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This comes amid the opposition’s relentless questions on US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during its military standoff
Indira Gandhi after her reelection as PM in March 1971; (R) Indira Gandhi and then American President Richard Nixon at an official ceremony during her visit to the US in November 1971. (Image: AFP/Archives/File)
A letter penned in 1971 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi to US President Richard Nixon has surfaced, in which she is asking him to “persuade Pakistan” to give up its “aggressive activities” against India two days after it attacked, triggering the Indo-Pakistan war that ended in the creation of Bangladesh.
This comes amid the opposition’s relentless questions on US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during its military standoff following ‘Operation Sindoor’.
While the central government claims that no outside party was involved in any kind of ceasefire, opposition parties have repeatedly asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call Trump out for his “lies” if that was not the case.
“In this hour of danger the Government and the people of India seek your understanding and urge you to persuade Pakistan to desist forthwith from the policy of wanton aggression and military adventurism which it has unfortunately embarked upon,” Indira Gandhi wrote in her letter to Nixon dated December 5, 1971.
The letter can be found on the website of the US Department of State’s Office of the Historian in an archival volume titled ‘Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971’.
“May I request Your Excellency to exercise your undoubted influence with the Government of Pakistan to stop their aggressive activities against India and to deal immediately with the genesis of the problem of East Bengal which has caused so much trial and tribulations to the people not only of Pakistan but of the entire sub-continent,” she has written.
In fact, on Tuesday, during a debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra even claimed that Indira had written to Nixon and countered him through successful diplomacy so as to lead to the division of Pakistan. She called her grandmother, the prime minister who imposed the draconian Emergency of 1975, a “great patriot”.
Priyanka’s brother and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi later severely criticised the Centre and questioned its “political will” behind ‘Operation Sindoor’, which was a retaliation against Pakistan by the Indian armed forces following the Pahalgam terror attack. He, too, repeatedly invoked his grandmother and her actions during the 1971 war, saying she provided “freedom of operation” to the armed forces that aided in the creation of a new country.
Before that, even Priyanka launched a full-blown attack on the government over “lapses” that led to the Pahalgam attack. She took a swipe at Modi, saying leadership is not just about taking credit but also taking responsibility.
Here are some excerpts from the letter:
In one part of the letter towards the end, Indira talks about the freedom movement of the people of the erstwhile “East Bengal”. She has stated reasons why India must retaliate to Pakistan’s “unprovoked attack” not “merely for our territorial integrity but for the basic ideals which have given strength to my country and on which Indiaʼs entire future depends”.
“I am writing to you at a moment of grave peril and danger to my country and my people. The success of the freedom movement in Bangla Desh has now become a war on India due to the adventurism of the Pakistan military machine. It has imposed upon my people and my Government the imperative responsibility of safeguarding our security and territorial integrity. We are left with no other option but to put our country on a war footing. We have therefore declared an emergency for the defence of India. The grave consequences that should follow Pakistanʼs unprovoked attack on us all shall be the sole responsibility of the Government of Pakistan. We are a peace-loving people but we know that peace cannot last if we do not guard our democracy and our way of life. We are not fighting merely for our territorial integrity but for the basic ideals which have given strength to my country and on which Indiaʼs entire future depends. I should stress to Your Excellency that the people and the Government of India are determined that this wanton and unprovoked aggression should be decisively and finally repelled once and for all; the whole of India stands united in this resolve and expects that the international community will appreciate our predicament and acknowledge the righteousness of our cause.”
In another major part of the letter, she talks about “incontrovertible evidence of Pakistan’s war-like intentions”, detailing the neighbour’s attack on India’s western border.
“We have now received incontrovertible evidence of Pakistanʼs war-like intentions. On the afternoon of 3rd December 1971, the Government of Pakistan led by President Yahya Khan ordered a massive attack on India across its western frontiers. This has been followed by a gazette extraordinary published by the Government of Pakistan on the forenoon of the 4th December 1971, declaring that it is a state of war against India.“
In another part, the late PM details how this is the fourth time since India and Pakistan gained independence that the neighbouring country has launched an attack.
“I should like to emphasize that this is the fourth time since India and Pakistan achieved independence that Pakistan has attacked India. Our bitter experiences of 1947 and 1948 and 1965 have taught us that Pakistan is determined to threaten our territorial integrity and security by all means available – this time specially to divert attention from its colonial and repressive policies inside East Bengal and to internationalise the issue.”
WHAT IS THE 1971 INDO-PAKISTAN WAR?
The 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, also known as the Bangladesh Liberation War, led to the creation of Bangladesh. The war began with Pakistan launching airstrikes on India on December 3, 1971 – all described in Indira’s letter to Nixon – prompting India to declare war and retaliate with airstrikes. The conflict ended with Pakistan’s surrender in Dhaka on December 16, 1971.
Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st…Read More
Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st… Read More
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