Saquib Salim

 

“The House (Lok Sabha) wishes to assure them (people of Bangladesh) that their struggle and sacrifices will receive the wholehearted sympathy and support of the people of India.” 

 

This was the concluding remark in the resolution moved by the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, in the parliament on 31 March 1971. The Pakistani Army led by Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan was carrying out genocide in East Pakistan for the last one week. Men were being killed and women raped. The Hindu community was the main target. Thousands of people were forced out of their homes; they were coming to India. In these circumstances, India took a moral stand of guarding the human rights of the Bengali-speaking people of Pakistan. The resolution noted that ‘the people of the subcontinent were bound by centuries-old ties of history, culture, and tradition,’ and the Indian government proved it through actions.

 

Bengali women in a refugee camp in West bengal, India (Pic: Kishore Parekh)

 

East Pakistan faced discrimination from the ruling elite of West Pakistan since its inception in 1947. The government of Pakistan tried to impose Urdu on Bengal, erase their culture, drain wealth out of the province and discriminate against them in jobs. This oppression gave rise to feelings of cultural nationalism in East Pakistan, where the majority spoke Bengali. In the words of Lt. Gen A.A.K Niazi, “except for religion, there was hardly anything in common between the Muslims of East and West Pakistan. The distance was an impediment, hindering rapport between the two provinces. The language was different. Customs and traditions failed to merge. The diet was different; the dress was not the same. The culture of East Pakistan clashed with the culture of West Pakistan. Each believed in its own values, traditions, customs, and social set-up.” No wonder that by the late 1960s Sheikh Mujib-led Awami League started demanding autonomy from West Pakistan. Apart from foreign affairs and defense, Mujib wanted autonomy for the East in every sphere of governance. 

 

 

Indian soldiers helping a child in East Pakistan (Bangladesh)

 

Amidst this, Pakistan started one of the worst genocides of human history. Lakhs were killed and raped. Due to these circumstances, the Indian government announced in the Parliament that India, as a nation, stood with the oppressed people.

 

    Indian soldiers carrying one of their injured fellow soldiers

 

The Bengali personnel of the army and police mutinied against the Pakistani command. According to an estimate, more than one lakh such soldiers joined the freedom struggle. These soldiers along with voluntary freedom fighters were trained by the Indian army in guerrilla warfare and organized into a force called Mukti Bahini. Osmani led this force in guerilla operations against the Pakistan Army for months. Hundreds of naval commandos were also trained who destroyed more than a dozen Pakistani ships during the war. Later, Lt. General J.F.R Jacob, who led the Indian army into the operations during the 1971 war, wrote, “(Mukti Bahini) completely demoralized the Pakistani Army, lowering their morale and creating such a hostile environment that their ability to operate was restricted and they were virtually confined to their fortified locations”. 

The arms surrendered by the Pakistan Army in Bangladesh

 

Once the offensive started on 4 December, it was a matter of time for the Indian Army to wrap up the war. The enemy was already frustrated by Mukti Bahini. The Governor of East Pakistan resigned and left the affairs to Niazi. All the hopes of support from the USA were soon dashed. Indian Navy, Air Force, and Infantry coordinated in the best possible manner to bring one of the worst defeats on an army in modern times. On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen. Niazi signed the instrument of surrender in front of Lt. Gen. Aurora. More than 90,000 Pakistanis were taken as Prisoners of War and Bangladesh was liberated. The Indian Army remained there for almost three months after that until Sheikh Mujib could completely organize the administration of the newly formed nation.

 

The admission of genocide cannot be more authentic than the commander of Pakistan in Bangladesh. Niazi told the people of Bangladesh after the surrender, “'Much blood has flowed under the bridge and it is too late to be remorseful. We were pawns used by our leaders, who chose the path of violence to reach the crown. They watched from outside the arena like Roman Emperors watched gladiators fight. Whatever the outcome of the clash, they would be the winners”.

 

History will remember that India stood up to its reputation as a secular and democratic nation with a humane attitude. The role of Pakistan as a genocidal monster has also become a part of human history.