1971 India – Pakistan War
The 1971 Indo-Pakistani War was the first war between nations that did not include fighting over the territory of Kashmir. The Dominion of Pakistan was split into West Pakistan and East Pakistan (initially East Bengal) at this time. The Indo-Pak War of 1971 results in the birth of Bangladesh as a new country.
BACKGROUND OF 1971 INDIA PAKISTAN WAR:
- The country was partitioned into India and Pakistan at the time of Indian independence from Britain in 1947, the latter as a Muslim country.
- Pakistan was composed of two divisions at the time, West Pakistan and East Pakistan. East Pakistanis were popularly known as "Pakistani Bengalis"; to distinguish this region from India's state West Bengal (which is also known as "Indian Bengal"). However, soon after Pakistan's establishment, the Bengalis were under-represented in the national government and ethnic tensions between both groups were said to exist.
- Bengalis thought that the national government was belittling their community. In Pakistan, there have been campaigns to designate Bengali as an official language, along with Urdu.
- The Bengali nationalist leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, announced his six-point program for regional autonomy for East Pakistan.
- Mujibur's East Pakistani Awami League party secured a landslide win in Pakistan's 1970 election, losing just 2 of the 169 seats in the East Pakistan Assembly. In the central Pakistani assembly, the victory also gave the party a simple majority.
- Instead of allowing Mujibur to form the government, the West Pakistani establishment called on the military to suppress dissenters in East Pakistan.
- Protests in support of Mujibur were held in East Pakistan and a violent crackdown was launched in March 1971 by West Pakistan, led by Tikka Khan. In East Pakistan, his army launched a reign of terror, committing systematic atrocities against dissenters. This gained him the nickname of the Butcher of Bengal.
- Mujibur was arrested and taken to West Pakistan. During that time, many Awami leaders fled to India to seek safety. The influx of refugees to India was also enormous and this proved to be an economic burden on India.
- On 26 March 1971, a veteran of the Pakistani army, Major Ziaur Rahman, announced Bangladesh's independence on the radio.
- In support of the nationalist leaders of East Pakistan, the government of India under Indira Gandhi was vocal and appealed to the international community for assistance in the crisis.
- In East Pakistan, GOI also sponsored the Mukti Bahini. India provided training in refugee camps to East Pakistani Bengali nationals.
- The West Bengal, Tripura, Bihar, Assam, and Meghalaya state governments had also set up refugee camps along the frontier.
WHY DID INDIA INTERVENE IN THE WAR FOR THE LIBERATION OF BANGLADESH?
Due to different strategic, domestic, economic, and humanitarian factors, India was compelled to intervene in the Bangladesh War of 1971.
Strategic Fcators: It was a strategic problem for India to have a hostile West Pakistan and East Pakistan on both sides of its borders. This was intensified by the uncertainty in Sino-Indian relations that resulted in the 1962 war. The intervention in 1971 was therefore appropriate to preserve long-term strategic interests.
Problem of Migrants: The persistent influx of migrants from East Pakistan on the domestic front has generated various problems in the border states. The resources were scarce and there was a constant struggle over the use of these resources between locals and refugees. Also, due to this inflow of refugees, there were numerous other ethnic and social issues.
Economic Factors: The country was spending immense resources on the economic front to accommodate those refugees. As a closed economy, India was not in a position to seek long-term spending capital and therefore needed a long-term solution to the issue. Besides, because of poor connectivity, having a hostile East Pakistan hindered the growth of the north-eastern part of the country. Attacks by West Pakistan toward north-western India and assistance sought by Mukti Vahini compelled India to enter the war to liberate Bangladesh.
Humanitarian Reason: Finally, the atrocities committed against the citizens of East Pakistan forced India to intervene on humanitarian grounds in the conflict to avoid a crisis on a large scale.
WHAT WAS THE MAJOR POINT OF CONFLICT THAT RESULTED IN THE WAR?
- West Pakistan, which retained the bulk of political influence, felt oppressed by East Pakistan. An East Pakistan political party won the election in March of 1971, and West Pakistan decided not to accept the outcome. In East Pakistan, this decision led to political instability and West Pakistan reacted with military force. The Bangladesh Liberation War started with independence being proclaimed as Bangladesh by East Pakistan.
- India, through both direct and indirect interventions, played an important role in establishing Bangladesh. It was a humanitarian crisis due to the Pakistani army's brutality against East Pakistani civilians, including arson, rape, and murder. The increasing refugee crisis was also unmanageable due to the migration of people to escape persecution, the Indian government allowed leaders of the Awami League to form a government in exile (Calcutta), gave military training to Mukti Vahini Sena on Indian soil, provided refugees with food, shelter, clothing and medical assistance despite the enormous strain on their finances, and in December 1971 India defeated Pakistan and more than 93000 Pakistani soldiers were arrested.
HOW DID THE WAR END?
- Pakistan conducted pre-emptive attacks on Indian airfields, including those in Agra, on 3 December 1971. Indira Gandhi said on the radio the same evening that the strikes were seen as a declaration of war against India. This was an entry of India into the war.
- India replied with retaliatory airstrikes against Pakistan the same night. Coordinated air, land, and sea assaults were conducted on Pakistan from all fronts.
- The war lasted just 13 days and ended on 16 December 1971 with the surrender of the Pakistani army to the Eastern front.
- An Instrument of Surrender was signed between Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, the commanding officer of the Indian Eastern Command, and his Pakistani counterpart, Lieutenant-General A.A.K. Niazi.
- Over 90000 POWs were taken over by India after the surrender, the largest surrender since the Second World War. Some Bengali nationals who had been faithful to West Pakistan were also among them. For India, the war was a decisive victory and it established India's military supremacy over Pakistan.
- Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat and it also led to over half of its population being deprived of the region. Bangladesh, the new nation, was created. Mujibur, who became the first President of Bangladesh, was liberated by Pakistan.
- In 1972, the Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan was signed, acknowledging the independence of Bangladesh.
- In July 2011, Indira Gandhi was awarded the Bangladesh Freedom Award posthumously by the Bangladesh government.
WHAT IS THE SHIMLA AGREEMENT?
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the President of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on 2nd July 1972 signed the Shilma Agreement to withdraw soldiers. Both countries undertook, under the Simla Agreement, to abjure conflict and confrontation that had in the past marred relationships and to work towards the establishment of permanent peace, friendship, and cooperation. The Simla Agreement comprises a set of guiding principles agreed by India and Pakistan on a reciprocal basis, to be adhered to by both parties while maintaining relations with each other.
These underline the following:
- Respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other.
- Non-interference with the internal affairs of one another.
- Respect for solidarity with each other and political freedom.
- Sovereign equality and abjuring violence
IMPORTANT PROVISIONS IN THE SHIMLA AGREEMENT:
The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan have decided following to achieve this objective:—
- That the relations between the two countries shall be regulated by the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.
- That the two countries are determined, by bilateral agreements or through some other peaceful means mutually agreed between them, to resolve their differences by peaceful means. Until all of the problems between the two countries are eventually resolved, neither side shall unilaterally alter the situation and both shall prevent all actions detrimental to the preservation of friendly and harmonious relations from coordinating, assisting, or encouraging them.
- That a commitment by both countries to peaceful coexistence, respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, based on equality and mutual gain, is the precondition for reconciliation, good neighborliness, and lasting peace between them.
- That the fundamental problems and causes of conflict that have plagued the relations between the two countries over the past 25 years must be resolved by peaceful means.
- That they value the national unity, territorial integrity, political freedom, and sovereign equality of each other at all times.
- That they would refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of each other, in compliance with the Charter of the United Nations.
- To avoid aggressive rhetoric directed towards each other, both governments will take all measures within their control. The dissemination of such information would be encouraged by both countries to promote the establishment of friendly ties between them.
In order to begin the process of creating a permanent peace, both governments accept that:
- Indian and Pakistani forces are to be separated from their side of the international border.
- In Jammu and Kashmir, without regard to the recognized status of either side, the line of control resulting from the cease-fire of 17 December 1971 shall be respected by both parties. Neither side shall, irrespective of common disagreements and legal interpretations, attempt to modify it unilaterally. Furthermore, in breach of this line, all sides pledge to refrain from the threat or use of force.
- Withdrawals shall begin upon the entry into force of this Agreement and shall be finished within 30 days after such withdrawal.
- In accordance with their respective constitutional procedures, this Agreement shall be subject to ratification by both countries and shall enter into force with effect from the date of exchange of the Instruments of Ratification.
- Both governments agree that their respective heads will meet again in the future at a time of mutual convenience and that, in the meantime, representatives of both sides will meet to negotiate further the modalities and arrangements for the establishment of permanent peace and the normalization of relations, including the repatriation of prisoners of war and civilian internees. Moreover, it also states that both the nations will continue to work towards the settlement of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir to establish lasting peace and the normalization of diplomatic relations.