'Heroes of 1971': The Tribune's valuable collection on war that reshaped South Asia

Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd)

THE 1971 war holds an extraordinary place in India’s post-Independence history. To celebrate 50 years of the war, The Tribune has published a book, ‘Heroes of 1971: The Bravehearts of the War That Gave Birth to Bangladesh’. The book is edited by Rajesh Ramachandran, the Editor of The Tribune, who is himself an avid watcher and reporter of war, insurgency, and conflict.

The 1971 war was not only a glorious military victory but as NN Vohra writes in the Foreword to the book, “The dismemberment of Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh changed the geopolitical configuration of the Indian subcontinent and of South Asia.” It firmly established India’s preeminence in the subcontinent and laid the ghosts of the 1962 defeat to rest.

The book is in an interesting format in two parts. The first part is a compilation of articles published in The Tribune as a special series of stories about the 1971 war. The chosen list of articles comprises military officers who participated in the war, military historians, strategic affairs experts and journalists. The variety of perspectives adds richness to the collection.

Lt Gen SS Mehta, then a young armoured squadron commander, describes the march to Dhaka, including the challenge of crossing the Meghna river by the amphibious PT-76 tanks. Cmde Srikant and Lt Cdr Divyajot describe the naval operations around Karachi harbour that are now celebrated each year as Navy Day. Air Vice Marshal Subramaniam provides a strategic overview of the air operations in the Eastern and the Western Fronts. Remaining true to history, Manoj Joshi critically analyses the battles on the Western Front where due to “indifferent execution” and a largely defensive strategy, India could not achieve any significant military success.

There are personal stories that go beyond the battlefields. Lt Gen Sujlana recalls his days at the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy and the transformation of young boys into officers in the summer of 1971. Many of these officers sacrificed all in the 1971 war, but their memories live on in a special way in the hearts of their coursemates.

There is a story of a meeting between Col Wahi and Subedar Abdul Khaliq, a Pakistani Prisoner of War. Abdul Khaliq was considered the fastest sprinter in Asia till he was dethroned by Milkha Singh. What comes across in this piece is the respect among soldiers for those who have served in uniform, irrespective of whether they are the victors or the vanquished. Maj Ishleen Kaur brings in the human perspective of war through narratives of women who lost their husbands, but not their spirit and determination.

Two articles place the 1971 war in a contemporary context. Admiral Arun Prakash brings out that the role of the Navy in the war should have sensitised decision-makers to the vital role of maritime power in India’s security matrix. Unfortunately, this has not happened. He hopes that the ongoing military standoff with China could perhaps draw greater attention of policy-makers to the maritime domain.

Rajesh Ramachandran asks the question whether we can repeat the 1971 victory now. He argues that an “institutionally weak” India craves strong leaders. Indira succeeded in 1971 because she inherited a system that was idealistic in its intent. Ramachandran cautions that “present-day strong leaders need to analyse whether they can repeat Indira’s feat while presiding over a people anxious about discord and dissension within the nation”.

The second part of the book contains the particulars of the four Param Vir Chakra and 76 Maha Vir Chakra awardees. The details have been painstakingly compiled, and in most cases, the official citation for the award has been given out. We do often remember our military heroes, but some are immortalised more than others. The book serves an extremely valuable purpose by putting all the names in one place and giving them equal importance.

In the Foreword, NN Vohra regrets the delay in publishing the official histories of India’s wars. Due to this, the “people at large, especially our youth, have remained ignorant of the enormous sacrifices made by the gallant officers and men of our armed forces who have been defending and protecting our frontiers on land, sea, and air”. ‘Heroes of 1971’ makes a valuable contribution in this direction.