes a long way in taking our documentaries to newer and wider audiences.
If any of you can assist us in getting some coverage in the media we would be grateful for your support.
Click Here to see a feature on Brains Trust in The Tribune.
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