Establishment 22
Near the end of the Sino-Indian
war and towards the end of 1962, the Nehru administration
ordered the raising of an elite guerrilla force
composed of Tibetan refugees. Chushi Gangdruk
leaders were contacted for recruitment of Khampas
into this new unit. The leaders were delighted
to hear of this new development and promptly agreed
to it, for it was seen by them then as a means
of maintaining Tibetan volunteers more formally
and, moreover, a well-trained force might be of
great use to Tibet in the future. A formation
agreement was signed in 1962. The parties to this
formation agreement were the Indian Intelligence
Service (RAW), the CIA (for weaponry till 1972)
and Chushi Gangdruk. Ironically, General Gonpo
Tashi and Jago Namgyal Dorjee, two of the three
top leaders charged and confined to Delhi in previous
years for recruiting guerrillas for the Mustang
base, were now to sign this three-party joint
formation agreement on behalf of Chushi Gangdruk.
Our organization took main responsibility for
recruiting, and an initial strength of 12,000
men, mostly Khampas, were recruited at Chakrat,
Dehra-dun, UP. Chushi Gangdruk sent two of the
commanders to this new outfit to be political
leaders in the initial stage. Established under
the direct supervision of the prime minister,
the unit was named the Special Frontier Force.
Its forces were trained and commanded by the Indian
Army and the unit was meant to be air-dropped
into Tibet in the event of another war in the
Tibetan frontiers. The SFF became known by the
code name "Establishment 22" because of its inspector
general, who during World War II commanded the
22nd Mountain Regiment. Our resistance organization's
insignia of crossed swords is visible on the formation
insignia of SFF or Establishment 22.
The SFF never had a chance of being used in
operations against its intended enemy, Red China, but it was used
against East Pakistan with the consent of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama in 1971. About one-third of its full strength was developed
adjacent to the Chittagong Hill Tracts as Mukti Bahini. They captured
many towns and garrisons in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in continuous
fighting of about one month. When East Pakistan was liberated
and the cease-fire was declared on December 17, 1971, casualties
suffered by the SFF were 190 wounded and 56 killed, including
political leader Gyato Dhondup, one of the two commanders sent
by Chushi Gangdrug, who was shot by snipers. The Indian government
gave awards to 580 members of the force for their active involvement
and bravery in the battles. The contribution made by Establishment
22 in liberating East Pakistan was great and the price paid by
the force was also high, but it would have been of great value
had it been used against communist China, the intended enemy.
