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 CLAWS
arranged a meet to recall and discuss the lessons of the 1971
war under Gen VP Malik's Chairmanship at the Manekshaw Centre
on 14th Dec and most speakers did well to cover what happened
and off course gave accounts of their own actions and their
own versions as the official papers have not been released.
Navy's Capt Alok Bansal spoke on Mukhti Bahini and it took
a naval researcher to show the credit for the victory in the
EAST goes largely to the Mukhti Bahini and that the people
of Bangla welcomed the Indian Army In fact in my book I have
called them the Navigator without an Indian Navigator Vasco
De Gama would not have found Calicut.
The
officials research in India is poor and it took the nation
31 years to learn the IAF Hunters hit Karachi's Kemari oil
tanks on 4th Dec morning and not the Navy on that night, as
believed and written about for 30 years including a vague
input in Indian Navy's book Transition to Triumph and one
line in ACM Lal's book My Years In The IAF saying I was told
Hunters hit Karachi. Gen VP Malik stated when Chiefs approached
16th
December is VICTORY DAY for India's 1971 victorious war which
began on 3rd December. That night the Indian Navy's Western
Fleet missed the opportunity to hit Karachi as the Fleet was
sighted by a Pakistani Cessna and the Fleet Ops Officer FOO
advised the Fleet Cdr that their position was compromised.
Adm Kuruvilla did not use the Missile Boat the Fleet was towing
to let it loose on Karachi as had been practiced. CNS Nanda
was disappointed and Fleet maintained Radio Silence, so one
in MOR Bombay knew where the Fleet was to give orders to GO.
It was understood in the War Orders.
The
next day the Indian Navy's three Killer Osa class missile
boats boldly struck Karachi and sank two warships PNS Khaibar
and Muhafiz and one merchant vessel with Styx missiles. The
story how Mrs Gandhi steered events before and in the 1971
naval war war President Richard Nixon was deeply embroiled
in the Watergate scandal and in 'A Nation And Its Navy At
War'(Lancers 1987), USA's tilt to Pakistan and how despite
sanctions, USA continued to supply arms to Pakistan is bared.
 In
1971 throughout India's plight of receiving Bengali refugees
from East Pakistan and in the fourteen day war that followed
Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sided with Pakistan
against India. USA had its reasons, as Nixon was beholden
to Pakistan for opening links with China for Kissinger, and
Nixon thought disparagingly of Mrs Gandhi for signing a treaty
of Peace and Friendship with the Soviet Union, which was actually
a treaty of military of support if attacked by China or USA.
Nixon even called her terrible names, aired in the White House
Tapes.
Behind
CNO Elmo Zumwalt's back, Nixon asked Chairman Joint Chiefs
of Staff Admiral Tom Moorer, to secretly sail Naval Task Force
No 74 consisting of aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, Decateur
and Parsons through the Malacca Straits in darkness in to
the Bay to the Bengal with sketchy orders and no rules of
engagement (ROEs). In his book Zumwalt calls the foray against
his advice as, 'Sending ships in to Harm's Way' Fortunately
for India, Yeoman Charles Ratford on the staff of the National
Security Council in DC leaked this to his media friend Jack
Anderson, since Ratford had served in the US Embassy in New
Delhi, and had met Anderson when he came to India, and held
a soft spot for India.
No
wonder Indian Navy was fore warned, of this 10th Dec move
and the US Task force achieved nothing. Admiral SM Nanda when
asked by Mrs Gandhi about the US Fleet, and Nanda assured
her he had issued orders that should Indian Naval Ships meet
up with the US Task Force, his Commanding Officers were to
take 'no panga'( A lovely word Air Force uses to avoid trouble)
and invite USN Captains on board for drinks US warships are
dry The US Task Force did not interfere in the war and finally
turned away to Sri Lanka A Soviet task force was on its way.
It
is all in Zumwalt's book 'On Watch', Kissinger's 'White House
Years' and Nixon's memoirs and hence the recently released
classified papers that reiterate USA's machinations to support
Pakistan and the role played by Task Force-74 reveal no new
facts. Nixon was only hopeful the US Naval Task Force would
dissuade India from precipitating a war and dismembering Pakistan,
but Mrs Gandhi had never planned to take on a long and full
war in West Pakistan and her aim was to establish Bangla Desh.
In
my book the tribute to Mrs Gandhi reads, "She was Prime
Minister during the Indo-Pak War Her pivotal role is comparable
to that of the legendary Winston Churchill in World War II
She was clear in her mind about the objective of the armed
forces It was "to help liberate Bangla Desh at any cost,
hold West Pakistan at bay and, if possible, give it a telling
blow, to ensure that it never seeks war again" These
objectives she set out after failing to get a diplomatic settlement
for the refugee problem Her attention to the morning briefings
by General Manekshaw and her approval of action for the day,
in concert with Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram, were the highlight
of the time which enabled the Services to succeed She was
honoured with the highest national award, the Bharat Ratna".
The IAF attack on the Government house in photo did it too.
USA was afraid and helped negotiate the cease fire. Mrs Gandhi's
aim was to establish Bangla Desh. She achieved it.
(Cmde
Retd Ranjit B Rai is the author of A NATION AND ITS NAVY AT
WAR ( Lancers 1987)
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