1971 war tilted balance in India’s favour: Ex-envoy Menon

Menon said Bangladesh today is a development success story as that country overtook India and Pakistan in terms of per capita income and human development indicators.

The 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, which gave birth to Bangladesh, tilted the balance of power in India’s favour in the sub-continent with Pakistan losing its ability to threaten India with the two-front war, former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said on Sunday.

Former foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon said the war brought India peace with Pakistan for almost three decades “until Pakistan thought that her nuclear weapon has redressed the balance and tried Kargil only to fail again.” (HT Photo)

He said Bangladesh today is a development success story as that country overtook India and Pakistan in terms of per capita income and human development indicators.

“In the Indian sub-continent, the outcome tilted the balance of power in India’s favour with Pakistan losing the ability to threaten India with the two-front war and for several years losing also the confidence to launch a conventional war,” Menon said during the Swarnim Vijay Varsh Conclave organised here to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India’s victory in the 1971 war.

The former diplomat, who had served as the National Security Adviser under former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, said the war brought India peace with Pakistan for almost three decades “until Pakistan thought that her nuclear weapon has redressed the balance and tried Kargil only to fail again.” According to him, the war showed Pakistan that it could not match India in conventional warfare or count on Chinese or United States intervention.

It resulted in Pakistan adopting non-conventional way of violence by use of terrorism and Jihadi Tanzeem as a policy, Menon said.

“Pakistan has made it into a regular state policy, and particularly after the Jihad against the Soviet Russia in Afghanistan in the 1980s perfected her modus operandi,” the former diplomat.

Menon said the positive effect of the war’s outcome clearly outweighed the lingering after-effects on Bangladeshi politics.

“Today, Bangladesh is a development success story. She has taken over both Pakistan and India in terms of per capita income, human development indicators,” he said.

According to Menon, India and Bangladesh now enjoy a relationship of unequalled cooperation and understanding, contributing to each other’s security and prosperity in real and significant way.

Speaking about the Indo-Pakistan war, the former diplomat said the 1971 war changed the course of geo-politics of sub-continent, Indian-Pakistan relations, politics within India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and also affected relations with super-powers.

Menon said the primary reason for India’s success in 1971 war was a clear political aim of India, which was followed by an integrated grand strategy.

“The goal was to liberate Bangladesh by military and other means. This was made clear immediately after the Operation Searchlight. The grand strategy to achieve this end (goal) marshalled all the available instruments of the state power -- integrating military, diplomatic, economic and domestic affairs,” the former diplomat told the gathering.

He opined that Bangladesh should be seen as liberated by its own people.

Explaining the preparations at home, Menon said the challenge was also to maintain communal harmony in the face of atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh and massive Pakistani incitement to communal violence in India