India may not have had diplomatic ties with Israel but New Delhi quietly sought and got arms from Tel Aviv as it prepared to fight against Pakistan in 1971, a book has revealed The book, 1971, by scholar Srinath Raghavan offers fresh insights into the 14-day war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.Raghavan Searched through the papers of PN Haksa,maintained at Nehru Memorial Museum in New Delhi . A diplomat, Haksar was also an adviser to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.Raghavan’s research reveals that India’s ambassador to France DN Chatterjee began the process to get Israeli arms witha note to the external affairs ministry on July 6, 1971, saying assistance from Israel for “propaganda, finance and even procurement of armament and oil” would be “invaluable”. Gandhi immediately accepted the proposal and through the country’s external intelligence agency R&AW began the process to get the arms through the tiny principality of Liechtenstein. India didn’t have diplomatic ties with Israel at that time,Israel was in middle of an arms shortage but prime minister Golda Meir stepped in to divert arms meant for Iran to India. She sent a note addressed to Indira Gandhi in Hebrew through Shlomo Zabuldowicz, the director of the firm handling the secret transfers, with a request for diplomatic ties inreturn for arms. Another Note by RN KAO,founder of RAW,To P N Haksar also mentioned in the book. It was documented that arms sent by Israel was air lifted by skilled Israeli Instructors by RN Kao. and the armswill reach Indian Army and Mukti Bahani eventually. Another revealation in this book that Iran and Pakistan that Iran will give air-cover to Pakistan in case Indian Army reachesKarachi. #sabertrons
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 05:48:31 +0000
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