M.M. Alam: a fighter to the end
KARACHI:An old thin man with a spirit of a fighter is found spending hours at a local book store every Sunday. An avid reader since childhood, Air Commodore Mohammad Mahmood Alam, commonly known as M.M. Alam, the national hero of 1965 Indo-Pak Warfare, owns scores of books on multiple subjects at his residence at the PAF Faisal Base, apart from his valued collection of around 4,000 books at his original residence at Chakklala Base in Rawalpindi. The aged man gifts a book to everyone who visits him.
Many evidences were apparent to signal that this fighter was and is still a passionate reader which indeed is not the trend of his so-called post-retirement life. On the contrary, in 1981 this fighter was sent on pre-retirement leave as part of his original call of retirement in 1982 with the allegation that he was incapable of reading and writing and his services were no more required for the force. On this note, Air Commodore M.M. Alam bid farewell to Pakistan Air Force. “I was thrown out of the force with the allegation that I am not a learned man as I most of the times used to disagree and argue with other higher officials of the force,” he said.
Alam while recalling the time told, “For 10 seconds I felt that something has hit me badly when I got to know that I have been declared retired by the force. But then I took the name of Allah, recalled all my services, hard work and my love for the force. I then realised that this is what my fate is and I have to live with it.” If Alam had been allowed to continue serving he would have been the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) by now. “I was Air Commodore when I was retired. I would have surely made it to the highest ranking if I was given a chance,” he said.
Alam is living with the notion that a nation lives on wishes and values. “Unfortunately we have not grabbed the actual idea of freedom. I have learned a lot from life. I live in hope and this is how I live and I love it. And I don’t regret anything. At times I do feel down, depressed and upset but at the end of the day I know that I am a soldier and a fighter,” said he.
Alam served PAF for 30 years, and was the first in his family to join military service even though his father wanted him to be a CSP officer. “Since childhood I knew I had to be in one of the forces. I was very dedicated and keen to join one. I trained myself to fight and to kill enemies.”
He recalled that he was brought up in an era when the freedom struggle was in the works. The freedom fight was all we could think and talk about, he said. “When I used to see Muslims being killed around I wanted to do the same and I still remember I was a very young kid when I picked up a knife with the intention of doing so.” While sharing more memories from his childhood he said that always wanted to be a soldier serving his homeland. “I was an adventurous child. I remember my maternal uncle presented me a gun and my father bought a bicycle which I pretended was a fighter aircraft. I had grown with the idea that India had to be divided.”
While debating on the current situation of the country, the retired Air Commodore regrets the situation of Pakistan which is labeled as ‘miserable and critical’. He still hopes for a bright future for Pakistan and believes all that is needed was good leadership. Air Cdre Alam declared the current leadership a true failure yet he believes that no sole entity could be held responsible. He said, “The blame cannot be put on one authority. All are accountable for this. Civilians, Islamic scholars, students, all are equally responsible.” It is the ill-destiny of the Muslim world which is suffering dearth of knowledge, he said.
While discussing the role of Army, he justified the military intervention saying if he had been a general he would have taken over the country too, but would have sorted out the issues in a better way. “I am not a radical but I am a real thinker.
I look for new answers to the old problems,” said he. He said that the Pakistan Army has always done a great job and is the strongest institution but has failed to deliver when it came to provide leadership. “This nation is waiting for another Jinnah. Someone has to wake up to save the country. We cannot move on like this,” he shared his heart out with an apparent pain in his voice.
As the discussion prolonged Air Cdre Alam with a bold expression on his face highlighted his thought of making Pakistan one of the powers too. “Afghanistan and Pakistan should work together to become one strong power to confront conflicting forces,” he remarked. He believes that if Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan its strategic location would have been an asset. He said that it is a matter of time people of Pakistan would boost up their courage and rise. But to his dismay most of the institutions in the country have become the victims of politics.
Replying to a question on the type of system that could work well for Pakistan, he said Pakistanis have a bad habit of demanding for a system different from the existing one. “We have a propensity to forget our past easily and don’t want to stumble upon the harsh facts. We are comparable to that small kid who if beaten by his mother rushes to dad to seek refuge and vice-versa.”
Being as outspoken as he is Alam has received a lot threats.
But still breathing with the courage to fight, the retired Air Cdre believes that one has to find a meaning to one’s own life. “If I could, I will surely do something for my country and for that I am preparing myself spiritually and intellectually,” he stated.
Profile of the September 6 hero
Born in the cultural capital of India, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), for MM Alam there is no looking back. Being the eldest among 11 siblings, he took care of this entire family after his father’s death. For that reason he never even considered the thought of starting his own life and family. “I was engaged when my father expired,” he spoke with an innocent smile on his face “but then I had to decide what is more important, my current family or my family-to-be and I chose the former and thus ended my engagement on that note.”
He took up a course at the Royal college of Defence Studies in London in 1980 where officials issued a report that compared him with the Field Marshal Viscount Slim, a known British military commander, which Alam affirmed was a big honour for him.
While sharing his memories about his record of destroying five Indian Hunters of Indian Air Force (IAF) on September 6, 1965 within a few minutes, he told that he spotted two aircrafts and chased them while flying low. In continuation to that he then found four Hunters flying together. Instead of moving to the opposite direction in their defense, they all moved in the same direction which made them the victim of missiles fired for the F-86 under the commandment of Squadron Leader M.M. Alam. Later in his life he also served the Syrian forces for about five years.
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proud on him
The United Nations has warned that more than 100,000 children in Pakistan’s flood-stricken areas are in danger of dying due to food shortages.
“About 105,000 kids younger than 5 are at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition over the next six months,” said the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
More than 20 million people have been affected by the floods since July, with up to 12 million needing urgent humanitarian aid.
The flood waters, which hit northern Pakistan, are still moving to the southern provinces, causing alarming new emergencies. The floods have killed over 1,700 people.
“You’re seeing children who were probably very close to the brink of being malnourished, and the emergency has just pushed them over the edge,” said Erin Boyd, a UNICEF emergency nutritionist working in southern Pakistan.
“There’s just not the capacity to treat this level of severe acute malnutrition,” AP quoted Boyd as saying.
On Sunday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for an urgent global response to the flood disaster which has affected millions in Pakistan.
Addressing an international ministerial meeting on Pakistan’s floods, he called the devastation “the worst natural disaster the United Nations has responded to in its 65-year history.”
Ban on Friday also appealed for a record $2 billion in emergency aid for the millions of victims of Pakistan’s devastating floods, calling the crisis “a global test of solidarity.”
According to the UN, Pakistan needs the money to buy food, set up emergency camps, rebuild its agricultural sector and reconstruct villages, which have seen their drinking water and sanitation systems wiped out.
Album
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Our-Heroes-need-their-identity-back/111690528849111?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=16197&id=111690528849111
Might I suggest renaming the headline. The headline actually suggests that this piece is an obituary.
Obviously – being Indian, I can’t really admire him can I
But what an achievement. I’m sure you guys are proud of him.
I couldn’t understand this though – “Alam has received a lot threats”
Could someone please elaborate why a war hero would get threats in Pakistan?
I got one question for u too, Kurkurey being the most honest n known officer in India y did u guys killed him ??? (INDIANS) even his wife belives n says the same thing. What an honour to be given.
Dude, I have only two things for you…
First, the name of the Police Officer was ‘Karkare’, he’s not some snack food called ‘kurkurey’, that’s what your deluded uncle Zaid Hamid called him by mistake and now it seems that whole Pakistan is calling him by the same name…
Second, how do you know who killed him? Do you have specific intelligence that no one else has? Were you one of the controllers guiding your team of terrorists? Now pull that finger out and start doing something useful with your life…
lolol…indian kurkurey…lolololol….hohoho
where is it written the threats are from Pakistanis???
Paragraph 11. But you’re right. I’m assuming the threats are from Pakistanis…. but that’s what the article suggests.
this is a sad story of a great man
No. Alam was not kicked out because he was not a ‘learned man’ (whatever that is), Alam was kicked out because he tried to microfilm military documents to use as leverage. It was kept quiet to keep his reputation intact. Military discipline is harsh, and such betrayals are not tolerated, no matter who the man is. With this is mind, people should not be lamenting Alam’s career, but praising the armed forces and their discipline for punishing his treachery by using an “iron fist in a velvet glove.”
I don’t believe this its total lies. He is my HERO
In that case. Call AHQ, ask to be connected to archives. Request information on Alam’s “Heroism” then check if any wreckage was ever discovered for the planes he “shot down.” Also, please check the archives for the circumstances of his discharge from the PAF. You may have mickey mouse as a hero for all anyone cares, just make sure there is ample proof of someone’s heroism before you decide to adopt them as a hero, not because their name was repeated often enough during your father’s childhood.
the 111 number should be available from 1217 if you’re in Pakistan
Nm7Osl hzgaxxylmmoa, [url=http://amhmhpjqaqoh.com/]amhmhpjqaqoh[/url], [link=http://oxfmxmkkrcio.com/]oxfmxmkkrcio[/link], http://jfxhuhhbseep.com/
“When I used to see Muslims being killed around I wanted to do the same and I still remember I was a very young kid when I picked up a knife with the intention of doing so.”
Are you sure? One of your national heroes wanted to kill other muslims as a young boy?
to those who were killing stupid!
taking down multiple IAF planes setting record ….marvellous !
having his canpopy blown in one sortie by gunfire and his guns being jammed and out of AAMs …he said he would be willing to ram his jet into a apponent if he had to on his way back to base ….raw guts !
to visit the site of a enemy he blew out the the sky and to look at the pics of his family and contemplate the sadness of war …..humane !!!
He defined a Muslim warrior ….we need more of his spirit !!
Thank You Alam …..thank you so much !!
Sounds like AQ Khann story. Unfortunately people like him and dr Qadeer are far and few in paksitan. In fact, majority of political, beauracratic, and elites in paksitan are nothing but american cock suckers. The have destroyed this country which some like MM Alam devoted their lives to protect. At the rate things are getting bad to worst, it will be too late to save anything. Pakistan is going to be next Gaza if people don’t wake up now. This country is slowly becoming GENETIC GARBABGE of the world.
We, as a nation, have repeatedly proved ourselves thankless idiots & our history is a solid proof of what we have done to our real heros, who in fact have been the saviours of this great but currently fragile county!
isnt alam a bangladeshi?
There are many Bengali speakers who live in Pakistan and has been doing so for a long time. We Kashmiri also consider us Pakistanis and will one day be united with our brethren across the LOC when the foreign Indian occupiers are sent home
if u r a kashmiri, i am from antartica.
Kashmir will always be a part of india as nobody has the power to face an extreemely powerfull nation
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100921/838/tbs-india-third-most-powerful-nation-us.html
Yes, he is. And just go check Wikipedia, and you will see that two of his brothers are top-notch intellectuals (M. Shahid Alam waging an intellectual war against the Isra-hell-lies, the disgusting product of the Zionically neo-colonialist anachronism occupying Palestine.) If I’m not making a mistake, I think that there are thousands of Bengalis like him left in what was called West Pakistan … and these people, because of the reform movement at the end of the 19th century in West Bengal (the universal & so-spiritual Brahmo Samaj) have a great intellectual tradition, and, in fact, his love for reading is quite logical. We, the Punjabis, just inherited Ayra Samaj’s nationalistic & pro-Hindu propositions …
But, yeah, hats off sir!
JHAPATNA PALATNA PALAT KAR JHAPATNA,
LAHOO GARM RAKHNE KA HAY EK BAHANA!!
I think this website is run by ISI or some other f***ng intelligency agency. So all information here is related to military.
whoever runs this site never and will not push something up in you to come and read things on this website
so grow up……..
On a serious Side
Thank you sir for contribution and i am sure we have lot of people like you in our armed forces who proved it in recent war against TTP….We Pakistani are very brave people all over the world knows that….
Long Live Pakistan and Our Forces….
we jsut need get same spirit in our civil side…
Regards
MianSB
The kills were all guns….
no missiles involved….badly reasearched and poorly written article about a true blue Pakistani hero who, like MacArthur Said ‘ dont die…they only fade away’
since alam was a bengali and now bangladesh is not a part of pakistan, PAF will have useless fighter pilots now rit?
*salutes!
What Air cdr Alam was microfliming was not war plans or stuff like that. he was looking into “Kick Backs” taken by Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim and Mrs. Tahira Shamim, because as ACAS Plans he had access to this massive financial corruption by the CAS and his wife now setteled in USA since 1985.
He took these microfilmed doccuments to Zia ul Haq (the biggest hypocryte Pakistan has ever seen) knowing fully well that ACH Anwar Shamim was Zia’s protoge.
Zia’s remark after going through the details – “Well Air Cdr Alam this indeed is a lot of money- why dont you join Shamim and become a millionaire yourself”. THE REST IS HISTORY>
never forgetabale
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