A Muslim woman who helped India defeat Pakistan in 1971

Economic Times

05-05-2025

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A military officer mourned his mother's death in Punjab's Malerkotla in the summer of 2018. A lot of people were grieving as they had lost a woman who transformed their lives. A woman who helped other women and the underprivileged rise in the society and live a respectable life. However, it was only the son who was aware of her mother's more heroic past. It all began in 1969 when the life of a young woman living a normal student's life in Delhi University was turned upside down when her ailing father, Hidayat Khan (not his real name), called her back to J&K to fulfill his last wish. Sehmat, as she is known from the novel written on her life, had no choice but to honour her father's undeterred commitment to the nation.
As narrated in Harinder Singh Sikka's novel, 'Calling Sehmat', the merely 20-year-old girl, who was learning classical dance and violin along with her graduation, was asked by her father to leave her education and work for the nation as a spy in Pakistan. Her mission turned out to be marriage to Iqbal Syed, a Pakistani army officer, and the son of Brigadier Parvez Syed, a senior officer.Sehmat's father was no ordinary man. He worked for India's intelligence agency R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) and acted as a messenger for India during the 1965 war against Pakistan, owing to his professional connections across the border. The businessman continued to serve the nation until he was diagnosed with cancer at a stage where cure was not possible. The young, petite girl, as Sikka describes Sehmat, would have to succeed her father and act as an agent for the intelligence agency. Her task ahead would be filled with danger and the threat of not living to see another day looming over her every night.
Sehmat was first trained by Manav Chaudhary, who went by code name Mir, then the chief of R&AW, and was explained her mission – to provide all possible information about the plans being made and discussed in the top circles of Pakistani army. Sehmat married Iqbal and was accepted with open arms by his family. She was advised to only listen and observe and was given basic training to install and relay SOS messages using Morse code, in case of an emergency.Sehmat built relationships and gained the trust of not only her family members but also the servants and neighbours in the army quarters. Her music and dance skills helped as she trained the kids in the Army School, where the children of Pakistani army top officials learnt, including Gen Yahya Khan's grandchildren. She gained access to Pakistani defence circles and intelligence and her influence helped Brigadier Syed gain promotions and top ranks within the Pakistani intelligence networks. The tension between the two nations was rising every passing day amid calls for independence in East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). In 1971, a war was on cards as India decided to intervene and help East Pakistan gain its freedom.
At the time, India had one indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, which proved to be of strategic importance for the eventual Indian victory and the formation of Bangladesh. Pakistan was aware of the advantage that India had and decided to target the vessel docked in the Bay of Bengal. PNS Ghazi, a Pakistani submarine equipped with missiles, was entrusted with sinking India's giant ship.
It was then that Sehmant found out about Pakistan's plans to attack the Indian warship. She transferred important information about positioning of PNS Ghazi. The Navy acted swiftly to sink PNS Ghazi near the Visakhapatnam harbour with everyone on board.Sehmat's act of valour was not ordinary. It was full of danger at every moment. Abdul, a close aid to the Syed family, became increasingly suspicious of Sehmat's real identity. Sehamat killed him by running a truck over him. Her husband, Iqbal, was killed by her handlers when he became aware of her identity. Praising her bravery, Sikka said in an interview in 2019, 'Sehmat killed her brother-in-law Mehboob Syed, an army officer after he began investigating Abdul's death. Imagine the amount of courage Sehmat had at that time when she was talking to her sister-in-law who had baked the finest possible of pastries for her husband (Mehboob Syed) and Sehmat tasting those pastries, fully knowing the fact that the brother-in-law would never return. This requires a lot of guts.'Sehmant was brought back to India safely when she was pregnant with Iqbal's son. She decided to live the rest of her life at Malerkotla, the place where Abdul had spent his earlier days. Her first love in DU, Abhinav (not the real name), reached out and offered to marry her but the woman, who had the guilt of blood on her hands, refused. She also refused to raise her son as she did not want to be seen as a murderer in her son's eyes. Abhinav fostered her child before he became a military officer himself. Sikka, who first discovered the story of Sehmat while he was covering the Kargil war, has been trying to seek permission to reveal Sehmant's real name but several people, including former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, have stopped him for doing so for the safety of her son.'Sehmat's story is one of raw courage. Her information saved thousands of lives. India emerged victorious yet again. But both sides paid a heavy price for the Pakistani jingoism and misadventure. In the wake were also left two destroyed families and Sehmat who was brought back from Pakistan in a state of deep depression,' Sikka has written. The undercover agent spent the rest of her life for the betterment of the people of Malerkotla. 'She had an air of such gentleness around her that it was difficult to imagine her capable of harming a squirrel, let alone cold-bloodedly killing a human being,' writes Sikka. 'Yet, what Sehmat accomplished should be an eye opener to anyone who questions the patriotism of Kashmiri Muslims,' he says.