‘The Lone Wolf’: A military biography of grit and fortitude during India’s 1971 war with Pakistan

In a market flooded with military accounts and memoirs, Neha Dwivedi’s The Lone Wolf: The Untold Story of the Rescue of Sheikh Hasina carries a strong voice of conviction, relaying a saga of grit, valour and tenacity from the Indian Army. Dwivedi retells the incident of the rescue mission led by Colonel Ashok Tara, the Vir Chakra winner who, as part of the Indian army operations during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, was entrusted with the rescue of Sheikh Hasina (who later became Prime Minister of Bangladesh) and her family from the hands of Pakistani soldiers holding them captive. The author backs the story with exhaustive research and readings that add to the veracity of the detailed account.

Operating alone

Dwivedi sustains the momentum of the story without resorting to the additional thrills of hyper-nationalism. She etches out details of the operation and the background text with an empathy and understanding that is mandated by such a body of work. Operating in treacherous territory, relying mostly on one’s own resources and wits, requires no only years of training but also something more – an innate confidence and reliance on one’s self. Dwivedi draws out vivid details as she profiles Tara’s exploits at the time of...

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