From pacifist to spy: WWII’s surprising secret agent - Shrabani Basu

Prevodilac: Ivana Krivokuća Lektor: Tijana Mihajlović

Noor Inayat Khan was in the midst of a desperate escape.

Nur Inajat Kan je bila usred beznadežnog bekstva.

She had been imprisoned for her activities as an Allied spy,

Uhapšena je zbog aktivnosti u koje je bila uključena kao saveznički špijun,

but with the help of a screwdriver and two other prisoners,

ali uz pomoć šrafcigera i druga dva zarobljenika,

she was back under the Parisian stars.

ponovo se našla pod zvezdama Pariza.

As she began to run,

Kako je krenula da trči,

her thoughts leapt to the whirlwind of events that had brought her here…

u mislima je odletela u vrtlog događaja koji su je tu doveli...

Born in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian Muslim father and an American mother,

Rođena u Moskvi 1914. godine od oca indijskog muslimana i majke Amerikanke,

Noor was raised in a profoundly peaceful home.

Nur je odgajana u vrlo mirnom domu.

Her parents were Sufi pacifists,

Njeni roditelji su bili sufijski pacifisti

who put their faith in the power of music and compassion.

koji su verovali u moć muzike i saosećanja.

They moved to Paris,

Preselili su se u Pariz,

where Noor studied child psychology and published children’s books.

gde je Nur studirala dečju psihologiju i objavljivala knjige za decu.

But all this changed with the advent of the Second World War.

Ali sve se to promenilo dolaskom Drugog svetskog rata.

In May 1940, with the German army ready to occupy Paris,

Maja 1940. godine, kada je nemačka vojska bila nadomak okupacije Pariza,

Noor and her brother were faced with a difficult choice.

Nur i njen brat su se suočili sa teškim izborom.

As pacifists, they believed that all disputes should be settled non-violently.

Kao pacifisti, verovali su da sve sporove treba rešavati nenasilno.

But witnessing the devastation across Europe,

Ali kao svedoci razaranja širom Evrope,

they decided that standing on the sidelines was not an option.

odlučili su da stajanje po strani nije opcija.

Traveling to England,

Kada je otišla u Englesku,

Noor volunteered for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force

Nur je volontirala u Ženskom pomoćnom vazduhoplovstvu

and trained as a radio operator.

i obučila se za radio-operatera.

She immersed herself in wireless operations and Morse code–

Udubila se u bežične operacije i Morzeovu azbuku,

unaware that she was being monitored by a secret organization.

ne znajući da je nadzire tajna organizacija.

The British Special Operations Executive was established

Britanska Uprava za specijalne operacije osnovana je radi sabotaže Nemaca

to sabotage the Germans in Nazi-occupied countries.

u zemljama koje su okupirali nacisti.

As a trained radio operator who knew Paris well and spoke fluent French,

Kao obučena radio-operaterka

koja je dobro poznavala Pariz i tečno govorila francuski,

Noor was an attractive recruit.

Nur je bila privlačan kandidat.

In her interview, she was warned that wireless operation

Tokom intervjua su je upozorili da bežične operacije

was some of the most dangerous work in the intelligence field.

spadaju u najopasnije poslove u okviru obaveštajne službe.

Operators had to lug a conspicuous transmitter through enemy territory,

Operateri su morali da provuku uočljiv predajnik kroz neprijateljsku teritoriju,

and the clandestine agency couldn’t protect her if she was caught.

a tajna agencija je nije mogla zaštititi u slučaju da je uhvate.

Noor accepted her assignment immediately.

Nur je odmah prihvatila zadatak.

While she was determined to take her pacifist principles as far as possible,

Mada je bila odlučna da će se pridržavati principa pacifizma koliko god je moguće,

Noor had to learn the art of espionage.

Nur je morala da izuči veštinu špijunaže.

She learned how to contact intelligence networks, pick a lock,

Naučila je kako da kontaktira sa obaveštajnim mrežama, da obije bravu,

resist interrogation and fire a gun.

odupire se ispitivanjima i puca iz pištolja.

In June 1943 she landed in Angers, south of Paris,

U junu 1943. godine je sletela u Anže, južno od Pariza,

and made her way to the city armed with a false passport,

i stigla je do grada opremljena lažnim pasošem,

a pistol and a few French francs.

pištoljem i nekoliko francuskih franaka.

But her network was compromised.

Ali njena mreža je bila ugrožena.

Within a week of her deployment,

Nedelju dana otkako je otpremljena,

all her fellow agents were arrested, and Noor was called home.

sve njene kolege agenti su uhapšeni, a Nur su pozvali da se vrati kući.

She convinced her supervisors to let her stay–

Ubedila je svoje nadređene da joj dopuste da ostane,

which meant doing the work of six radio operators singlehandedly.

što je značilo da će sama obavljati posao šest radio-operatera.

Over the following months,

Tokom narednih meseci,

she tracked and transported supplies to the French resistance,

pratila je i prevozila zalihe za francuski pokret otpora,

sent reports of Nazi activity back to London

slala u London izveštaje o nacističkim aktivnostima

and arranged safe passage for allied soldiers.

i uređivala bezbedan prolaz za savezničke vojnike.

This work was essential to building the French resistance

Njen rad je bio ključan za izgradnju francuskog pokreta otpora

and Allied intelligence networks–

i savezničke obaveštajne mreže,

and, ultimately, ending the war.

a, naposletku, i za okončanje rata.

Protected only by her quick thinking and charisma,

Zaštićena samo svojim brzim razmišljanjem i harizmom,

she frequently talked her way out of questioning.

često bi se pričom izvukla od ispitivanja.

When the Gestapo searched her on the train,

Kada ju je Gestapo pretresao u vozu,

she gave them a casual tour of her “film projector.”

iznela im je opušten prikaz svog „filmskog projektora“.

When an officer spotted her hanging her aerial,

Kada je vojnik primetio da kači antenu,

she chatted about her passion for listening to music on the radio–

čavrljala je o svojoj strasti prema slušanju muzike na radiju

and charmed him into helping her set up the cable.

i šarmirala ga da joj pomogne da postavi kabl.

In her entire four month tenure,

Čitava četiri meseca na zadatku,

her sharp wits and stealth never failed her.

njena oštroumnost i prikrivenost nisu je nikada izneverili.

But her charm had inspired lethal jealousy.

Ali njen šarm je pobudio kobnu ljubomoru.

In October 1943, the sister of a colleague,

Oktobra 1943. godine je sestra jednog kolege,

in love with an agent that loved Noor,

zaljubljena u agenta koji je voleo Nur,

sold her address to the Gestapo.

prodala njenu adresu Gestapou.

Noor refused to give away any information,

Nur je odbila da oda bilo kakvu informaciju

focusing instead on her escape.

i usredsredila se na bekstvo.

Secreting a screwdriver away from the guards,

Sakrila je šrafciger od stražara

they were able to loosen a skylight and slip out into the night.

i tako su uspeli da olabave krovni prozor i iskradu se u noć.

But just as the prisoners began to run for their lives,

Ali čim su zatvorenici počeli da beže što brže mogu,

an air raid siren alerted her captors.

sirena za vazdušni napad upozorila je one koji su je zarobili.

Noor was caught once again and sent to a German prison.

Nur je ponovo uhvaćena i poslata u nemački zatvor.

Then, on to Dachau concentration camp.

Zatim je prebačena u koncentracioni logor Dahau.

Despite being tortured, deprived and isolated,

I pored toga što je bila mučena, uskraćivana za mnoge stvari i izolovana,

Noor gave nothing away.

Nur ništa nije odala.

In the moments before her execution

Neposredno pre nego što je pogubljena,

she is thought to have shouted “Liberté!”

smatra se da je povikala: „Sloboda!“

Since her heroic sacrifice,

Nakon što je podnela herojsku žrtvu,

Noor has been honoured as a hero who waged secret battles behind enemy lines–

Nur je nagrađena kao heroj koji je vodio tajne bitke iza neprijateljskih linija

paving the way for freedom without ever taking a life.

i utabao put ka slobodi, a da pri tome nije oduzeo nijedan život.