July 2005, three decades after the Bangladesh Liberation War, the U.S. Department of State released the taped conversation held just before the India-Pakistan war in 1971 between the then US President Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor and secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
The recorded conversation took a swift turn when Nixon and Kissinger mentioned the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. The two gentlemen referred to Indira Gandhi an “old witch” and a “b****”.
The derogatory slang used by them didn't end there. Kissinger added, “Indians are bastards anyway.” The declassified tape released by the US Department of State also included Nixon’s distasteful remark against Indian women.
During an interview with NDTV, Kissinger stated his regret over such a poor choice of words. He added, “I have extremely high regard for Mrs. Gandhi as a statesman.” He said that the conversation was not formal and interpreted it as “somebody blowing off steam at the end of a meeting.”
So What Happened Exactly?
During Gandhi’s state visit to the USA in 1971 to explain the situation in East Bangladesh and an imminent genocide and ethnic cleansing of Bengalis which was taking place at that time. Being totally indifferent to India's concerns, Nixon and Kissinger cited their support for Pakistan. Indira Gandhi maintained her calm and composure during their conversation, and explained India's political position thoroughly. Indira Gandhi refused to succumb to foreign pressure and went ahead in liberating Bangladesh.
When the USA was supporting Pakistan and turned a blind eye to the atrocities happening in East Pakistan, Indira Gandhi provided significant support to the Bengali Mukti Bahini (a resistance movement composed of Bengali military personnel, paramilitary forces, and civilians) and gave shelter to more than 2 million refugees from East Pakistan.
India’s resolute stance over the situation in East Pakistan and its victory in the India-Pak war was due to the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation signed with the Soviet Union during the mid-1971. The treaty gave assurance and provided all the essential arms that were used during the war. India's position as a dominant power in South Asia solidified, resulting in its inclination towards the pro-Soviet side.
Anti-India Stance of USA
The 37th U.S. President Richard Nixon and his assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger’s hatred towards India is a well-known fact all over the world. The American stance during the Bangladesh Liberation War (26 March 1971 – 16 December 1971) is oftentimes regarded as nothing but a political move to maintain its dominance on the global front.
To achieve this, the USA handed over perennial support to Pakistan, which at the time was seen as a potential mediator between the USA and China. Pakistan was viewed as a way to counter Soviet influence in South Asia.
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In 1971, when India was on the brink of a full-fledged war with Pakistan and dealing with a massive refugee crisis from East Pakistan, Indira Gandhi wrote a letter to the USA, stating that “over 2.3 million people had crossed into India.” The number of people fleeing their homes was rising and kept “growing by about 50,000 a day.” But the USA refused to act on any of India’s concerns and kept supporting Pakistan.
On December 16, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war settled with Pakistani forces surrendering in Dhaka, leading to the rise of Bangladesh as a separate nation. The new dawn in Bangladesh, witnessed over four decades ago, is etched into history books.
[Rh/VS]