Thread by @Jahangir_921

Much of the literature on 1971 War is preoccupied with the conflict between India & Pakistan, with the Cold War as backdrop, marginalizing the people of the land where it was fought. Indian accounts are predictably triumphal with regard to victory over Pakistan, 1/n

with the memoirs of a few officers peppered with self-promotion and derogation of others. Most of the key players did not publish memoirs. Pakistani discussion on 1971 are full of butter recriminations, mostly with regard to losing to India, 2/n

with deafening silence from the majority of those who had served in East Pakistan. The Bangladeshi refrain, by contrast, plays volubly and melodramatically on the theme of Pakistani 'villains' and Bengali 'victims' 3/n

often with scant regard for factual accuracy or analytical sophistication. The material from all parties to the conflict is relentlessly partisan, with the Bangladeshi ones infused with a deep sense of grievance that their suffering has not been given due 4/n

acknowledgement in the world. Yet, in spite of the passage of three decades, Bangladeshis collectively failed to produce well-researched, documented and thoughtfull histories of 1971 which might influence world opinion with any degree of credibility. 5/n

The conflict of 1971, therefore, is in need of serious study in many aspects.

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#1971War #Pakistan #Bangladesh #India