Its Birthday of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Aka Sam Bahaddur: A legend who made Pakistan bow down to Feet of Mother India During 1971 Indo-Pak war, Towards the end of April 1971, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India at that time, asked Gen. Manekshaw if he was ready to go to war with Pakistan. Manekshaw refused saying his armoured division and two infantry divisions were deployed elsewhere, of whose 189 tanks, only 13 were fit to fight, and that they would be vying for rail carriage with grain harvest at that point of time. Besides, the Himalayan passes would soon open up, with the forthcoming monsoon in East Pakistan turning rivers into oceans. When she asked the cabinet to leave the room and the chief to stay, he offered to resign. She declined to accept it, but sought his advice. He then said he could guarantee victory if she would allow him to prepare for the conflict on his terms, and set a date for it. These were acceded to by the Prime Minister. Manekshaw masterminded the rout of the Pakistan Army in one of the easiest and quickest victories in recent military history. The war, lasting under a fortnight, saw more than 45,000 Pakistani soldiers and 45,000 civilian personnel being taken as Prisoners of war. It ended with Pakistans unconditional surrender of its eastern half, resulting in the birth of Bangladesh as a new nation.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:09:44 +0000
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