Dr Vivek Sharma
At around 17:35 hrs on the evening of 3 December 1971, Pakistan airforce (PAF) unleashed a surprised attack by bombing Indian airfields including Amritsar, Agra, Avantipora, Pathankot and Srinagar under operation ‘Changiz khan’. Shortly after the air strikes, the Prime minister of India Smt.Indira Gandhi addressed the nation on radio terming it as a declaration of open war by Pakistan on India. India entered into war and a fierce response ensued. Indian air force (IAF) targetted Pakistan air bases and fields including East Pakistan. It drew all the 3 wings: Navy, Air Force and Army into war for the first time and war stretched over a vast area from Bay of Bengal to the northern Arabian Sea. A proper planning, preparation and execution ensured a decisive victory within two weeks of Pakistani offensive. The war ended with the fall of Dhaka on 16 December 1971 and surrender of around 93000 Pakistani soldiers which is considered as a largest military surrender since world war 2. It marked the creation of a new democratic nation of Bangladesh. It was not just a war, but a watershed moment in the history of South Asia. In the sixties, India had to suffer through food shortages, humiliating military defeat by China, faltering economy, rising population and poverty, and, the death of a great leader in Jawahar Lal Nehru, an important architect of post independent India. But as they say, “the times of great difficulties are also the times of great opportunities.”
Prelude to war
The happenings of 1971 trace their roots to post 1947 period. After Independence, East Bengal joined Pakistan, and West Bengal remained with India. East and West Pakistan were joined by one factor but separated by many. Other than being Muslim majority areas there was nothing in common. Their culture, language, ethnicity and politico- ideological views were different, and beyond this they were separated by more than 1600 km landmass. Months into the creation of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah arrived at Dhaka in March 1948 where he declared only ‘Urdu’ as the state language.The declaration was followed by a ban on Bengali books, songs and poetry written by Nobel leurate Rabindranath Tagore. Bangla language as a medium of education and mode of primary instruction was also banned. It challenged the Bengalis pride in their identity. Further, there were economic disparities between East and West Pakistan. East Pakistan served as more of raw material supplying region whereas West Pakistan controlled commerce and industries. This resulted in wage disparity despite immense labour and hardwork of Bengalis. In 1959-60 the per capita income in west Pakistan was 32% higher than East Pakistan and by 1969-70, it rose to 81%. Further, the Bengalis were not considered real muslims and their cultural practices were considered of a lower social status. An indifferent response to cyclone Bhola in 1970 which consumed 3-6 lakh lives further alienated Bengalis. Added to these when general elections were held Mujibur Rehman led Awami league got majority but was denied Government formation by west Pakistani leadership and instead, he was imprisoned. It followed with protests and Demands of independence grew stronger. ‘Operation Search light’ was started by Pakistani military on 25 March 1971 and around 7000 Bengalis–both Hindus and Muslims were killed overnight according to journalist Robert Payne. On March 26 declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made. Genocide by Pakistani army led to huge influx of Bengalis into India as refugees. India marred in poverty, population pressure and impacts of wars and poor economy could not sustain and feed millions for long. To deal with this economic crisis, India tried to shape political opinion in favour of Bangladesh but to no avail. War seemed to be the only option in the wake of incessant brutality of Pakistani forces on innocent Bengalis and huge refugee crisis. Crisis kept brewing up and India started preparing in all spheres; political, military and diplomatic. Defence forces and Mukti Bahini were trained and prepared for war like situation. Finally, open hostilities began on December 3.
Going into the war
Historically, war has never been an easy option for anyone and for a nation that had faced 3 wars in a very short span in the post independence period, it becomes even more difficult. But the harsh experiences make one stronger and more practical. The possibility of war was already running in the minds of political leadership. The then Prime minister of India Indira Gandhi suggested the option of war to Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw but he refused citing the timing and instead suggested to wait till winters to keep monsoons and China away. Prime minister accepted his proposal and waited patiently. Meanwhile, she tried to shape international opinion about humanitarian crisis and the cause of Bangladesh. West was largely opposed to India with US President Nixon warning Mrs. Gandhi against any war adventure. In the wake of this opposition and threat from US and China, India went to the old friend Soviet Union. To counter Pak – US and Sino- Pak ties, India signed the 20 years treaty of peace, friendship and cooperation with USSR. This played a crucial role during war. Opposition parties also supported the Government. The parliamentary speech of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the eve of war is a testament to the unified spirit of political leaders. On the military front, India was blessed with the able leadership of Sam Maenkshaw and many other military, airforce, naval and intelligence officers who worked day and night to keep the equipment, plans and troops ready. Officers themselves visited frontline troops and encouraged and reinforced their enthusiasm. Mukti Bahini a guirella force consisting of rebel East Pakistani military, paramilitary and exiled Bengalis was trained by Indian army to deal with hostilities as they knew the terrain and language well and could serve as an important supporting arm for Indian forces while operating.
With the beginning of war by pakistan on December 3, India mobilised its troops on both eastern and western sectors. Air sorties were flown continuously and Pakistani air bases were bombed. Naval blockade was done by battle prepared Indian Navy. INS Vikrant posed major threat to Islamabad’s plans. A major role was played by Indian army in offence, defence and saving people. Possibility of Chinese intervention in the war was eliminated by harsh winters and closing of passes with snow. US naval fleet in Bay of Bengal was thwarted by the presence of Soviet cruisers, destroyers and submarines. With the triple blockade of supplies (air, water and land) the continuation of war became increasingly difficult for Pakistan. In this back drop, Army Chief addressed the fighting Pakistani soldiers to surrender and promised them honourable treatment as Prisoners of War (PoWs) in accordance with Geneva convention. Pakistani army surrendered after initial vacillation. Finally, the war came to an end with the surrender of approximately 93000 Pakistani soldiers including their family members, some loyal Bengalis and collaborators.
In the Aftermath
A new nation of Bangladesh came into being on 16 December, 1971. The war cost huge loss of lives and property. Around 2500-3800 soldiers martyred on the Indian side and 9000 on Pakistani side. According to some estimates around 30 million people from East Pakistan were internally displaced and 10 million fled to India. 3-5 lakh eastern Bengalis were killed by the attrocities of Pakistan army. Mujib was later released from prison. Mujibism consisting of 4 principles of nationalism, democracy, secularism and socialism took course in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh embarked on a journey of development, peace and friendship in contrast to Pakistan’s attitude of perpetual adversary towards India. Both India and Bangladesh grew rapidly and Bangladesh has now surpassed India in per capita income. Pakistan faltered in its journey post 1965 misadventure and 1971 blow.
For India, it was the first clear and decisive victory in any war after Independence. It boosted the morale of forces, raised the trust in military and political leadership as witnessed during Kargil. The security threat to country was eliminated from one side, thus setting the path for growth and development of eastern region including Bangladesh. The war was a watershed moment as it changed the geo politics of South Asia for times to come. India became a dominant power in the subcontinent with deepening of regional influence and reliable diplomacy. Globally, it was viewed as a humanitarian outcome to a political crisis. Indo-Soviet relations strengthened and progressed further. New Delhi’s spending on defence budget which was increased post 1962 was given more focus. Security became an essential aspect of India in the wake of cunning adversaries on the northern borders. In the summers of 1974, India followed with nuclear tests, code named Smiling Buddha, and then again in 1998, code named Shakti to achieve credible minimum deterrence. Except 1999, which India tackled valiantly, there has been no major war with any nation. Shimla aggrement of 1972 made Jammu and Kashmir a bilateral issue with no room for any external intervention. The war also served another strategic gain for New Delhi as it cut Islamabad’s access to Indian Ocean and South Asia. However, Pakistan changed its war style and instead pursued the policy of “bleed India through thousand cuts”. But a battle hardened military and learned leadership knew how to tackle such challenges.
The Vijay Diwas is a time to commemorate the bravery of our soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty and celebrate the great grand success of not just one but two nations (India and Bangladesh), their forces, leadership and citizens.
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