English
Abhijeet Sen
Abhijeet Sen is a digital journalist with over five years of experience specializing in the intersection of Indian politics, global economics and business trends. Known for translating complex policy ... Read More
Indian Navy ordered condoms: We all have heard many stories of bravery and courage which define the Indian Armed forces. However, there are some tales which are very surprising yet significant in the annals of history. Today, we bring you a story of the Indian Armed forces from the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which led to the birth of India’s neogbouring country, Bangladesh. Here are all the details regarding why Indian Armed Forces ordered hundreds of condoms during the 1971 war with Pakistan.
It has been reported that the Indian Navy ordered hundreds of condoms during the war with Pakistan. The story dates back to December 1971, where the Indian Armed forces were fighting the Pakistan army, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. During the liberation war, the Indian Navy had reportedly ordered hundreds of condoms to be used in attacking Pakistani ships using mines and successfully liberated Bangladesh.
As the war with Pakistan reached a crucial stage, Pakistani army targeted the Indian airbase and as a result, the Indian Navy attacked Pakistan from many fronts. One of the war fronts was Chittagong port in East Pakistan’s (Present day Bangladesh, where the Indian soldiers planned to target Pakistani ships by blowing them underwater. However, the Indian Army’s mine, called the ‘Limpet mine’ was to be placed under the ship, but the issue was, it would only explode in a 30 minutes time.
Therefore, Indian Navy ordered hundreds of condoms during the 1971 India-Pakistan war to be used for solving the problem. As per a report by ABP Live, the ordered condoms were placed over the limpet mine, so that the mine could remain safe in the water and explode in time.
In another similar development, English news website ‘Firstpost’ quoted Lieutenant Colonel RAK Manek, a participant in the 1971 war, revealing an innovative solution by Indian soldiers during the 1971 war with Pakistan. Facing marshy terrain in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), soldiers feared their rifles would become ineffective due to water and mud. To keep the barrels dry, they ingeniously used condoms to cover them, showcasing how necessity drives invention during critical moments in war.