Indian Defence Review

By the mid-1960s, the demand for democracy and autonomy for East Pakistan had grown under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. The frequency and intensity of agitation had rocked the Pakistan government. The situation worsened rapidly after Sheikh Mujibur Rehman was jailed in 1968. On 25 March 1971, Bangladeshi flags appeared at numerous places as Rehman’s supporters declared independence. The brutal crackdown of 26 March 1971 in Dhaka and elsewhere in East Pakistan forced millions of Bengalis to flee the country. Amongst them were also the rank and file of the East Bengal Regiment, East Pakistan Rifles and police personnel – many of them with their weapons – all of whom helped to form the famous Mukti Bahini. The first indications of the Indian Army’s intervention in East Pakistan was given by the government to General SHFJ Manekshaw MC, towards the end of April 1971. A well deliberated contingency plan for a full-scale war saw systematic preparations spread over the next seven months. Headquarters 2 Corps was raised, thinning out and redeployment of troops was carried out from the Counter Insurgency areas, resources were allocated to the eastern theatre, reservists were called up and the Territorial Army (TA) units were fully embodied. All this was done while the infantry units trained and readied themselves for operations.