Mohan Narayan Rao Samant: Difference between revisions

{{Use Indian English|date=February 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

Samant was born in 1930.<ref name="Harper">{{Cite web|url=https://harperbroadcast.com/2019/04/01/harpercollins-india-brings-you-the-untold-story-of-operation-x/|title=HarperCollins India brings you the untold story of Operation X|last=Broadcast|first=Harper|date=1 April 2019|language=en|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref> His domicile was [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref name="award" />

In 1971, he became an officer attached to the [[Eastern Naval Command]] of the [[Indian Navy]]. During this tenure, his involvement in covert operations started. In April 1971, before the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] started, the Naval Commando Operations (X) began training more than 400 Bengali college students and eight submariners as marine-warfare soldiers to carry out covert operations inside the erstwhile [[East Pakistan]]. The soldiers trained to swim with [[limpet mine]]s and use them to destroy Pakistani shipping.<ref name="print" /> Samant was involved in this training process,<ref name="print">{{Cite news|url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/captain-samant-decorated-naval-officer-behind-sinking-of-pakistani-shipping-fleets-in-1971/208800/|title=Captain Samant, decorated naval officer behind sinking of Pakistani shipping fleets in 1971|last=Dutta|first=Amrita Nayak|date=21 March 2019|work=The Print|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref> being the Staff Officer, G1 of the Naval Commando Operations (X).<ref name="Harper" />

Samant subsequently became the first temporary [[Chief of Naval Staff (Bangladesh)|Chief of Naval Staff]] of the newly created [[Bangladesh Navy]] and was awarded the 'Friend of Liberation war' honour.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="firstpost" /> He remained chief till early 1972 when he was succeeded by [[Nurul Huq (Captain)|Nurul Huq]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/1971-war-hero-dies/746317.html|title=1971 war hero dies|date=21 March 2019|work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|access-date=24 November 2022}}</ref>

Samant retired on 22 July 1974.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=562 |date=19 April 1975 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He died after a [[cardiac arrest]] at the age of 89 on 20 March 2019 at 11.53 AM in the Arogya Nidhi Hospital located in the suburbs of [[Mumbai]]. He was accorded a military funeral.<ref name="firstpost">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/a-1971-bangladesh-war-hero-fades-away-quietly-6393751.html|title=A 1971 Bangladesh war hero fades away, quietly|date=5 April 2019|website=[[Firstpost]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725210835/https://www.firstpost.com/india/a-1971-bangladesh-war-hero-fades-away-quietly-6393751.html|archive-date=25 July 2019|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/1971-bangladesh-war-hero-captain-mn-samant-dies/386424|title=1971 Bangladesh war hero captain MN Samant dies|date=21 March 2019|website=[[Times Now]]|language=en|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref>

The citation for the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref name="award">{{Cite web|url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/mohan-narayan-rao-samant|title=MOHAN NARAYAN RAO SAMANT {{!}} Gallantry Awards|website=gallantryawards.gov.in|access-date=23 November 2022}}</ref><ref name="Harper"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Capt Mohan Narayan Rao Samant, MVC (retd) @ TWDI |url=http://twdi.in/node/1469 |website=twdi.in}}</ref>