Indira Gandhi & Bangladesh liberation war ✒ Jayasurya The European nations did not openly support the Indian argument. They did not reject the India spoiled Pakistan’s strategy by a surgical argument either. The Indians took advantage of military action in Bangladesh. The ease with the ambivalence of the European nations. India which it forced the Pakistan milit had been giving active support to the ary to Bangladesh freedom fighters from the very surrender in just 14 days on December 16, 1971 beginning when the latter took up arms against was, of course, due to reasons stated above that the occupation Pakistan army. On November 21, Bangabandhu united the nation to make any 1971, India formally formed the joint command sacrifice and the armed Bangladesh freedom composed of the Indian Armed Forces and the fighters fought, weakened and demoralised the Bangladesh freedom fighters, also called the Pakistan military with the total support of the Mukti Bahini, and placed it under Lieutenant people. Therefore, the senior political official at General Jagjit Singh Aurora shortly after Indira the PMO’s contention that without Indira Gandhi Gandhi’s trip to Europe had encouraged no and India, Bangladesh would perhaps still not doubt by the reactions of the European leaders. have become independent was one that gave too much credit to India and Indira Gandhi and The war of liberation was on an irreversible undermined Bangladesh’s glorious war of track when the joint command was formed. liberation, easily one of the best liberation wars Bangabandhu’s confidence in his people was in fought in modern history. full evidence. The Mukti Bahini with the people There had never been for a moment any doubt behind them successfully cornered the 93,000- during the war of liberation that the Pakistan strong Pakistan military into a hole where military would not be defeated and Bangladesh defeat stared them in the face. The formation of would not be liberated. If India and Indira the joint command sent out the signal to Gandhi had allowed Bangladesh’s glorious war Pakistan that India was preparing a military of liberation to run its natural course and not strike. Ironically, it also provided Pakistan with intervened militarily, the people of Bangladesh the opportunity of an exit out of the deep hole would have suffered Pakistan’s occupation its military was in Bangladesh. The Pakistanis longer but the country would have achieved its thus made the first move on December 3, 1971 independence united as a monolith without and attacked positions on the western front to being tied in eternal gratitude to India and, in start the third Pakistan-India war hoping to take retrospect, without sowing many of the seeds of the conflict to the UN Security Council and get a dissension that the country is facing today. ceasefire. A TO Z INDIA ● JULY 2021 ● PAGE 14