The Great Escape - (English) - E4 Dalai Lama – Escape To India - Part 2 - English

Sushmita Banerjee is the story of a young Bengali girl who moved to Afghanistan after marrying a Pathan. Defying her parents, Sushmita eloped to her husband’s hometown only to discover that he was already married! He soon abandoned her and left for Calcutta. Sushmita tried to rebuild her life in the tiny hamlet of Afghanistan by starting a small clinic, where she treated Afghani women. However, with the rise of the Taliban, the clinic was forcefully shut down and Sushmita was punished for defying religious laws. Sushmita’s escape story unfolds as she tries to reach Calcutta despite having few allies in the foreign nation and has a death warrant issued in her name.

While India may have suffered great losses during the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962, the war is also known for one of the significant defences put up by India at the battle of Rezang La. This battle was significant in keeping the Chinese away from of the Chushul airfield and Ladakh. 120 unprepared Indian soldiers fought over 5000 Chinese soldiers. Of the 120 men, 114 were killed including the brave commander Shaitan Singh, 6 were taken as prisoners of war and 1 was sent back by the commander to warn the army about the Chinese invasion. The story of Rezang La is about the brave effort of messenger Ram Chander Yadav who bought news of the attack to the mainland and of Nihal Singh who despite being heavily wounded escaped out of Chinese territory.

Having been recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of two, Lhamo Thondup’s reign as the spiritual and political leader began at a strained point in Chinese-Tibetan relations. Tibet’s religious leaders were constantly trying to avoid a full blown military takeover by the Chinese, who had began invading Tibetan territory since the communist revolution in China. By 1956, things had escalated to a point where the Dalai Lama and his ministers were trying to find a balance between the Chinese interference and the growing resentment of the Tibetan resistance fighters. In 1959, when the Chinese crackdown on Tibet seemed inevitable, and the Tibetan uprising had reached his palace in Lhasa, on the request of his ministers and based on the advice of the state Oracle, Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet with his family and a few close aides. Disguised in the garb of a soldier, the Lama made his way through the crowds in front of his palace and travelled for 15 days till he reached India. The story of his escape is about how the young Lama travelled through harsh terrains, surviving the constant threat of the Chinese sentry.

This episode is based on a jailbreak in Punjab that occurred in 2004. The infamous Chandrapur Jailbreak revolves around three convicts who were arrested for plotting the death of a government official. The prisoners created an escape plan by carefully plotting for over a year. Having raised terror among jail inmates and police officers alike, the three managed to keep their distance from everyone, with the exception of a prison cook who was also arrested for murder. The four dug a 100 foot tunnel through the high walled prison without once raising any suspicion. The prison cook who unwittingly becomes part of the plan and the successful escape that ensued narrates the story.

This episode is based on a jailbreak in Punjab that occurred in 2004. The infamous Chandrapur Jailbreak revolves around three convicts who were arrested for plotting the death of a government official. The prisoners created an escape plan by carefully plotting for over a year. Having raised terror among jail inmates and police officers alike, the three managed to keep their distance from everyone, with the exception of a prison cook who was also arrested for murder. The four dug a 100 foot tunnel through the high walled prison without once raising any suspicion. The prison cook who unwittingly becomes part of the plan and the successful escape that ensued narrates the story.