One of the "great lessons" from the India-Pakistan war in 1971 is that fighting a war is not just a military affair, but a "total affair" that includes politics and diplomacy, former army chief General VN Sharma (retd) said on Sunday while launching a new book '1971 Strategy Campaign Valor' written by a 22-year-old author, Satyajit Lall, a new voice in global affairs, war studies and military history, who studied at Delhi University
One of the "great lessons" from the India-Pakistan war in 1971 is that fighting a war is not just a military affair, but a "total affair" that includes politics and diplomacy, former army chief General VN Sharma (retd) said on Sunday while launching the new book '1971 Strategy Campaign Valor.' The book is written by a 22-year-old author, Satyajit Lall, a new voice in global affairs, war studies, and military history, who studied at Delhi University
The volume celebrates the Indian heroes of the war that led to the birth of a new nation Bangladesh in 1971, and charts the high points of the crucial battles fought. Several Indian veterans of the three services who took part in the 1971 war and the families of many war veterans were also present on the occasion. A noticeable feature on the evening was the presence of the family of Late Lt. General Sagat Singh - Colonel Ranvijay Singh (son) and Meghna Singh (daughter).
General Sharma served as the Army chief from 1988-1990 and was a Colonel when he took part in the 1971 war. He recalled some of his memories of the War. In his address at the event, he praised the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi for her leadership, and said "She did a great job".
"In a war, it's not only the military, the whole government, the civil services, police services, transport and railways, navy, merchant navy, they all get together under the order of the prime minister," he said. "One of the great lessons of 1971 is that it's not (just) a military affair. It's a total affair, it's politics, diplomacy, and when you combine, it's a tremendous force," the retired general said.
Indian armed forces fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the 'Mukti Bahini' of what was then East Pakistan out of which evolved an independent Bangladesh in December 1971 as Dhaka fell with the surrender of the Pakistani forces. India celebrated 50 years of victory in the war as 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh'.
Baijal, in his address, recalled that in 1971, he was posted as a civil servant in Assam and had to deal with the inflow of refugees from East Pakistan into the state. Many other armed forces veterans also recalled their association with this War or their life in 1971.
Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) during a panel discussion said, "We were at the NDA, and our PoP (Passing Out Parade) was to happen in December 1971". Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) praised the book’s young author, Satyajit Lall, for his efforts in rekindling interest in the 1971 war, particularly among the younger generation.
The author, Satyajit Lall said, “Three and a half years ago, I ventured into the history of the 1971 War and discovered untapped material, untold stories and unsung heroes. . I am privileged to be the first civilian in India granted access to study the newly declassified documents. An important reason for writing the book is to familiarize the millennials and Gen Z with the war to liberate Bangladesh 1971, as it is not part of the educational curriculum.” Recalling unknown episodes, including the crossing of the Meghna River by the Indian Armed Forces, Satyajit Lall added, “In 1971 as India’s armed forces stormed the enemy strongholds we came not as conquerors but as liberators. Our soldiers, sailors and air warriors carried with them the seeds of democracy among those who yearned to be free again. I hope that my book 1971 Strategy Campaign Valor will help form diplomatic doctrines, craft military and intelligence policy, contribute to further critical thinking, and recognize the many unsung heroes of 1971.”
