Opportunity of the Century

The year 1971’s geostrategic significance for the Indian subcontinent rivals that of 1947 when British India was divided into India and Pakistan. While the roots of Bangladesh’s secession from Pakistan lay firmly within the Pakistani polity, India’s political support for the Bangladesh freedom movement and its military intervention were crucial for the liberation of Bangladesh. The Indian campaign for the liberation of Bangladesh was brilliantly conceived and deftly executed. Although humanitarian considerations, especially the influx of ten million refugees into India, played a role the major factors determining the decision to intervene militarily in the Bangladesh crisis were political and strategic in character. This article analyzes these factors as well as the decision-making process that led to India midwifing the birth of Bangladesh.