Indira Gandhi could've pressured Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on J&K: Karan Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

Congress veteran Karan Singh on Friday credited Indira Gandhi’s decisive leadership for India’s victory in the 1971 war, but added that the late Prime Minister could perhaps have used the opportunity to pressure Zulfikar Ali Bhutto regarding Jammu and Kashmir.

“Of course, credit for the 1971 victory must go to our armed forces, but it was Indira Gandhi’s strong and decisive leadership that culminated in India’s first victory after a thousand years. Rightly was she called ‘Durga’ by the great Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Having said all this, I must admit that I did feel she let Zulfikar Ali Bhutto off the leash rather generously,” Singh, the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a statement.

Singh, the only surviving member of the Indira Gandhi Cabinet at the time of the war, said there could be no doubt whatsoever that without the late PM”s leadership the country would not have achieved this victory.

“Our armed forces under such outstanding soldiers as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Gen JS Aurora, Gen JFR Jacob, Gen Sagat Singh and many others created history by their brilliantly planned and coordinated campaign. Then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral SM Nanda and Chief of Air Staff Gen PC Lal also deserve full credit for the significant role played by the Air Force and the Navy,” said Singh.

He said it was often forgotten that during that year Indira Gandhi did make genuine efforts to encourage a political solution in the conflict between East and West Pakistan. “In a brilliant master stroke, she signed The Treaty of Friendship with the USSR, which played an important role in preventing China or the United States from intervening during the Liberation War,” he said.

Singh also recalled the day India emerged victorious in the war, saying, “I have vivid memories of that day in the Lok Sabha, Indira Gandhi, who seldom showed any emotion, was clearly overjoyed and almost ran into the House and took her seat. My seat happened to be immediately behind hers. As soon as she entered, the House immediately felt silent. She got up and said Mr Speaker, Dhaka has fallen to the Indian Army and the Mukti Bahini. The House exploded in joy and had to be adjourned.”

Let him off the hook generously

She let Zulfikar Ali Bhutto off the leash rather generously. Although the (1971) war was not directly linked with Jammu and Kashmir, she could perhaps have used the opportunity to pressure Bhutto. — Karan Singh, Congress veteran