‘To retain goodwill in Bangladesh, India planned strategy to end 1971 war’
The Hindu
A date to pull out Indian troops from what would be Bangladesh was agreed upon with the country’s leadership even before Indian troops entered the country in December 1971 to free it from West Pakista
A date to pull out Indian troops from what would be Bangladesh was agreed upon with the country’s leadership even before Indian troops entered the country in December 1971 to free it from West Pakistani clutches. This was critical to ensure that India retained its goodwill in Bangladesh, former Indian diplomat Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, says in his new book India and the Bangladesh Liberation War as the two countries celebrate 50 years of the liberation of Bangladesh. Excerpts from an interview:
The government machinery functioned effectively because India had a grand strategy, arguably for the first and only time since 1947. My book shows how in April-May 1971, India formulated a comprehensive plan, which encompassed military, diplomatic and domestic initiatives, with the aim of bringing the Bangladesh liberation war to a successful conclusion by the end of the year. The committee of secretaries worked to this plan in coordination with the armed forces.