"Dhaka is now a free capital of a free country"Said The then PM of 🇮🇳Indira Gandhi on 16 Dec,1971 after surrender of 🇵🇰forces in 🇧🇩,but the greatest Military surrender was achieved through sharp mind games. Read this thread to know the fascinating details #VijayDiwas
The Military operation in the then East Pakistan was spear headed by Field Marshall ( CoAS ) Sam Maneckshaw - A Parsi , Gen. J.F.R Jacob ( CoS Eastern Command ) - A Jew & Gen. JJ Singh Arora ( GoC - Eastern command ) - A sikh #1971IndoPakWar#1971WarHeroes#VijayDiwas
But it was J .F.R Jacob the Jewish General from Calcutta who made Pakistan Surrender in Bangladesh .Jack Farj Rafael Jacob grew up in a conservative Baghdadi Jews of Calcutta. scroll.in/article/676912…
Gen JFR Jacob also known as Jake devised a ‘war of movement strategy in which he planned to reach Dhaka using secondary routes after neutralizing Pakistan’s command & communication infrastructure. By Dec13, 🇮🇳had encircled Dhaka with heavy artillery & 3,000 troops on its side .
There were 93,000 🇵🇰soldiers in entire 🇧🇩& more than 26,000 🇵🇰 soldiers in Dhaka but 🇵🇰forces were unsure of supply lines, Mukti bahini created an environment in which the 🇵🇰 army was completely demoralised & they couldn't move from one place to another without being attacked.
Initially Niazi was of the impression that it was a talks for Cease fire ,but Jake asked for an Unconditional surrender .What happened next is a classic mind games that changed the map of entire sub continent. #BangladeshLiberationWar#Bangladesh50#1971WarHeroes#VijayDiwas
Jake told to Niazi "Look general, you surrender,I will ensure your safety,the safety of your families,ethnic minorities, everyone. You will be treated with respect. If you don't I am afraid I can take no responsibility for what happens to you or your families. #1971WarHeroes
What is more,we will have no other option but to order the immediate resumption of hostilities.I give you 30 minutes."
Jake words kind of had a chilling effect google.co.in/amp/s/m.rediff…
The next 30 minutes JFR waited outside Niazi's office ,calmly puffing his cigar while multiple thoughts raced his mind .
Sporadic hostility was also going on b/w Mukti bahini & Pakistani forces in all over Bangladesh #Bangladesh50#BangladeshLiberationWar #1971IndoPakWar
Jake walked back after 1/2 hour & asked Gen Niazi :"General, do you accept this paper?" Niazi kept quiet ,Jake asked him 3 times & then he said "I take it that it is accepted." #VijayDiwas#1971IndoPakWar#1971WarHeroes
There were tears in Niazi's eyes.There were glares from the other Pakistani generals and admirals.Gen. JF.R Jacob then instructed Gen Niazi for a public surrender in Dhaka race course in presence of Joint forces of Indian Army & Mukti Bahini of #Bangladesh . #Bangladesh50
Chinese Warrior legend sun tzu who wrote 'Art of war' always rated military leaders highly who could sub due enemy using mind games-Sun Tzu would had patted Gen. Jacob.U can watch the dramatised version of the surrender negotiations in this short film
More than 30 lakh #Bangladeshis were killed in their struggle for freedom along with 1400 Indian lives & 4000 injured .As 🇵🇰 forces surrendered in Dhaka Race course the air reverberated with Jubilant cries of জয় বাংলা Jai Hind & a New country was born in an old civilisation.
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A 🧵on Interesting stats on Bengal Tourism.
Bengals Tourism sector has witnessed impressive growth due to efforts in eco tourism, sustainability & heritage .Inspite of all the slander& hate that goes on against Bengal ~Bengali hospitality triumphed over all
Bengal stands 3rd among all states in India in attracting foreign tourists
The forgotten story of Bela Mitra - the brave niece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who Operated clandestine Radio network for INA in Calcutta against tremendous risk & hurdles 🧵
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While growing up, Netaji continued to be a constant source of inspiration for Bela and her younger sister, Ila Bose who also had played a very prominent role in Netaji’s escape from house arrest, back in 1941.
-John Borthwick Gilchrist (1759-1841) who was a temperamental Scottish trained-surgeon & self-trained linguist – a failed banker in his native city Edinburgh – who spent his early career in India where he studied Hindustani languages.
So how Did he developed Hindi
Gilchrist wrote ‘bifurcation of Khariboli into two forms – the Hindustani language with Khariboli as the root resulted in two languages (Hindi and Urdu), each with its own character and script.’
In other words, what was Hindustani language was segregated into Hindi and Urdu (written in the Devanagari and Persian scripts), codified and formalised.
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But how did all this started ?
Do read this 🧵 to know the fascinating story of the Lighting artist of Chandannagore
From October to January, the streets of Bengal’s towns and cities lights up for a number of festive occasions — starting from with Durga Pujo, Kali pujo, to the Jagadhatri Pujo & Christmas, and then New Year.
The dazzling illuminations seen in Bengal, especially owe much to a 60-year tradition, harking back to the world renowned light artist Sridhar Das~ who now 80+ yrs & retired, started this illumination revolution when he was in class 7
From the pages of History
When Oxford Came to Shantiniketan
A short 🧵
On August 7, 1940, Oxford University held a special convocation at Shantiniketan to confer the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature to poet Rabindranath Tagore
Oxford was represented by Dr S. Radhakrishnan & Sir Maurice Gwyer (the then Chief Justice of British India)
Sheikh Hasina’s regime might have warmed up to Delhi for her own survival
But certainly she is not a friend of Kolkata / West Bengal
In 2021 BD PM Sheikh Hasina rolled out Red Carpet for PM Modi just in the midst of election
The consistent attacks on Hindu minorities in BD does have a adverse effects in WB - credit to Bengal CM for maintaining social harmony when there is consistent provocation across the border.
West Bengal is now navigating & countering two - ve forces