The 1971 Indo-Pak War, which led to Bangladesh’s liberation, marked a historic victory for India, celebrated as Vijay Diwas on December 16. Despite earlier tensions, Bangladesh joined the celebrations hosted by the Army’s Eastern Command in Kolkata.
Partition of British India (1947)
- India and Pakistan were created as two separate nations.
- Pakistan was divided into two regions: West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan) and East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh).
- Despite sharing the same religion, the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic differences between the two regions created tensions.
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Linguistic and Cultural Differences
- The government of West Pakistan imposed Urdu as the national language, ignoring the Bengali-speaking majority in East Pakistan.
- East Pakistanis, who had a distinct culture and were considered closer to India and Hindu traditions, faced discrimination from West Pakistani leaders.
- Former Pakistani President Ayub Khan, in his book Friends Not Masters (1967), remarked on the “Hindu cultural and linguistic influence” on East Pakistanis, further highlighting the divide.
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Mid-1960s: Demand for Regional Autonomy
- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a prominent leader in East Pakistan, founded the Awami League and began advocating for greater autonomy.
- He introduced the Six-Point Programme, which demanded significant autonomy for East Pakistan.
- The West Pakistani leadership rejected the demands, accusing Mujibur Rahman of promoting secession.
- He was arrested but later released due to lack of evidence, which increased his popularity and widened the rift between East and West Pakistan.
1970: General Elections
- In the December 1970 general elections, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman contested on the basis of his popular Six-Point Programme, which resonated strongly with the Bengali population in East Pakistan.
- His party, the Awami League, won a surprising 160 out of 162 seats in East Pakistan, while it won none in West Pakistan.
- The Pakistan People’s Party led by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto emerged victorious in 81 out of 138 seats in West Pakistan.
- The election results revealed a stark division between East and West Pakistan.
- With an overall majority of 167 out of 300 seats, the Awami League was entitled to form the central government, presenting a major political challenge to West Pakistan.
- This situation raised fears among the leadership in West Pakistan, especially Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and military ruler President Yahya Khan, who viewed Mujibur Rahman’s push for extensive autonomy for East Pakistan as a threat to Pakistan’s unity.
1971: Prelude to Independence
- The stubbornness of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and President Yahya Khan’s refusal to accommodate Mujibur Rahman’s demands led to the endless postponement of the National Assembly sessions, which infuriated the people of East Pakistan.
- They had elected their representatives, but their voices were being ignored, sparking widespread anger and protests.
- On 7 March 1971, Mujibur Rahman called for a civil disobedience movement, demanding greater autonomy for East Pakistan. The public became furious as they saw their elected leader being denied the power to govern.
- In response to the growing unrest, the Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 to suppress political opposition in East Pakistan.
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Operation Searchlight
- The operation resulted in a brutal crackdown against civilians, including the mass slaughter of Bengalis, particularly targeting students from Dacca University who supported the Awami League.
- The Pakistani military attacked newspaper offices, politicians, and civilians, and hunted down protesters. The operation spread to rural areas, where the military sought to crush any dissent.
- The army also harassed Hindu minorities, demolishing temples and persecuting civilians, as noted by Ramchandra Guha in his book India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy (2017).
- The killings, described as genocide by Indira Gandhi, lasted for about nine months, with estimates of deaths ranging from half a million to 3 million.
- Despite the widespread violence and human rights violations, international intervention remained minimal, and no significant global action was taken to halt the massacre.
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Impact on India and the Response
Influx of Refugees in India
- The military crackdown in East Pakistan caused an overflow of refugees into India, with 8-10 million people fleeing, most of them Hindus.
- The refugees predominantly crossed into West Bengal and Assam, putting immense strain on India’s resources and infrastructure.
- The refugee crisis not only exacerbated India’s humanitarian concerns but also posed a direct challenge to its national security, given the proximity of the crisis to its borders. This situation became a catalyst for India’s intervention in the conflict.
India’s Response
- Initially, India maintained a cautious stance, refraining from direct involvement. However, the growing refugee problem and the continuing violence in East Pakistan prompted India to act more decisively.
- The Indian government, under Indira Gandhi, supported the Mukti Bahini, a 20,000-strong guerrilla force made up of Bangladeshi fighters. India provided training, resources, and weapons to the Mukti Bahini to aid in the liberation struggle.
- To deal with the refugee crisis, India set up refugee camps in various eastern states, particularly in West Bengal and Assam, which were closest to the conflict zone.
- India also worked diplomatically, with Foreign Minister Swaran Singh visiting several global capitals, including Moscow, Bonn, Paris, London, Washington, and Ottawa, to raise awareness and press for international condemnation of Pakistan’s actions.
- Indira Gandhi also sought to garner international support by traveling to key world powers, including the USSR and the US, meeting with President Nixon in a tense exchange. Despite these efforts, global intervention remained limited.
Role of the Mukti Bahini
- The Mukti Bahini played a crucial role in assisting Indian forces during the military intervention.
- These guerrilla fighters had intimate knowledge of East Pakistan’s terrain and contributed significantly to the liberation struggle. India provided resources, and the Mukti Bahini helped facilitate the entry of Indian forces into East Pakistan, contributing to the eventual success of the operation.
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1971: Victory and Birth of Bangladesh
- The war began on 3 December 1971 when Pakistan launched air strikes on multiple military bases in the northwestern parts of India. In retaliation, the Indian Air Force conducted air strikes on Pakistani positions.
- The weather played a crucial role in India’s favor, with the Himalayas preventing any possibility of Chinese intervention to support Pakistan.
- Meanwhile, the Indian Navy began to move toward Karachi, Pakistan’s major port city, further escalating the conflict.
- The war was fought on two main fronts—the Eastern Front and the Western Front:
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- In the East, the Indian Air Force was supported by the Mukti Bahini, a 20,000-strong guerrilla force consisting of Bangladeshi soldiers and civilians trained by India.
- This force had extensive knowledge of East Pakistan’s terrain, making them invaluable allies for India’s military efforts.
- The conflict on both fronts was short but intense, lasting 13 days.
- On 16 December 1971, Pakistan was forced to sign the Instrument of Surrender, which marked the end of the war and led to the birth of Bangladesh as an independent nation.
- Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, Commander of the Pakistan Eastern Command, signed the surrender in the presence of Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Eastern Command, in Dacca (now Dhaka).
- The Instrument of Surrender officially involved the surrender of all Pakistani Armed Forces in East Pakistan to Lt. Gen. Aurora, marking a decisive victory for India and Bangladesh.
| Note: Approximately 90,000 Pakistani soldiers were taken as prisoners of war, the largest number since World War II. This was not only a significant military achievement but also a major political victory for both India and Bangladesh, symbolizing the successful conclusion of the Bangladesh Liberation War and the creation of a new nation. |
| Note: The U.S. could not intervene in the 1971 India-Pakistan war due to Soviet support for India. The Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, signed in August 1971, ensured Soviet backing for India. The USSR deployed naval forces in the Indian Ocean to deter U.S. intervention, creating a significant deterrent for the U.S., which feared escalating the conflict into a broader confrontation with the Soviet Union. |
Consequences of India’s Victory in the 1971 War
- Enhanced Regional Power Status: India’s victory strengthened its position as a regional power in South Asia, consolidating its influence in the region.
- Repudiation of Jinnah’s Two-Nation Theory: The war and Bangladesh’s independence disproved the idea that religion alone defines nationhood, highlighting the importance of culture, language, and identity in forming a nation.
- The war weakened Pakistan’s justification for its stance on Kashmir, showing that factors like ethnicity and culture, not just religion, shape national identity.
- India’s Moral and Propaganda Victory: India gained the moral high ground globally by supporting the Bangladesh Liberation movement, exposing Pakistan’s repression, and championing human rights.
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Conclusion
The 1971 Indo-Pak War marked a turning point in South Asian history, leading to Bangladesh’s independence and solidifying India’s regional power status. The victory not only challenged Pakistan’s ideology but also highlighted India’s commitment to human rights, shaping future geopolitical dynamics in the region.
December 18, 2024
