Sir,

As per the report already published, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh is a success, but I feel that more mileage could have been achieved had the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) done more work in giving briefs to the PM about the liberation of Bangladesh, the sacrifices of our Army and all our countrymen, who pasted the Ps. 5 (paise 5) Refugee Relief Stamp on every article. This is contemporary history, after all PM Modi was around 21 years old in 1971.

A British journalist, Anthony Mascarenhas, who was sent by Pakistan to East Pakistan to give a favourable report, was horrified to see the genocide committed by the Pak forces and Razakars. He could not stay there but returned to London and filed a factual report, published in The Sunday Times of London. It exposed Pakistan’s brutality and suppression of peaceful independent movement of Bangladesh. Democratic countries the world over did not support Pakistan, and instead supported Bangladesh.

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed a Friendship Treaty with Russia, and took a daring decision to attack Pakistani forces after consultations with the cabinet. The USA, under President Nixon, did not look at India in spite of Indira Gandhi’s letter/appeal. India sheltered a lot of refugees from Bangladesh, who were spread over in West Bengal up to Calcutta, Assam and Tripura. India was spending nearly two crores per day for their rehabilitation.

Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, a leader of the Awami Party, who led an agitation to liberate then-East Pakistan, was arrested, taken to Pakistan and later released in London. He addressed a press meet, met the then PM of UK, Edward Heath, and was later provided a Royal Air Force jet plane to go to Dhaka.

India was the first country to recognise Bangladesh as a country in exile, and Sheikh Mujibur Rehman as the President in exile. Sheikh Mujibur Rehman first set foot on Indian soil at Palam Airport. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, President V.V. Giri and other cabinet colleagues welcomed him, befitting a Head of State. He was given an Inter Services Guard of Honour.

After much procrastination, and a strong warning from Gen. Manekshaw, then Chief of Army Staff, mentioning that the garrison of Pakistani Army in Dhaka is at artillery range, Pakistan forces finally surrendered on 15th December 1971. It was a great day and the happiest day for the General GOC-in-C Jagjit Singh Arora of the Eastern Command as he received the instrument of surrender from his counterpart, the defeated Pakistani Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi.

– Capt. A.K. Char (Retd.), V V Mohalla, 4.4.2021

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