1) In the 1971 Bangladesh War, India’s intervention achieved
strategic objectives while maintaining a humanitarian veneer.
Analyse. (250 Words)
 that India’s intervention was not an altruistic exercise,
but had strategic objectives.
 It helped India maintain an image of humanitarian
intervention.
Introduction:
 Bangladesh War of 1971 is a milestone event in Indian
History because it helped India in Fulfilling its
Domestic, Economic and Strategic Factors along with
Humanitarian aid to Bangladesh.
 India’s intervention was altruistic only in small part. It
was primarily based on realpolitik
Strategic Objective / Gains
 Having hostile Pakistan on both sides of its borders was
a strategic concern for India. This was compounded by
Sino-Indian war of 1962. Therefore, intervention in
1971 was necessary to safeguard the long term
strategic interests.
 Opportunity of the century - to break up Pakistan and
thus eliminate the threat of a two-front war in any
future confrontation
 Even if the new country in the east would not be an
“eternal ally”, it could never pose the kind of threat
that ‘East Pakistan’ posed to Indian security
 If Bangladesh became independent without Indian
help, it would bear a serious grudge against the latter.
India had strongly encouraged the Bengali movement
for autonomy through its propaganda and clandestine
financial support. To allow Pakistani military to
decimate the Bengali elite would have been viewed as a
serious breach of trust by the Awami League
leadership, potentially turning it into India’s bitter
Enemy
 A drawn-out civil war could lead to the side-lining of
the pro-India Awami League and shift the leadership of
the movement to left-wing pro-China parties such as
the Bhashani-led National Awami Party and the
Communist Party
a. Guerrilla warfare would then become a likely
prospect.
A Maoist-inspired guerrilla movement in East
Pakistan would have provided the Naxalites with
aid and destabilised West Bengal and the
surrounding region
 To portrayed itself as a Growing Military Power in
Asian Region. Balance of power in South Asia to be
altered with India emerging as the pre-eminent power
 Establishing Peace and Law and Order in region and
prevent atrocities on Bengali Movement.
 Ensured Peace in India's North Eastern Region.
 Humiliating memory of defeat in 1962 was wiped out
and India’s lost pride and self-respect restored
 Blow to the two-nation theory, the basis for Partition
in 1947. Muslims in India could now see what
treatment had been meted out to Bengali Muslims by
the upholders of that theory
 To have proper access to North East India
The region was connected with rest of India through
Chicken corridor only. Lack of connectivity was also
giving rise to insurgency in many parts of NE. So, India
thought that by helping in Bangladesh liberation it can
secure its transit interests by developing relations with
new and weak Bangladesh.
Economic Objectives / Gains
1. To reduce overpopulation due to migration in Indian
states
Owing to the brutality of military, many people
including some leaders of Awami League migrated from
erstwhile east Pakistan to many Indian states. It was
not possible for India to feed such huge population of
migrants as economy was shattered, so it decided to
help leaders of awami league in liberation.
2. India wanted to utilise water and other resource of
Bangladeshi region to help its shattered agriculture and
industries but it was not possible because of the hostile
relations with Pakistan.so Independent Bangladesh was
again the viable option for the purpose.
3. Constant influx of migrants from East Pakistan was
creating strain on the resources of India. There was
constant struggle between locals and refugees over the
use of these resources.
Humanitarian Objectives / Gains
1. India's Action ensured Human Rights are not violated
and Safety of Women and Children.
2. India opened arms to 80 Lakh Refugees
3. Curbed the Communal Genocide in Bangladesh where
the Minority Community was Murdered Brutally.
4. Atrocities committed on the people of East Pakistan
forced India to intervene in the conflict on to prevent a
large scale crisis.
Other Objectives / Gains
1. Demonstrated the strength of Indian secularism.
Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, all had stood
together as civilians or soldiers at this moment of crisis
against a Muslim Country
Conclusion:
 It was the economic and political rather than the
humanitarian aspect of the refugee problem that was
important to New Delhi. Campaign of 1971 was
brilliantly conceived and deftly executed. It achieved
India’s strategic objectives while still maintaining a
humanitarian veneer for both domestic and
international consumption
 Above all, India entered into Bangladesh war for its
own interests, not on humanitarian grounds as can be
seen by hatred of Bangladesh people ,but it did so for
its own people. Perhaps it is true for all countries of
world that they will first take care of their own people
then of others. so, India's position was justified in
Bangladeshi war