THE Indian Army’s performance in the 1971 war was unparalleled. The iconic photo of Pakistan’s Lt Gen AAK Niazi signing the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora is an indelible part of our proud…
THE Indian Army’s performance in the 1971 war was unparalleled. The iconic photo of Pakistan’s Lt Gen AAK Niazi signing the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora is an indelible part of our proud history.
December 16, which marked the end of the war, is befittingly celebrated in India and Bangladesh. A team of Indian veterans who took part in the war visits the neighbouring country every year. In 2019, I led a delegation of 52 members, including officers and their spouses.
The four-day visit was planned and hosted by the Bangladesh army with immaculate care. On arrival, we were treated to refreshments in the airport VIP lounge while the immigration formalities were completed. The stay was in the best hotel in Dhaka. Military officers were deputed to micromanage the schedule. This included women officers for the spouses. They made us feel truly welcome.
On the evening of December 15, we were hosted by the erstwhile Mukti Bahini, some of whose members we had fought alongside during the war. December 16 started with a wreath-laying ceremony at their national war memorial by the Bangladesh Prime Minister. We also laid a wreath on behalf of our Army. During the ceremonial parade and march-past that followed, special seating arrangement was made for us. In the afternoon, we attended the President’s ‘At Home’ where, as the delegation leader, I interacted with the Bangladesh President and PM and exchanged greetings and mementoes. Their hospitality reflected a dignified gratitude to the role played by India in their nation’s freedom struggle.
Foreign affairs and defence ministers were also among our dinner hosts. These events were held during rush hour and the police had to halt traffic to let us pass. One did not notice a single person angry at the disruption. There was only a friendly wave of the hands.
A visit was also scheduled to Tangail, where our paratroopers had made a spectacular landing. Unfortunately, the weather played spoilsport and the helicopters could not land. However, the hosts immediately put their standby plan into action.
We made official calls separately on the three service chiefs and their chief of defence staff. A formal dinner hosted by the army chief was attended by a large number of their officers. I addressed the gathering on all these occasions. Special care was taken to underscore the contribution of Mukti Bahini. Being professionals, they would know that their efforts per se would not have sufficed in defeating a large regular army, more so since the latter had the backing of some powerful Western countries.
The unfortunate developments in Bangladesh over the last six months have cast a shadow on those happy memories. The student leaders who spearheaded a nationwide anti-discrimination movement and are now a part of the interim government were not witness to the trauma of 1971. And word-of-mouth history can never be an effective substitute. One hopes the prevailing anti-India sentiment is only transitory. We wish our neighbour well.
