A 20-year-old woman risked all as a spy, aiding India’s 1971 war triumph. Her intelligence sank a Pakistani submarine.
In 1971, Sehmat, a 20-year-old Kashmiri college student studying classical dance and violin, was recruited by her father, an Indian intelligence operative, to serve as a spy in Pakistan. Leaving her education at Delhi University, she married a Pakistani army officer’s son, embedding herself in a high-ranking military family. Her covert mission provided critical intelligence during the Indo-Pak War, enabling India to sink the PNS Ghazi submarine off Visakhapatnam, a pivotal blow to Pakistan’s naval strategy.
Operating under constant danger, Sehmat relayed encrypted messages, uncovering Pakistani military plans. Her actions contributed to India’s decisive victory, leading to Bangladesh’s creation. The mission exacted a toll: she orchestrated the deaths of her husband and his family. Pregnant, she was extracted to India, settling in Malerkotla, Punjab, to live quietly, dedicating her life to community service.
Her story, fictionalized in Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat and the film Raazi, resurfaced amid 2025 India-Pakistan tensions. With 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendering in 1971, per war records, her intelligence was crucial.
Sehmat’s sacrifice highlights the unseen roles of spies, with 70% of India’s 1971 intelligence from human sources, per declassified data. Her legacy inspires, though she shunned recognition, living in anonymity until her death.
