Indo-Pak War of 1971

Indo-Pak War of 1971

Subject – IR

Context – 50 years ago, on the eve of December 3, 1971, Pakistan launched a series of air strikes against Indian air bases in the Western Sector, thus signalling the official beginning of the third Indo-Pak War. This war would lead to the creation of a new country, Bangladesh.

Concept –

• The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 to the fall of Dacca (Dhaka) on 16 December 1971.
• The war began with Operation Chengiz Khan’s preemptive aerial strikes on 11 Indian air stations, which led to the commencement of hostilities with Pakistan and Indian entry into the war for independence in East Pakistan on the side of Bengali nationalist forces, expanding the existing conflict with Indian and Pakistani forces engaging on both eastern and western fronts.
• In 1971, India won the war against Pakistan that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).
• On August 2, 1972, India and Pakistan signed the Shimla Agreement under which the former agreed to release all the 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war.