Chilling facts about Indira Gandhis role in #1971war !! 1. The political and personal role of PM Indira Gandhi in the liberation of Bangadesh in 1971 is inseparable from countrys history. Indira extended unequivocal support to the people of former East Pakistan for their freedom struggle. The Army, Navy and Air Force acknowledged that victory of a #1971war would not have been possible without the leadership of Indira Gandhi. Her political leadership and Gen. Manekshaws military leadership gave India the decisive diplomatic and military victory, which is the first and the only occasion in the past thousand years. 2. Indira Gandhi fought battles diplomatically, stood her grounds and got international support against all odds. If she was tensed about US and China breathing down Indias neck, she did not let the masses know. Her command, victory at all costs end quickly. 3. Mrs. Gandhi ensured the Army, Navy and Air Force that everybody will fight as one team. It is the only war in Indian history, in which tri-service effort was done. She made this team work possible through her leadership. She allowed Gen. Manekshaw to decide the timing of the war and upgraded Army, Navy and Air Force as per Manekshaws demands. 4. Few months before the war, one night, Indira Gandhi summoned Gen. Sam Manekshaw to attend the breakfast meeting, the next day at her office with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and asked Sam to make sure that he dresses up in army uniform to attend the meeting. In the meeting, Indira requested US Secretary Henry that US must intervene and stop the genocide in East Pakistan but Henry refused. Pointing at Gen. Manekshaw, she told Henry that if you refuse to intervene, Ill ask him to intervene. This open challenge to US Secretary of State shocked the US administration. 5. Indira Gandhi, despite being the lone voice against the mighty U.S., traveled across the world to mobilize support for the beleaguered people of Bangladesh. She achieved a diplomatic masterstroke by signing friendship and cooperation treaty with Soviet Union. This treaty made Soviet ambassadors to cast veto after veto at the UN to block all the resolutions against India. 6. When she sensed that Pakistan could play Muslim card with the Arab world, which controlled the oil that fuelled not only the economy but also the battle-tanks, warships and fighter jets, she sent her family friend Mohammad Yunus to talk to the Arabs and won their support. 7. She created awareness among the world community about the atrocities committed by Pak troops in East Pakistan. Pak troops killed an estimated 30 lakh civilians, raped over 6 lakh women; destroyed innumerable homes forcing 10 million people to seek refuge in neighboring India. The resulting flood of impoverished East Pakistan refugees placed an intolerable strain of Indias already overburdened economy. 8. When the international community remained silent on this genocide and mass exodus despite Indira Gandhi drawing their attention, PM Indira Gandhi quickly decided that it was more effective to end the genocide by taking armed action against Pakistan than to simply give refuge to those who made it across to refugee camps. 9. When India was emerging victorious against Pakistan, US President Richard Nixon telephoned Indira Gandhi and threatened her that US was about to Nuke India and they were sending USS Waahington - a nuclear ship to Bay of Bengal unless India called for a ceasefire. Indira immediately telephoned her ally Soviet Union. Soviet responded with three nuclear submarines following the USS Washington. This distracted and distorted US Navy that prevented Bangladesh war from escalating. 10. Later, Indira Gandhi telephoned US President Nixon and informed him that, Mr. Nixon, I do not know if your ship will Nuke India or not, but if you do not remove the ship from Bay of Bengal within a week, then we will surely Nuke that ship of yours. In Henry Kissingers documentary, it is written that Richard Nixon at that moment sweated and he looked like he pissed in his pants. He called Indira Gandhi that old Hindu witch is one tough lady, I say. 11. Regarding China, when the war had begun, Indira Gandhi had Chinese ambassador summoned to her home and she told the Chinese bluntly, You know, we have not forgotten 1965. But we want to play fair with you. You stay out of Indo-Pak war and we are happy. But if you interfere and help Pakistan or supply arms or manpower to Pakistan, then we will reply with vengeance that will include the 1965 memory. The Chinese apparently got the message and stayed out. 12. Thirteen days later Bangladesh was born marking one of the high points in Indian diplomacy. Indira Gandhi announced in Indian Parliament: Dacca is now the free capital of a free country. We hail the people of Bangladesh in their hour of triumph. All nations who value the human spirit will recognize it as a significant milestone in mans quest for liberty. 13. After India and Soviet Union recognized Bangladesh as a new nation, the US and China adopted a UN resolution calling for the creation of Bangladesh as illegal. Britain and France supported the resolution. Soviet Union cast a veto and blocked that resolution and hence the world recognized Bangladesh as a new nation. 14. In nine months India was able to isolate the US, bring Western Europe on to our side and win over the world media. US President Richard Nixon later wrote of the war: [Gandhi] suckered [America]. Suckered us.....this woman suckered us. 15. Indiras leadership gave India the biggest diplomatic and military victory ever establishing India as the regional hegemon of South Asia and in the process, Indira Gandhi established her credentials as the Iron Lady of the eastern world. The Indian opposition parties hailed her as the avatar of Goddess Durga while the international community lauded her as the crusader of world peace.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:21:44 +0000
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