An Overlooked Battle

This piece of work depicts a brutal battle between India and Pakistan in 1971. Strangely enough, this conflict between two great nations is one of the less common battles our world's rich history. My hopes are that this short essay will revolutionize your opinion of this great battle. For you:

Year after year, century after century history is created and is yet in the making. But out of so many revolutionary events and valiant battles, the India-Pakistan War of 1971 is commonly overlooked, and those brave soldiers who gave their lives for the green, orange, and white are neglected from eternal glory. East Pakistan was in peril of the monopolizing Pakistan government. Indeed, in the 1970’s Pakistan was two separate landmasses under one government rule. But the residents of East Pakistan were cheated of their rights, their voice in congress, and the democracy they were promised by their nation and. Instead, they were destined to genocide by the Pakistan government after their rising power. To escape these injustices and atrocities, they fled from East Pakistan into their neighboring country, India, as refugees. An estimated 10 million refugees was and economic drain and too overwhelming for the Indian government to handle forcing them to intervene in Pakistan’s civil crisis. On December 3rd, 1971, the India-Pakistan War of 1971 had officially started. After two weeks of battle, the East Pakistanis were rewarded with a nation to call their own: Bangladesh. The liberation of a new country and its newly earned freedom came at the cost of a heavy political, economic, and social burden to the citizens of both India and Pakistan.

During the course of the two weeks of friction between India and Pakistan, the government of India was seriously jeopardized politically. A fellow citizen living a common life in the midst of this controversy was Gyana Chandara Kar, married and a father of three. During these two weeks of warfare, it seemed as if all political parties within India had united to fight for a common cause: the liberation of East Pakistan. Although a threat to the federal and state governments was imminent citizens like G. C. Kar did not live in constant fear. State governments were on high alert regarding Pakistani spies camouflaged into city societies requiring citizens like Mr. Kar and his family to stay alert about who they communicated with and what information they conveyed in the process. The results of a security leak would be devastating. When it came to opinions on the war, most citizens agreed that the Pakistani government had to stop torturing minorities in order to avoid turning into a military controlled country. On the contrary, the Pakistan government was moving towards that exact political destiny more and more every day. Of course, safety was the foremost concern of all citizens in India. The relationship between India and Pakistan since Indian independence had always been bitter, especially when it came to politics and diplomacy. For this reason, the Orissa State government, that of Mr. Kar’s home state, assured safety to all citizens and imposed a precautionary curfew to protect residents from enemy bombing raids. During the war, all families had to return from work, schools, etc. before 7 PM when the city commenced their “lights out” procedure. In this manner, they could appear as an unpopulated city from the air as to keep themselves away from the danger of air strikes and bombings by the Pakistan Air Force. Although the government was doing all this in the best interest of the people, the Kar family’s life was dramatically altered through political instability during the 1971 war.

Not only did the India- Pakistan War of 1971 (a.k.a The Liberation War) impact individuals politically, but also influenced the worldwide view of India as a political leader. The primary cause of the 1971 War was due to the rising power of Bengalis (residents of East Pakistan). When Bengali leader Shiek Mujibur Rehman gathered enough political strength to earn a seat in the Pakistani government representing the Bengalis, the corrupt Pakistan government ordered genocide of all Bengalis within Pakistan’s borders. The outbreak of violence throughout Pakistan soon carried over to the Pakistani parliament urging the nation to split into two. Obviously, the president of Pakistan, Yahyah Kahn, was against this entirely and declared civil war. When India’s prime minister, Indira Gandhi, officially entered the war on December 3rd, 1971, the nation lacked global support from many nations. Surprisingly, one of these nations that did not support India during the war was the United States. All the more shocking, the USA supported Pakistan in the Liberation War as both were close allies from past relations. The Indian government’s primary objective throughout the war was to establish an interim government in East Pakistan (soon to become Bangladesh) before the cessation of hostilities. To achieve this goal, the Indian government arranged several stealth attacks on major Pakistani cities in hope of forcing President Khan to surrender. When all seemed to be going well, Pakistan earned another key ally in the war to help in efforts of defeating India. China’s border disputes with India from past times were a motivating factor for them to support Pakistani forces in the Liberation War. In spite of the uncooperativeness from the global community, India’s government remained calm and controlled playing an intelligent defensive role throughout the war. Using this strategy, India won the war against all odds and freed the Bengalis from the hostile Pakistani government. This war was one of the most revolutionary turning points in Indian history. Their victory helped India’s prime minister win her reelection to serve a second term in office and assisted the country in obtaining new support and allies from foreign countries. Clearly, the India- Pakistan War of 1971 made India’s presence prominent as a political leader amongst hundreds of countries in our world.

Just as the turbulence in political status of India during the 1971 War, so was India’s economy and, more importantly, the economic status of its people. As any person would expect, Mr. Gyana Chandara Kar was a very patriotic citizen of India and supported his country under any circumstance. However, the Liberation War taught him that a country must have both military and economic strength in order to be labeled “powerful.” During wartime, neither he nor any other citizen saw any drastic changes in the economic status of their own families. As patriots, Mr. Kar and most other men and women in India willingly supported the government during the war when it came to spending money on arms and forces to use in battle. Although economics did not play a major role when it came to the safety of oneself and one’s family, those with higher economic status were able to afford fleeing from areas where a threat was more imminent than other places. On a smaller scale, because G. C. Kar owned a house and was somewhat financially settled, his family had the protection of their own home and food to keep themselves alive when the war was at its worst. The only economic threats to citizens like Mr. Kar were higher taxes and possible inflation to assist the government in financing the war. Even so, economics was one area which least impacted Mr. G.C. Kar during the war.

As a result of the Liberation War, India’s economy was not seriously affected on a large scale. However, India did cause a heavy economic depression in Pakistan through blockades and sheer destruction. A major asset for India during the war was its navy. The Indian Navy was used to blockade major Pakistani seaports like Karachi and Gwldar in hopes of cutting off imports and exports in Pakistan and disrupting foreign trade. In this manner, the Pakistan economy crashed and lost the ability to purchase modern weaponry for use in the war. This clever strategy enabled India to now use their old weapons from World War II without having to match Pakistan’s new technology. Not only did this save expenditure but also introduced a new country into the war. Several years prior to the 1971 crisis, India had signed a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union binding a positive relation between both countries for years to come. This treaty benefited India in the 1971 War when the Soviet Union began producing and delivering new weaponry to India. The modern technology came in great use against Pakistan forces. Apart from military assistance, the Soviet Union provided a profusion of diplomatic support for India, as well. With new strength, India obtained total control over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea by the fifth day of the war. This destroyed Pakistan’s economy and only bettered India’s. By the sixth day of war, the future of Pakistan was lucid. While India’s economy lay unaffected by the Liberation War, Pakistan’s economy slowly crumbled as its fate was sealed.

While two weeks of war passed one day at a time, citizens all around India, including Gyana Kar, felt an immense social change amongst their communities. As the Liberation War began with Bengalis migrating to India as refugees, Gyana Kar pitched in to help in rehabilitation efforts. He saw volunteering in situations like this as his community’s responsibility to help out in the war efforts. Similarly, all Indians around the world recognized that it was their duty to provide all the support they could for the liberation of East Pakistan. In this sentiment of patriotism, the Indian community, as a whole, came much closer together with a great sense of philanthropy, support, and full-hearted love for the glorious nation they called their homeland. For Mr. Kar, the most prominent expression of this closeness became evident as he observed the strict caste system temporarily diminish within societies in the country. As everyone’s mind and focus was set to fighting for a common cause, the mentality of castes and religion became a thing of the past, even if for a short time. What Mr. Kar and millions of others saw in their communities during this war was a pure feeling of love for each other and their nation. By participating in open protests and war campaigns, India became a more unified nation and its people more cohesive than ever before. The social impact on Gyana Kar’s life and community through the India- Pakistan War of 1971 recreated a sense of unity; something all Indians had hoped to create after their independence, which they fought so hard to accomplish.

Despite the fact that the Liberation War was a brutal affair, it developed India socially and changed the Indian perception of unity. Before the war had officially begun in December of 1971, East Pakistan had already declared itself an independent nation in April of 1971. This caused the Pakistan government to declare genocide of all East Pakistanis (Bengalis). This was seen as an obscene crime by the Bengalis throughout South Asia but unified them at the same time. The war also spurred conflict between India and the USA when President Nixon disagreed with the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s views on the war. However, this conflict was soon resolved with Pakistan’s surrender on December 17th, 1971. During two days of the war, India united socially and assisted the Indian Armed Forces in the best manner possible. Between the 6th and 8th of December, the Indian Army needed to move troops and supplies from West Pakistan to East Pakistan around major Pakistani forces. The only way this could be done was by moving all troops and materials over thousands of miles of Indian soil. This, however, was only possible due to the help and support that local residents provided in towns which the army passed through. Indian enthusiasts who saw this major movement immediately made efforts to quicken the moving process by providing basic necessities, private helicopters, and merely by giving moral support. However small their efforts may have been, they were greatly appreciated once India became victorious. The social effects of the war benefited the Indian nation and all those who resided in it immensely.

From the very beginning of the war, the Pakistanis bet that the best India could get out of the war was a stalemate. But against all odds, the Indian Armed Forces, and the nation as a whole, fought to the very last drop of blood and proved to be the victors in the end. This triumph not only gave the Bengalis a country to call their own, but also impacted India and its citizens politically, economically, and socially. Through valorous battles and bold efforts, India earned its place amongst the leaders of worldwide peace. Fighting for something thought to be inconceivable, the Indian Army proved to the world that the unattainable is, indeed, attainable. India showed the world what true potential is; what unity, valor, and hope can turn potential into. This just goes to show that you should never feel disheartened. No experience is negative; experience it, enjoy it, and learn from it. Every event in life is an opportunity for a brighter future. And when you feel downcast, just remember what India did for the Bengalis. After all, the impossible is nothing!