1971 – India's Greatest Victory

As India celebrates 50 years of victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan, SP’s Land Forces looks at how the Indian Army with the support of the IAF and the Indian Navy, bulldozed its way to the liberation of East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) to achieve one of the greatest victories by any modern-day military

LT GENERAL P.C. KATOCH (RETD)

THE DEMOLITION OF EAST Pakistan leading to the birth of Bangladesh in 1971 was the greatest victory of India that resulted in the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani military personnel – the largest number of prisoners taken in any war after World War II. It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan had been digging its own grave in East Pakistan for a long that accelerated its collapse. Ironically, western media didn’t mention much about this magnificent Indian victory and the West never took up this campaign as a case study because both the US and Britain were against the Indian action.

Setting in East Pakistan

Continuing oppressive actions in East Pakistan under direction of the West Pakistan-based military junta led by President Yahya Khan had germinated simmering Bengali nationalism for a long time. This led to the movement of self-determination when the military junta annulled results of the general elections held on December 7, 1970, in which the Awami League had won a decisive majority capturing 167 out of 313 seats. The Bengali population expected a swift transfer of power to the Awami League but this was nixed and the national assembly meeting scheduled for March 1971 was postponed. In response, the Awami League held a massive rally on March 7 and launched a programme of non-co-operation, which was hugely successful. However, Prime Minister-designate Sheikh Mujibur Rehman was arrested and taken to West Pakistan. On the night of March 25, 1971, Pakistan launched Operation ‘Searchlight’ against the people of East Pakistan under Lieutenant General Tikka Khan, Governor and General Officer Commanding, East Pakistan. This involved systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, students, scholars and intelligentsia, religious minorities, resistance fighters and supporters.