Syeda Mazhar
India is the worst case of conflict diplomacy and expansionist policy ever since its independence in 1947. Her relations with the neighbors; Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and China has remained strained and lacked confidence.
During his visit to Bangladesh in June 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has openly admitted that India played an important role in breakup of East Pakistan in 1971 – in a way he was admitting that India was involved in the massacre of West Pakistanis in 1971.
In the past 44 years, the 1971 war has been considerably discussed the majority of the analyses have been conducted by those who weren’t in East Pakistan during the riots and fighting, and, were unaware of the actual conditions. Instead of an accurate assessment of the armed forces performance, these people have constructed a narrative contrary to the reality and ignored the soldiers who withstood horrifying conditions and fought bravely with the Indians and the Mukti Bahini. During 1971 war, on the one hand military was facing paucity of weapons, tanks and airplanes, and on the other hand, the leadership could not compete with the constant meddling and political manipulation by India. Moreover, the leadership did not take any timely steps to counter Indian propaganda, either.
When President Yahya Khan, hesitated letting Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman to let the Awami League from Bangladesh join the central government of Pakistan, a wave of resentment spread across entire East Pakistan. These sentiments were fully exploited by fifth columnists and Indian agents. The political struggle by a political party was deliberately shaped to become violent and anti-Pakistan. Indian intelligence agencies especially focused on students. Indians spewed their hateful propaganda against Pakistan, brainwashed the young minds and then started supplying them with weapons and ammunition to carryout sabotage activities. India took maximum advantage of the situation and provided the Bengalis with economic aid and used poisonous propaganda against Pakistan. Indian propaganda slowly convinced the Bengalis that they had more cultural similarities with India, which was their friend whereas West Pakistan was withholding their rights.
If parallels are to be drawn the Indian government seems to be doing the same with the province of Balochistan, adopting its technique of internally weakening the patriotic structure and fuelling the propaganda against the Central leadership of Pakistan that they are exploiting Balochistan and withholding their rights over the resources of Balochistan by introducing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in the region. Rumours like Pakistan Army unjustly executing the Balochis to put down any sort of rebellion are also spun around contradicting the reality when the Pakistan Army has paid heavy prices for its endless efforts of establishing and maintaining peace in the region.
Indians provided the East Pakistani rebels with military, economic and political support in order to “gain freedom” from their “oppressors”. In reality, the civil militia of Mukti Bahini was being trained by the Indian Army. With the help of the Indian Army, they managed to destroy all the bridges of East Pakistan. Railway lines, roads and river transport were also rendered ineffective. Under complete control of Indian Army, only the orders of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, were obeyed and all the recommendations of the Pakistani administration were completely ignored. Many Bengali officers from Eastern Command were continuously sending important documents to the Indian Army. In these conditions, on 25 March, the Army experienced a grave setback. The entire East Bengal Regiment and East Pakistan Rifles, who numbered 120,000, rebelled. 80,000 Mukti Bahini, in which Indian soldiers were also implanted, began to massacre West Pakistanis. For this purpose, elaborate slaughter houses and riverside torture centers were made.
The West Pakistanis even though were in a smaller number fought valiantly but eventually, unfortunately, instead of help and support, received hate and resentment from the local population that had been influenced by poisonous Indian propaganda. Establishing the fact that to fight against the enemy is easy but to fight one’s own countrymen is very difficult.
On 23rd March, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman announced a day of protest in East Pakistan. Bangladesh independence songs were sung, pictures of Quaid-e-Azam were burnt, Pakistani flags were removed and replaced with flags of Bangladesh. Bengali shopkeepers refused to sell West Pakistanis daily supplies. Shops belonging to West Pakistanis were looted, set on fire and their owners were killed. This all happened as followers of Chankia had sown the seeds of hatred in the minds of Bengali masses. Indian poisonous propaganda done over the years had been able to change brothers into opponents.
Indians are coward on the battlefield, but apt at conspiracies, spreading unrest in other countries and stabbing them in the back. How India created differences and split between political parties and spread hatred among common masses of East Pakistan is no secret and how All India Radio and press communicated misleading assertions about the legitimate government which resulted in a mass rebellion in East Pakistan. India has been notoriously known for adopting underhanded tactics and inculcating doubts and feed negativity amongst the countrymen of other countries. Its unwelcome interference in the internal matters of its neighbours, especially Pakistan has caused strained relations in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
The initially weak insurgency with active Indian involvement to help anti state elements became stronger with the growing propaganda. The Indian agencies had established a separatist movement through their cells in East Pakistan and trained Mukti Bahini in camps within Indian territory adjoining East Pakistan. But then conspiracies and persecution of disadvantaged Muslims has always been a cornerstone of Indian policy! The past cannot be forgotten!
