The West Pakistani rulers launched an offensive in East Pakistan to subdue the Awami League as the latter was set to form a government, its supporters as well as Hindus. This is the last of a four-part series depicting how Hindus were targeted for ethnic cleansing
In the end, military strongman Yahya Khan failed to achieve his goal despite killing over three million people of East Pakistan with the help of local collaborators in the name of maintaining the unity of Pakistan Courtesy
Probir Kumar Sarker
Publish : 30 Oct 2021, 12:04 AMUpdate : 25 Dec 2021, 12:00 PM
Within 50 days of the launch of the genocide campaign euphemistically called “Operation Searchlight” on March 25, 1971, aimed at maintaining the unity of Pakistan, the refugee influx from erstwhile East Pakistan into next-door neighbor India exceeded 2.6 million.
As per a report of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the exodus was continuing at the rate of 100,000 persons daily as of May 17.
At the time, the US consulate in Dhaka received reports of the Pakistani Army systematically searching out and killing Hindu males in East Pakistan.
The CIA observed that the crackdown had been part of a plan to flush out the Hindu community from East Pakistan as completely as possible, since the military considered the community a subversive element.
The influx raised concerns of the Indira Gandhi administration in New Delhi, which had been campaigning for the release of Bangladesh's provisional government President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, because of a possible food and housing crisis, and a threat to its internal security in the areas bordering East Pakistan.
Even so, Indira Gandhi welcomed the refugees and sought international humanitarian assistance to feed the people, but she also asked the Yahya Khan junta to take them back.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) provided the refugees and the youths crossing the border with training and arms to fight against the occupation forces; and finally, India got involved at the fag end of the war to help create an independent country, Bangladesh.
Yet Pakistan President General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan defended his barbaric assaults and asked India to not interfere, terming it an internal affair of Pakistan, a statement supported by many of Pakistan’s allies, like the US.
‘Yahya pledged full protection’
On June 18, the ruthless ruler, Yahya Khan, in a statement appealed to the refugees to return to East Pakistan. It marked the first time that he had indicated that Hindus and other minorities would be welcome.
He declared that his appeal was addressed to all Pakistani nationals “irrespective of caste, creed or religion” and assured “members of the minority community” that as equal citizens they would receive full protection and non-discrimination.
But no one believed his deceitful call for coexistence.
“Although the eventual return of more than a trickle of the now nearly six million refugees will depend upon more than Yahya’s reassurances, he has at least now moved to put his government on record as against a policy of repression toward the Hindu minority,” said the CIA in a report dated June 20.
The flow of refugees, who had made their way across the border, came down in mid-October, when the total number of refugees stood at nine million, the CIA said.
“Although the flow has decreased from a high of 100,000 a day, an atmosphere of fear persists and refugees — still primarily Hindus — continue to cross the border at the rate of around 30,000 a day,” the CIA said on October 12.
On October 30, General Yahya again called on the refugees — both Hindu and Muslim — to return home from India.
He, however, asserted that the number of genuine refugees was only two million — not 9.5 million as claimed by New Delhi.
According to another CIA report dated November 1, Yahya’s statement on the refugees was most likely intended to balance the version by Indian premier Indira Gandhi.
How Yahya defended his actions
In a letter to his friend, US President Richard Nixon, on March 30, General Yahya described the events of March – his efforts since general elections in December 1970 towards the restoration of democratic processes through elected representatives of the people.
Yahya said: “I had hoped that these discussions would lead to a broad political agreement regarding the convening of the National Assembly and framing of a constitution.
“Unfortunately, however, the political leadership in East Pakistan and especially Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took a progressively rigid stand which made such an agreement impossible. Meanwhile, murder, arson and widespread disorder in defiance of governmental authority were let loose in the province.”
The military ruler said that the Awami League had put forward final proposals, which virtually amounted to the dismemberment of the country.
“Since they had no such mandate from the people and as the unity of the country was at stake, firm action had to be taken to assert the government's authority and to safeguard the integrity of Pakistan. There was no option but to take that decision (launching Operation Searchlight),” Yahya wrote.
Finally, he urged Nixon to consider the “desirability of expressing your support for the forces of peace and stability in this region and of impressing upon Indian leaders the paramount need for refraining from any action that might aggravate the situation and lead to irretrievable consequences.”
On April 17, Yahya told Nixon in another letter that he wanted to transfer power to the elected representatives of the people at the very earliest date as the “situation in East Pakistan is rapidly returning to normalcy.”
On the other hand, Indira Gandhi wrote to Nixon on May 12, saying: “The two problems - Pakistan's war on the people of East Bengal and its impact on us in the form of millions of refugees - cannot be separated.
“As we see it, the rulers of Pakistan would wish the refugee problem in India to result in an aggravation of social tension and religious strife. They probably have a vested interest in this.”
On December 15, she wrote to Nixon that 75 million people had gone to war since “neither their life, nor their liberty, to say nothing of the possibility of the pursuit of happiness, was available to them.”
Indira Gandhi said that the tragic war could have been averted had the great leaders of the world paid some attention to the fact of revolt, searched for a genuine basis for reconciliation, and had got Sheikh Mujibur Rahman released.
“… It was heartbreaking to find that while there was sympathy for the poor refugees, the disease itself was ignored,” said the Indian premier.
Yahya asked Hindus to return to war zone
Within 50 days of the launch of the genocide campaign euphemistically called “Operation Searchlight” on March 25, 1971, aimed at maintaining the unity of Pakistan, the refugee influx from erstwhile East Pakistan into next-door neighbor India exceeded 2.6 million.
As per a report of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the exodus was continuing at the rate of 100,000 persons daily as of May 17.
At the time, the US consulate in Dhaka received reports of the Pakistani Army systematically searching out and killing Hindu males in East Pakistan.
The CIA observed that the crackdown had been part of a plan to flush out the Hindu community from East Pakistan as completely as possible, since the military considered the community a subversive element.
The influx raised concerns of the Indira Gandhi administration in New Delhi, which had been campaigning for the release of Bangladesh's provisional government President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, because of a possible food and housing crisis, and a threat to its internal security in the areas bordering East Pakistan.
Even so, Indira Gandhi welcomed the refugees and sought international humanitarian assistance to feed the people, but she also asked the Yahya Khan junta to take them back.
Also Read - How Hindus were targeted in 1971
Meanwhile, the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) provided the refugees and the youths crossing the border with training and arms to fight against the occupation forces; and finally, India got involved at the fag end of the war to help create an independent country, Bangladesh.
Yet Pakistan President General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan defended his barbaric assaults and asked India to not interfere, terming it an internal affair of Pakistan, a statement supported by many of Pakistan’s allies, like the US.
‘Yahya pledged full protection’
On June 18, the ruthless ruler, Yahya Khan, in a statement appealed to the refugees to return to East Pakistan. It marked the first time that he had indicated that Hindus and other minorities would be welcome.
He declared that his appeal was addressed to all Pakistani nationals “irrespective of caste, creed or religion” and assured “members of the minority community” that as equal citizens they would receive full protection and non-discrimination.
But no one believed his deceitful call for coexistence.
“Although the eventual return of more than a trickle of the now nearly six million refugees will depend upon more than Yahya’s reassurances, he has at least now moved to put his government on record as against a policy of repression toward the Hindu minority,” said the CIA in a report dated June 20.
The flow of refugees, who had made their way across the border, came down in mid-October, when the total number of refugees stood at nine million, the CIA said.
Also Read - Chronicling the mass Hindu killings in 1971
“Although the flow has decreased from a high of 100,000 a day, an atmosphere of fear persists and refugees — still primarily Hindus — continue to cross the border at the rate of around 30,000 a day,” the CIA said on October 12.
On October 30, General Yahya again called on the refugees — both Hindu and Muslim — to return home from India.
He, however, asserted that the number of genuine refugees was only two million — not 9.5 million as claimed by New Delhi.
According to another CIA report dated November 1, Yahya’s statement on the refugees was most likely intended to balance the version by Indian premier Indira Gandhi.
How Yahya defended his actions
In a letter to his friend, US President Richard Nixon, on March 30, General Yahya described the events of March – his efforts since general elections in December 1970 towards the restoration of democratic processes through elected representatives of the people.
Yahya said: “I had hoped that these discussions would lead to a broad political agreement regarding the convening of the National Assembly and framing of a constitution.
“Unfortunately, however, the political leadership in East Pakistan and especially Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took a progressively rigid stand which made such an agreement impossible. Meanwhile, murder, arson and widespread disorder in defiance of governmental authority were let loose in the province.”
The military ruler said that the Awami League had put forward final proposals, which virtually amounted to the dismemberment of the country.
“Since they had no such mandate from the people and as the unity of the country was at stake, firm action had to be taken to assert the government's authority and to safeguard the integrity of Pakistan. There was no option but to take that decision (launching Operation Searchlight),” Yahya wrote.
Also Read - Why did Hindus – and some Muslims – flee in 1971?
Finally, he urged Nixon to consider the “desirability of expressing your support for the forces of peace and stability in this region and of impressing upon Indian leaders the paramount need for refraining from any action that might aggravate the situation and lead to irretrievable consequences.”
On April 17, Yahya told Nixon in another letter that he wanted to transfer power to the elected representatives of the people at the very earliest date as the “situation in East Pakistan is rapidly returning to normalcy.”
On the other hand, Indira Gandhi wrote to Nixon on May 12, saying: “The two problems - Pakistan's war on the people of East Bengal and its impact on us in the form of millions of refugees - cannot be separated.
“As we see it, the rulers of Pakistan would wish the refugee problem in India to result in an aggravation of social tension and religious strife. They probably have a vested interest in this.”
On December 15, she wrote to Nixon that 75 million people had gone to war since “neither their life, nor their liberty, to say nothing of the possibility of the pursuit of happiness, was available to them.”
Indira Gandhi said that the tragic war could have been averted had the great leaders of the world paid some attention to the fact of revolt, searched for a genuine basis for reconciliation, and had got Sheikh Mujibur Rahman released.
“… It was heartbreaking to find that while there was sympathy for the poor refugees, the disease itself was ignored,” said the Indian premier.
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