Sorties were this braveheart’s forte

Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh (Retd)

WING Commander Jagan Mohan Nath, the only surviving officer among the six who have been awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) twice, passed away in Mumbai on March 21 at the age of 92. Flying unarmed over China and Tibet, he would return with photographs such as the first ones of the Aksai Chin highway. While he was honoured for his acts, his visual inputs — which could have changed the course of history — were not acted upon.

In an interview with author-journalist Claude Arpi, he had said, ‘If we had sent a few airplanes (into Tibet), we could have wiped the Chinese out. And everything could have been different in the 1962 War. The Chinese would have never dared to do anything down the line.’

Born at Layyah, Punjab (now in Pakistan) in 1930, Jaggi Nath was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Air Force in 1950 and was selected to fly the Canberras in 1957. In the days preceding satellites and drones, Agra-based No. 106 Squadron regularly flew sorties to photograph Chinese movements. Jaggi Nath would take off from Agra, cross the Karakoram Pass, then head all the way to the Lohit Valley. His missions provided information regarding Chinese buildup on the Tibetan Plateau in the years preceding the 1962 War, but unfortunately, the political leadership refused to believe the evidence and draw logical conclusions on its basis.

During the war, he displayed conspicuous courage and was awarded the MVC. Three years later, during the India-Pak war, he flew several times over enemy territory to obtain vital information. His courage and exemplary leadership were vital in India’s success in the 1965 War. He was again awarded the MVC. He idolised former Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Arjan Singh and dedicated his Bar to MVC to the Air Force legend.

During the 1965 War, there was threat from Pakistan air force fighters and ground-based anti-aircraft systems. To avoid being picked up by Pakistani radars, he flew just above the treetops. Once over the target, he would raise his plane higher and film the area.

He is credited with filming the Ichhogil Canal. Getting airborne from Agra, he entered Pakistani airspace opposite Pathankot and flew along the canal. His sortie literally charted the canal. The meticulous mapping of the terrain, deployment and movement in both conflicts was an outstanding feat.

The pilots flying the unarmed Canberras over hostile enemy territory were a different breed. The achievements of Jaggi Nath had few parallels in military history and the significance of his photographs resonates even today as there are no signs of a let-up in the collusive threat from China and Pakistan.

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