Indira Gandhi had planned it well and her 'diplomatic offensive" made Independence of Bangladesh acceptable globally, a surviving 1971 War Veteran Brigadier Onkar S Goraya has said here. (this was in 2017)
A proud Indian soldier, Brig Goraya still retains an original newspaper of December 18, 1971 -- that carried the banner headline -- 'Yahya accepts Ceasefire'.
In fact, the first lead story of 'Hindustan Times' carried a UNI (United News of India) filed copy -- with the first sentence reading: "Pakistan President Yahya Khan today ordered his troops to ceasefire along the western front.
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| No one can dispute Indira's role in 'Bangladesh' liberation |
Brig. Goraya (Retd) of 57 Artillery, who had moved to the forward areas in Agartala during the war as part of his unit's Operation 'Nut Cracker', said the Independence of Bangladesh was inevitable as "there was no cultural and historical affinity between West Pakistan and East Pakistan".
He said Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi pursued "diplomatic offensive" very well making the global community understand India's role in the conflict between East Pakistan and West Pakistan very well.
"Militarily, the strategic planning at every level was very good. Right from Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and higher echelons down to Brigade commands, it was all very good planning.....The units advancements and formation and the vital artillery support....all went off very well," Brig. Goraya had told this blogger.
"It was finally proved to the world that Mohammed Ali Jinnah's two-nation theory based on religious divide was only a fallacy. Religion cannot unite people. People ultimately long for cultural affinity, they adore the affinity of language," said Brig Goraya, who was in Delhi to meet the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"Moreover, West Pakistanis were bullies. They tried to impose Urdu language. The Bengali culture was assaulted and rightly so the Bengalis revolted," he said adding, even if 1971 was avoided -- East Pakistan would have one day come out of the West Pakistan "sooner than later".
Recalling his role in the War, Brig Goraya said, "I was a Major those days and as part of our unit's deployment was in Agartala as Staff Officer to Brigade Commandant Janggi Singh Baba. We all got involved in Operation Nut Cracker. It was a fierce battle as from December 1 to 4, the enemy gave us a good fight; but then we took over and they were on run".
He still has clear memories of helicopter movements braving the darkness of night and often inclement weather over River Meghna and Indian army subsequently entering strategic locations like Brahmanbari and Bhairavbazar.
"It was like living through a different era. May be unthinkable in present times. Everyone wanted to contribute to the war. People of Bangladesh were very cooperative amid multiple challenges. They knew we were there to help them. They felt proud of Indian army and BSF's role," he said.
Besides the battle front, another exciting part of his involvement during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, Brig Goraya said was the "uncertainty" for sometime on where about of Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman.
"After the great victory, the new born country was caught in the mad euphoria of rejoicing and celebrating. But there was a subtle deficiency - the absence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the new born baby," he said adding, people knew that Mujibur Rahman was arrested by West Pakistani forces on March 25, 1971 and taken to West Pakistan.
"There were doubts, whether he would return at all," said Goraya, who has also penned a book on the 1971 War.
However, Brig. Goraya said ultimately "better sense" prevailed on Zulfikar Ali Butto and Mujib was released. "There were certainly apprehensions that as 90,000 Prisoners of War were held by India, whether Mujib too will be held as hostage. But slowly public opinion in Pakistan turned against Yahya Khan," he said adding then the onus then fell on Bhutto to act.
"Compelled by the urgency to focus on rebuilding the broken pieces of Pakistan and also mounting international pressure, Bhutto took the pragmatic decision and released Mujib....I strongly feel Bhutto also must have felt guilty having wronged Mujib after the elections and denying power to Bangabandhu," he said.
Brig Goraya, now based in Chandigarh, said he was in the national capital also to handover a copy of his book, 'Leap Across Meghna - Blitzkreig of 1V Corps 1971' to Sheikh Hasina.
In fact, Ms Hasina was "excited" in seeing the book which has a few rare photographs and a nice narration of arrangements for 10th January, 1972 grand parade at Dhaka, he said.
Answering questions, Brig Goraya said Indira Gandhi's 'diplomatic offensive' had long term impact as after the 1971 War, "the global image of India of a laid back and dithering nation changed overnight".
"It is unfortunate that the nation reverted back to this image after a decade or so. But we are changing now and these are good trends," he said making it clear - however - that his comments should not be interpreted in political context.
Old story: initially written in 2019: Rahuls’s Wayanad venture offers joyous moment to us: BJP
New Delhi, Apr 8 (2019): Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from Wayanad in Kerala and the discomfort caused in the communists camp suggest in clearer manner that the Congress-Leftists relations have come a full circle in more ways than one.
In fact, BJP’s backroom strategists also rejoice about it as this could intensify Congress-Left rift.
It was way back in 1959 - exactly 60 years back - the first communist elected government headed by EMS Namboodiripad government was dismissed in Kerala by the Nehru government.
A section of BJP leaders say Rahul Gandhi’s move also reflects ‘internal bickering’ in the Congress especially in its Kerala unit and also talks about the ‘intensity’ of the cold war between Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury factions in the CPI-M. "One Left leader based in Delhi told us Rahul Gandhi took a rather whimsical decision largely following pressure from a Kerala faction in Congress and also because he has developed cold feet about Amethi,” one BJP leader said.
Mr Gandhi has sought out a minority dominated constituency because he fears Hindu anger in the North, especially in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP leaders say – the CPI-M and CPI leaders feel ‘ditched’ by sheer display of ‘opportunism’ by the Congress.
This has happened a number of times between Congress and communists, it is none of our business. But this time the intensity is high. Some communists think to an extent that Sonia Gandhi-Rahul duo has been ungrateful as it were the communists that played the role of an anchor in ensuring a Congress-led UPA dispensation in 2004,” the source said.
Sanjay Gandhi later developed his "dislike" for communists so much that once angered with Youth Congress from Kerala, he had once told Vayalar Ravi and others, "you all are behaving like communists".
Several BJP leaders also discuss in private these days on how the Congress felt anguished when the CPI-M and other left parties sided with V P Singh in the campaign on Bofors and which later was also joined by the BJP. “V P Singh government did not last long. But it is a fact, the corruption allegation stuck with the Congress and for the first time it was related to defence deals and affected the Late Rajiv Gandhi whose image in initial days in politics was that of Mr Clean,” the source said.
There have been other instances also. In 2008, the anguished Left parties withdrew support to the Manmohan Singh government over the Nuclear Deal with the United States.
The bitterness in relationship could not have come at any worse time. Thanks to Nandigram and Singur, the Left Front government headed by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was at all time low in popularity graph.
The Congress easily walked into the arms of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and thus the communists rule came to an end in their own bastion. The Leftists had presumed that at least a triangular contest could have helped them make some damage control.
In retrospective effect, old timers among socialist leaders also say that the Left, particularly the CPI, had helped Indira Gandhi wrest power from the Syndicate during the Congress split in the 1960s.
The CPI became an official ally of the Congress and only till the Emergency when excesses made by Sanjay Gandhi and others angered the communists. But the CPI got marginalised slowly and and the CPI-M became the bigger 'Left brother'.
The joyous mood in the BJP camp vis-a-vis Congress ‘mistakes’ in the run-up to the elections could be judged well from the remarks of Arun Jaitley.
Asked to comment on Robert Vadra plunging into the campaign, Mr Jaitely said rather in a tongue-in-cheek fashion: “I don't know if this will be an asset for the campaign of Congress party or for the campaign of BJP”.
Similarly, about Mr Gandhi’s Wayanad decision – that will help him probably ‘easily’ a seat in the next Lok Sabha; BJP poll managers feel - Rahul Gandhi might have hurt long term Congress prospects.
“We are happy about Rahul’s flight to the safest seat which has overwhelming Muslim presence. The Congress revival therefore looks remote as Hindus now know pretty where his heart is,” a party leader said.
To be specific on that, BJP leaders say the 'polarisation' of voters have already taken place. “Sonia Gandhi could be an unhappy leader, but also an unhappy mother. She had given leadership to Congress a time when people were leaving the Congress. Now as she nears her retirement, the Congress is again witness to desertion.
In Gujarat, the revival hint of December 2017 has died a natural death,” said a Gujarat Congress leader – who lately shifted allegiance to the saffron camp.
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| Kerala polls |
ends
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