MARCH 26,1971 THE DAY A NATION BORN
DECEMBER 16,1971 THE DAY A NATION WAS LIBERATED
INDEPENDENCE OF BANGLADESH.
After the First Democratic Pakistan Elections in 1970, Sheikh
Mujibur of the Awami League linguistically and culturally of Bangla
background ,had won with a clear majority, the Pakistan
establishment was not willing to hand over power.Pakistan Army
startsOperation Searchlight inDhakaand rest of the East Pakisthan,
attacking general civilians, political activists and Bengali
members of armed forces and police.During the early hours of 26th
March1971 the independence ofBangladeshwas declared.It is the day
when Pakistan lost nearly half its country in the name of
Bangladesh(East Pakistan).
CAUSES AND EVENTS OF LIBERATION WARThe biggest mistake was
occurred in 1947 when British left a single country in two pieces
East Pakistan and West Pakistan separated by hundreds of
kilometers.Ethnic and linguistic discrimination was a key factor in
the rise of Bengali nationalist sentiment. Although East Pakistan
had a larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided
country politically and received more money from the common
budget.East Pakistanis were criticized in all the ways possible by
West Pakistan which ultimately lead for a separate nation.In March
1971 Pakistan authorities called curfews, paved way for huge influx
of military hardware and personnel from western Pakistan by sea and
air. By November 1971 genocide of multiple massacre's were carried
which caused an overall three million causalities.
MAP OF EAST AND WEST PAKISTAN
1373 kilometers
Commanders and leadersSheikh Mujibur RahmanA.A.K. Niazi(POW)M.
A. G. OsmaniTikka KhanK. M.ShafiullahAbdul Hamid KhanJ.S.
AuroraMohammad Shariff(POW)Sam ManekshawKhadim Hossein Raja
Bangladesh , IndiaPakistan
Bangladesh Forces:175,000Pakistan Armed Forces:365,000 (90,000
in East PakistanIndia: 500,000[2]Paramilitary forces: ~25000.
STRENGTH
UNITED NATIONS AND THE WORLDUnited Nations condemned the human
rights violations during and following Operation Searchlight, it
failed to defuse the situation politically before the start of the
war.The United States supported Pakistanboth politically and
materially. US PresidentRichard Nixondenied getting involved in the
situation, saying that it was an internal matter of Pakistan.When
Pakistan's defeat seemed certain, Nixon sent the aircraft
carrierUSSEnterpriseto theBay of Bengal.The Soviet Union supported
Bangladesh and Indian armies, as well as theMukti Bahiniduring the
war.China knowing the situation of Bangladesh supported Pakistan
which is an ally of it.United Kingdom and France as a part of NATO
supported United Nations.
INDIAN INVOLVEMENTPrime Minister Indira Gandhi toured a large
number of countries in a bid to create awareness of the Pakistani
atrocities against Bengalis.An estimated 10 million Bengalis,
sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal. The
resulting flood of impoverished East Pakistani refugees placed an
intolerable strain on India.The Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
quickly decided that it was more effective to end thegenocide by
taking armed action against Pakistan than to simply give refuge to
those who made it across to refugee camps.West Pakistani
politicians marched in Lahore and across West Pakistan, calling for
Pakistan toCrush India.The Indian military waited until December,
when the drier ground would make for easier operations
andHimalayanpasses would be closed by snow, preventing any Chinese
intervention.
DECLERATION OF WAR AGAINST INDIA.On the evening of 3 December
Sunday, at about 5:40pm,the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) launched a
pre-emptive strike on eleven airfields in north-western India,
includingAgra, which was 300 miles (480km) from the border. At the
time of this attack theTaj Mahalwas camouflaged with a forest of
twigs and leaves and draped with burlap because its marble glowed
like a white beacon in the moonlight.This marked the official start
of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.The Indian PM, Indira Gandhi,
brought the country in the state of emergency and ordered Indian
army to reflect the aggression. Fierce military operations
developed on the ground, in the air and in the sea.There was no
Indian intention of conducting any major offensive into West
Pakistan but to Liberate Bangladesh from west Pakistan.
AIR AND GROUND OPERATIONSIndia flew 1,978 sorties in the East
and about 4,000 in the West, while the PAF flew about 30 and 2,840.
Total of 65 IAF aircraft were lost (54 losses were
admitted).Pakistan borrowed F-104s from Jordan, Mirages from an
unidentified Middle Eastern ally (remains unknown) and by F-86s,
F-5s from Saudi Arabia.Of the Pakistani losses, at least 24 fell in
air combat (although only 10 air combat losses were admitted, not
including any F-6s, Mirage IIIs, or the six Jordanian F-104s which
failed to return to their donors).TheBattle of Longewala(47
December 1971) was one of the first majorengagementsin the Western
Sector during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971.The Indian Army quickly
responded to the Pakistan Army's movements in the west and made
some initial gains, including capturing around 5,795 square milesof
Pakistan territory.Land gained by India in Pakistani
Kashmir,Pakistani PunjabandSindhsectors was later ceded in theSimla
Agreement of 1972, as a gesture of goodwill.
NAVAL OPERATIONSIn the western theatre of the war, theIndian
Navy, under the command ofVice Admiral S.N. Kohli, successfully
attackedKarachi's port inOperation Trident.The damage inflicted on
the Pakistani Navy stood at 7gunboats, 1minesweeper, 1submarine,
2destroyers, 3 patrol crafts belonging to thecoast guard, 18 cargo,
supply and communication vessels, and large scale damage inflicted
on the naval base and docks in the coastal town of Karachi. Three
merchant navy shipsand ten smaller vessels were captured.Operation
Trident was followed byOperation Pythonon the night of 89 December,
in which Indian missile boats attacked the Karachi port, resulting
in further destruction of reserve fuel tanks and the sinking of
three Pakistani merchant ships.In the eastern theatre of the war,
the Indian Navy isolated East Pakistan by anaval blockadein theBay
of Bengal by the aircraft carrierINS Vikrant.According to one
Pakistan scholar the Pakistan Navy lost a third of its force in the
war.
US,BRITAN TRIED TO CORNER INDIA
On December 10 Indian intelligence intercepted an American
message indicating that US Seventh Fleet led by the 75,000 ton
nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise was steaming
into the war zone.The worlds largest warship, with more than 70
fighters and bombers. The Seventh Fleet also included the guided
missile cruiser USS King, guided missile destroyers USS Decatur,
Parsons and Tartar Sam, and a large amphibious assault ship USS
Tripoli.Soviet intelligence reported that a British naval group led
by the aircraft carrier Eagle had moved closer to Indias
territorial waters. American president instructed Chinese to move
some troops toward the Indian frontier. Threaten to move forces or
move them, which they never did.This was perhaps one of the most
ironic events in modern history where the Western worlds two
leading democracies were threatening the worlds largest democracy
in order to protect the perpetrators of the largest genocide since
the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
U.S.S.R A NEW FRIENDIndira Gandhi had failed to gain American
support and sympathy for the Bengalis, she finally took a hard move
and on August 9, signed a treaty of peace, friendship and
cooperation with Soviet Union.Soviet Union sent Soviet fleet to the
Bay of Bengal, Soviet cruisers, destroyers and nuclear submarines,
equipped with anti ship missiles, were sent from Vladivostok.US
ambassador to the United Nations George H W Bush introduced a
resolution in the UN Security Council, calling for a cease-fire and
the withdrawal of armed forces by India and Pakistan. Believing
India can win the war and Indira Gandhi being determined to protect
the interest of Bengalis, Soviet Union vetoed out the resolution,
thus letting India fight for the cause.
INDIAN FORESIGHT Standing between the Indian cities and the
American ships was the Indian Navys Eastern Fleet led by the
20,000-ton aircraft carrier, Vikrant, with barely 20 light fighter
aircraft.When asked if Indias Eastern Fleet would take on the
Seventh Fleet, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Vice Admiral
N. Krishnan, said: Just give us the orders.The British and the
Americans had planned a coordinated pincer to intimidate India:
while the British ships in the Arabian Sea would target Indias
western coast, the Americans would make a dash into the Bay of
Bengal in the east where 100,000 Pakistani troops were caught
between the advancing Indian troops and the sea.
SUPERPOWERS FACE OFF(USA,USSR)After Korea , Vietnam and few more
conflicts it is the first time the super powers faced each other in
sub continent.Soviets encircled them and aimed the missiles at the
Enterprise. They had blocked their way and didnt allow them to head
anywhere, neither to Karachi, nor to Chittagong or Dhaka.The Soviet
ships had small range rockets (only upto 300 KM). Therefore, to
hold the opponent under the range, commanders ran risks of going as
near to the enemy as possible.Soviets lift the submarines and bring
them to the surface so that it can be pictured by the American spy
satellites or can be seen by the American Navy! It was done to
demonstrate, that we had all the needed things in Indian Ocean,
including the nuclear submarines.
SOVIETS WON A CONFLICT WITHOUT A BULLETSoviets intercepted the
American communication. The commander of the Carrier Battle Group
was then the counter-admiral Dimon Gordon. He sent the report to
the 7th American Fleet Commander: Sir, we are too late. There are
Russian nuclear submarines here, and a big collection of
battleships.Americans returned and couldnt do anything. Soviet
Union had also threatened China that, if they ever opened a front
against India on its border, they will receive a tough response
from North.From then to till now Russia had been our ally and a
true friend.
A GLOURIOUS VICTORY'India won a glorious victory against
Pakistan in the 1971 war. It was the first decisive victory in a
major war in centuries. And it was won singlehandedly, in the face
of opposition and threats from a majority of the UN member-States,
including a superpower. Every Indian patriot felt proud of this
glittering chapter in the nation's history."Dacca is now the free
capital of a free country. We hail the people of Bangladesh in
their hour of triumph. All nations who value the human spirit will
recognize it as a significant milestone in man's quest for
liberty.---Indira Ghandhi.(P.M. of India)The provisional government
of Bangladesh arrives in Dhaka from exile.Mujibur Rahmanwas
released from a West Pakistani prison, returning to Dhaka on 10
January 1972 and becoming the first President of Bangladesh and
later its Prime Minister.
HUMILIATION OF PAKISTANFor Pakistan it was a complete and
humiliating defeat , lost half its population and a significant
portion of its economy.Also, the Pakistani military suffered
further humiliation by having their 90,000prisoners of war(POWs)
released by India only after the negotiation and signing of
theSimla Agreementon 2 July 1972.Pakistan lost half its navy, a
quarter of its air force and a third of its army.Moreover, the army
had failed to fulfill its promises of fighting to the last man. The
eastern command had laid down arms after losing only 1,300 men in
battle. In West Pakistan 1,200 military deaths had accompanied
lackluster military performance.
Why is it important to remember 1971?It was the first time that
the Indian leadership decided to take a decisive action on moral
grounds.It was the first time that India violated the UN charter.It
was the first time that India handled pressure from US, China and
Europe.It was the first time that India decided that an error made
by the British in division needed to be corrected by force.The only
war that the independent Indian Army planned, executed and carried
out with precision and captured 93,000 prisoners.
Today 1971 War is all but forgotten by the nationCONCLUSION
I LOVE MY COUNTRY-MERA BHARAT MAHAN
