1 January
The ongoing outbreak of El Derretir in Mumbai has forced some setbacks in planned naval construction there.
“Our intention has been to build the aircraft carrier Talwar there, given that our other large slipway at Chennai is occupied by a Turkish battleship”, noted Admiral Kashiram Paswan. “However, with many shipwrights currently housebound by El Derretir, and in a few cases, ill themselves, we are finding ourselves having to push back Talwar’s lay-down date by at least a month, if not two.”
Also affected by the closure is the incomplete charavaahaa Belgaum, which requires about six weeks of further work before she can be commissioned. The last of ten such vessels, her delay was described by Admiral Paswan as, “Not a serious issue.”
With the slipways idle, the decision has been made to expand the existing seventy metre slip into a one hundred twenty metre slip. “It is a prudent measure, given that our three such existing slips have been heavily utilized by domestic and foreign construction. The budget is there, and the construction personnel are available, so we’ve decided to try and salvage something out of the shutdown”, Admiral Paswan said.
Also on 1 January
South of Mumbai, several thousand curious residents of Goa watched as a Dutch passenger ship arrived in India for the first time in seventeen years. The Nederlender had been chartered by anonymous donors and transported hundreds of tonnes of medical supplies as well as Red Cross doctors and nurses.
Samraji Urmila flew over from Hyderabad to meet the vessel and met privately with the ship’s captain to thank him and his crew for their fast transit. As the ship’s crew and dockyard workers began the process of unloading the great vessel, the Samraji also welcomed the Red Cross personnel. Many of them will be boarding special trains for transit to Mumbai, while others will travel to the northeastern part of the country to help in rural areas there.
The Samraji’s visit concluded with a brief statement to reporters: “Today we have seen the impact that generous individuals can have in the world. It is unfortunate that the donors have chosen not to reveal themselves, as I would very much prefer to thank them directly for this grand gift of life that they have provided us. Since I can not, let it be known that Brashkar and I will not forget this, and indeed, will seek to emulate this selflessness ourselves.”
The Nederlender is expected to complete unloading her cargo by tomorrow evening, at which time she will depart for Europe once more.
2 January
Indian and local forces in Asir have been placed at full alert status following a number of incidents along the border today. Several observation posts and patrols reported coming under small arms and mortar fire at various times.
“Whatever game they are playing needs to stop”, Foreign Minister Jal Kadharni stated in Hyderabad. He noted that Indian troops were facing much more intense gunfire than previously had been the case. “Ironic that while a Dutch vessel is unloading life-giving supplies in Goa, other Dutch vessels have clearly unloaded life-taking materials such as machine guns and anti-tank rifles in Al Hudaydah and Jiddah. In retrospect, it’s clear why the Saudis and Yemenis were so quick to snap up the Dutch military surplus, isn’t it?"
3 January
A second day of sporadic skirmishes along the Asir borders as Saudi and Yemeni troops have unleashed machine gun and mortar fire on Indian positions in several inland locations. The Indian Army has confirmed that there have been casualties amongst its garrison, but would not state how many. The army also refused to comment on whether it was moving to reinforce the positions in question.
“Our men, and I assume those of Yemen, are merely answering Indian harassment fire”, pleaded Saudi spokesman Prince Yusuf Ali. “We are only ensuring the integrity of our borders.”
Meanwhile, officials with the Red Crescent, an international relief agency working in predominantly Muslim nations, said they were negotiating access to the camp in which Indian pilgrims are being housed while under Saudi quarantine. “We want to ensure that the pilgrims are receiving medical care and other necessities”, said Dr. Huseyin Erim from the society’s headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. Dr. Erim declined to comment on Indian speculation that the disease running through the camp was cholera, not El Derretir. “It would be better for our people to make unbiased diagnoses once on the scene.”
4 January
An Indian warship has sunk off the northern Asirite town of Al Qunfudhah after an explosion. The vessel, the anti-submarine launch A-24, was apparently coming to aid a disabled fishing vessel when the blast took place.
“Our preliminary report from the surviving crew is that the fishing boat itself exploded as the A-24 came alongside to render assistance. There were a number of casualties aboard the vessel, and the hull was seriously damaged. The ship’s commanding officer, despite being wounded, was able to con her within two miles of Al Qunfudhah before having to abandon the ship”, Admiral Kashiram Paswan said.
Admiral Paswan confirmed that the navy would attempt to send divers down to search for wreckage of the fishing boat in an effort to determine the cause of the blast. “Fishing boats - especially ones relying on sails for motive power - don’t generally explode on their own. Current events have us assuming that this was an attack by somebody willing to die for it.”
Prince Yusuf Ali Ibn Saud agreed that the explosion was abnormal. “Perhaps the fishing boat struck an old mine? Perhaps the Indians planted a scuttling charge but it went off too soon?”
6 January
Samraja Brashkar startled reporters today with a frank admission that he is contemplating withdrawing India from the Cleito Treaty that governs naval arms.
“While I am of the opinion that some nations are playing fast and loose with the Treaty, my more immediate concern is the next five years. If it is our belief that the Treaty will either fail or not be renewed, is there merit in committing our limited resources to vessels that will be obsolete on the first day of 1937? Perhaps it would be better to accept the diplomatic consequences of formally withdrawing and allocating our budget to construction we need, rather than construction we are allowed.”
The Samraja said he would also consider seeking so-called “French” limits, but doubted that such a request would be agreed to. “Not everybody at the table in Cleito is a friend; do they want India to possess the navy it needs to defend itself? Unlikely. But it does remain an option.”
A research paper on the subject has been commissioned, and is expected to be completed in March.
7 January
Saudi troops have seized an Indian observation post north of Al Tawilah following an overnight gunfight. The Saudi government claimed the observation post had been established on the Saudi side of the Asirite border; the Indian government said that the post was over a mile inside the Asir side.
9 January
The El Derretir outbreak in Dhaka appears to be contained, with no new cases reported since the first of the month.
This comes as a relief to the city’s three million inhabitants, yet is not entirely a surprise. “Every year we face the possibility of a direct hit by a cyclone”, stated long-time Mayor Ajay Tilak. “We have evolved perhaps the most effective and responsive medical and law-enforcement capability of any major city in the empire - and it’s been tested in earnest by the weather on several occasions.”
The mayor hastened to add that Dhakans should remain vigilant. “We’ve gotten through one outbreak but there may be others. Let’s be sure to keep a priority on prevention, rather than treatment. Focus on sanitation and isolation. If you’re not feeling well, stay home and send for a doctor rather than risk afflicting your friends and neighbours.”
10 January
Indian and Asirite troops have re-taken an observation post in northern Asir after its capture earlier in the week by Saudi soldiers. Elsewhere, Indian and Asirite troops have been seen preparing defensive positions around As Salif, scant miles from the southern border with Yemen.
None of the involved governments commented on either event. AWNR did, however, speak to Professor Sourav Karat at the University of Colombo for his views on the not-quite-a-war in Arabia.
AWNR: Dr. Karat, there have been previous incidents between India and Asir’s neighbours, but nothing as sustained as this. What’s happening here?
SK: What we’re seeing is the Saudis and Yemenis apparently testing Indian positions and resolve at points around the border, and India pushing back with limited force. The more important question is why we’re seeing this.
AWNR: Your theory?
SK: I don’t have a single preferred theory, as I really don’t have much knowledge of Yemeni and Saudi thinking. One possibility is that the two nations are closing up their borders, perhaps out of fear of El Derretir, and are jostling with India for control of key observation posts and other positions. Another alternative is that they’re looking for strengths and weaknesses as a prelude to a general invasion.
AWNR: For what reason - to actually regain Asir?
SK: To either regain the lands they lost to Asir or as a further means of preventing El Derretir from reaching Arabia. The Saudis have indicated their concern over the disease, but they’re in no position to effectively combat it if it reaches them. Their health system is non-existent. They may be willing to risk a war with India to prevent an outbreak via Asir.
AWNR: You characterized the Indian response thus far as limited. Why is the government restraining itself so much, considering how it’s reacted to past provocations such as the original Raveena Pillai incident?
SK: This is not a simple matter for the government. Domestically, it’s dealing with a serious epidemic that is taxing its services, drawing away troops - not to mention potentially infecting them - and in one case, has caused open mutiny. We’re also dealing with a young and relatively inexperienced ruler on the throne. No doubt he performed well during the Filipino Revolution, but that was a very different scenario from what we’re facing here.
SK: There are also two issues in Arabia itself that must be considered. First, our forces in Asir are really not that significant. There were, last I heard, a regiment of the Camel Corps and two regular infantry regiments, some supporting elements, and five battalions of local troops, who remain untested. Against this, we’re hearing of about thirty thousand Saudi and Yemeni troops, giving them about a five to one margin in manpower. The government is no doubt looking to reduce those odds as quick as they can, but for now, they’ve got to work with them.
AWNR: And the other issue?
SK: Thirty-five thousand Indian civilians in a camp somewhere near Jiddah. The Saudis claim they’re given the necessities of life, and that there’s an outbreak of El Derretir. My contacts in the government think the outbreak is of cholera, which in turn suggests that conditions in the camp are not actually very good at all. If so, the civilian camp is both an incentive for Indian action and a possible constraint against it.
AWNR: You’re saying that the Saudis might use them as hostages?
SK: It’s a possibility the government has to consider.
12 January - Out-of-Character Information
Battleship Akbar, aircraft carrier Urumi, several warships, and several merchant vessels transit the Bal el Mandeb during the evening. As a courtesy, Italy, Denmark, and France receive a wireless message from Akbar confirming that the convoy is bound for As Salif, and that there have been no cases of El Derretir in the sixteen days the convoy has been at sea.
13 January
Additional Indian troops are landing at As Salif at this time. Four merchant ships and two destroyers arrived offshore this afternoon and began unloading their cargos as residents watched quietly.
“We don’t want to be in a war”, said local taxi driver Tariq Masood, “But we don’t want the Yemeni government back, either. They’re corrupt and inept; what use have we for them? Now we have a hospital, sewers, schools for our little ones. All this would decay to ruin if Imam Yahya and his cronies returned.”
A fisherman named Kathir Abu Talib offered a different perspective. “Before they came”, he said, gesturing towards the Indian ships offshore, “The Zaydis in Sa’naa treated us [Sunnis] as little better than infidels. Since the Mughals came, there has been equality and cooperation. Recognition that we can co-exist. I do not want to see that undone.”
15 January
El Derretir may have Mumbai reeling, but the city’s cinematic industry is certainly not closed. Chakhra Productions announced that it is planning to follow up on its successful
Pirates of Madagascar with another feature film about pirates - this one on the mysterious Captain Harlock.
“A modern day swashbuckler, a man known by all and yet known to very few. A mystery and an enigma - what could be more intriguing and exciting than the big screen’s first-ever adaptation of Captain Harlock’s life?”, proclaimed studio president Sadhu Basu at a small gathering of the press yesterday.
Mr. Basu said that filming was not expected to take place until next year. “With the current travel restrictions in place, my researchers are unable to go to places like Chile and Canada to gather information that we can use to ensure the most historically accurate script possible. But when this awful business with the disease is over, they’ll be on the first ship over to interview people.”
When asked about how the film would deal with the current uncertainty over Captain Harlock’s survival, Mr. Basu said, “We shall see what knowledge is available when we finalize the script.”
Mr. Basu noted that the sea battles would be an notable challenge to his crew. “We know by now that both the Arcadia and the Deathshadow are dissimilar in appearance to most modern warships, so we may find ourselves casting foreign navies in supporting roles.”
17 January
Indian troops have repulsed a Saudi incursion north of Qal’at Bishah, leaving over twenty Saudi troops dead and several others captured. Indian casualties were reported as light.
20 January
Work is now fully underway in the reconstruction of the former battleship Babur. Now known as the Huascar, the elderly dreadnought will be refurbished to provide for years of additional service for her new Peruvian owners. The refit includes new machinery, deck armor, and light weapons, as well as the replacement of many other items ranging from rangefinders to heads.
“She’ll be a whole new ship in a year”, observed project foreman Rebati Dughal, standing on the edge of the drydock in which Huascar now rests on a framework of timbers and steel. “You’ll hardly recognize her.”
The sale drew some criticism from the international community, which Dughal and other members of the project team find peculiar. “There are much larger fish in the ocean than our girl here. Should anybody really be making a fuss when Chile’s talking about seventeen inch guns and Brazil’s building spanky new battlecruisers?”
Foreign Affairs Minister Jal Kadharni said that he did not expect work to be interrupted by events in South America. “We are hopeful that Peru will manage to keep on the sidelines, in which case there is no reason to concern ourselves. Even if Peru does find itself involved, it is extremely unlikely that anybody would attempt to strike at Huascar while she’s in an Indian drydock.”
22 January
Saudi troops have launched large-scale incursions into northern Asir. Columns have been reported to be moving by road towards Al Qunfudhah from Al Lith and towards Al Tawilah from the direction of At Taif.
General MK Goswami, acting commander-in-chief of the Indian Army, characterized the actions as, “An invasion rather than a raid. The Saudis are coming in force, and mean to stay.”
In Riyadh, Saudi spokesman Prince Yusuf Ali Ibn Saud told reporters, “We regret that we have been forced to make a pre-emptive defensive move intended to remove the threat of an Indian landing at Jiddah. It is our duty to prevent their disease-ridden troops from sacking our cities and infecting Saudi subjects with their epidemic.”
24 January
There is now also heavy fighting along the southern Asirite border today as Yemeni soldiers have crossed into the Indian mandate. Preliminary reports suggest that the Yemeni offensive has two thrusts, a shallow one along the coastal road to As Salif, and a longer inland strike moving north from the border along the road from Sa’naa.
In As Salif, the atmosphere is extremely tense and the streets are mostly empty. Artillery fire can be heard from the southeast where a company of Indian guns are shelling the approaching Yemenis. Indian lorries have been observed transporting casualties to the town’s hospital and moving supplies including water and ammunition to the frontline. A number of aircraft are flying to and from the town aerodrome, probably to attack and observe the Yemenis.
Professor Sourav Karat, with the University of Colombo, told AWNR that an attack on As Salif puts India in a difficult situation. “There is really not much distance from the border to the town itself, so the Indian army really has very little ability to trade space for time. They have to stop the Yemenis soon, or risk losing their most important port facility in the mandate.”
Professor Karat suggested that the inland attack would likely be turning towards the coast as well. “There’s little military value to moving north against Abha, the administrative capital. The Yemenis are more likely looking to curve around to hit the coastal towns of Al Luhayyah or Jizan, for without control of a port, India’s ability to defend the mandate is going to be severely limited.
25 January
Events in Asir have brought swift and unambiguous condemnation from the Indian government. Samraja Brashkar told a large throng of reporters, “The governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen, rather than wait two years for a public plebiscite on Asir’s future, have instead chosen to subjugate Asir. They have launched this assault at a time when they believe India is too distracted with her internal issues to resist them, and have taken innocent hostages in order to intimidate us.”
The young emperor paused, then continued: “This will prove to be a grave miscalculation. We did not take on the mandate in Asir to earn a few quick rupees and then run away at the first hint of serious trouble. We took on the mandate because the people of Asir deserve the same quality of life as the rest of the world, and we were willing to help them achieve that. India has spent millions of rupees over the past twelve years building Asir into a modern and prosperous district where the people can expect responsible government and tolerance of their religious differences. This is an ideal we fought for in the Philippines, and one that we will fight for in Arabia.
“India
will protect the people of Asir from your aggression, and we
will liberate our countrymen in Saudi Arabia. King Saud and Imam Yahya can rely upon this.”
27 January
While Saudi troops continue to press into northern Asir, the Yemeni drive on As Salif has apparently been halted. An Indian regiment and an Asirite battalion have held firm along a defensive line on the narrowest point of the peninsula long enough for help to arrive. That assistance took the form of the battleship Akbar, which spent much of the day shelling Yemeni troops up to twelve miles inland.
Admiral Kashiram Paswan informed the media, “The Yemenis lost a number of troops, vehicles, beasts of burden, and several artillery pieces which were not concealed from the view of our aircraft and were within reach of Akbar’s guns. I won’t go so far as to say we’ve stopped this thrust, but we have most certainly bloodied it.”
Admiral Paswan confirmed that Indian warships are supporting troops fighting along the Al Lith/Al Qunfudhah coastal road. “The cruiser Kalyan and destroyer Gwalior are providing fire support along that part of the coast and we are optimistic that the Saudi attack will be turned back.”
28 January
The small city of Rajshahi is reeling under a terrible outbreak of El Derretir that has already claimed at least two hundred lives. Red Crescent and Red Cross personnel, are being rushed into the area to assist local medical personnel, and the army is being called in to maintain order and a quarantine as panic has stricken some residents.
Several smaller towns in northern Bengal are also reporting outbreaks of varying severity, prompting concern that El Derretir may be evading detection in smaller centres that might lack the medical infrastructure of a larger city.
Meanwhile, nearby Kolkata is bracing itself for the arrival of El Derretir. The city’s mayor has already declared a state of emergency and enacted a curfew, while army troops and medical personnel are preparing to enact quarantines and treat cases if the disease should reach this city of four million.
29 January
The northern Asirite town of Al Tawilah has fallen to Saudi forces after four days of fighting withdrawals by Indian and local troops. There was very little fighting in the town itself, as Indian troops chose to withdraw towards Raghdan rather than risk encirclement and the potentially serious loss of civilian lives in urban combat.
“It is the first of many victories to come”, proclaimed Prince Yusuf Ali Ibn Saud. “The Indians may slow our progress along the coast with their infernal war machines, but out of sight of the sea, our troops shall push forward unhindered.”
30 January
The Indian Army has announced that four predominantly Muslim infantry divisions are being placed into quarantine camps along the Indian coast.
Prince Yusuf Ali Ibn Saud’s reaction to this news was, “They fear the good Muslims of their own land will rise up against them!”
An enlisted man with the Green Dervish Division, one of the units in question, spoke with AWNR by telephone and disagreed with the Saudi interpretation. “That’s not the case at all. Once we’re cleared, we’re going over to Asir, where it’s on like a monkey on a teacake.”
The situation in Asir, from 23-31 January. Red denotes Saudi/Yemeni progress into the mandate.
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Monday, April 29th 2024, 12:11am
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