Thread by @TheBrownBeagle

18: More damaging were fantastical Western reports describing “Soviet officers strutting the streets of New Delhi”, a phrase & notion that damaged India-US relations well into the 21st century. Some anti-Soviet ayatollahs may not yet be entirely past that notion today … /19

19: Two weeks before, @TIME had run a cover + 9-page article on East Pakistan, with 4 photo pages. This was journalism at its best: clear-eyed, & willing to hold government to account. The US knew what was happening; it was reported on by their own journals of record … /20

20: On the treaty, both @srinathraghava3 & Chandraskekhar Dasgupta have written on the differences between New Delhi’s & Moscow’s objectives from the treaty. India needed a P5 ally, for the forthcoming battles at the UN; the USSR saw a counter to the US-China alignment … 21

21: @WarOnTheRocks wrote on Taiwan, countries have different interests, threat assessments, & priorities, due geography, culture, military capabilities, & domestic politics. States can sign treaties not only because of “shared values” or common challenges, but also ... /22

22: ... because ***they differ enough on strategically important issues that they must write an alliance treaty to manage those disagreements. The Indo-Soviet treaty is an excellent example, from 51 years ago … /23

23: 51 years later, there are major changes in great power identities & dynamics. @orfonline on this topic last year channelled Jean-Baptiste Karr, "the more some things change, the more others stay the same":

orfonline.org/research/1971-…

... /24

24: India remains threatened by China, no longer a weak rival to Russia using the US for leverage, but a belligerent competitor to the US itself. India has edged slightly closer to the US, often half-heartedly. Russia has a new treaty of co-operation - with *China* ...

... There ought to be better learnings from 51 years ago.

Thoughts from #DecemberInDacca:

026: Still on background to #1971War & #Bangladesh Liberation, but an aside into music & social history: 1980s concerts & events (Band Aid, Live Aid, USA for Africa) raised awareness & funds for good causes. They all owe something to an August 1971 event for #Bangladesh … /27

27: On 1st August 1971, at the prestigious, recently-rebuilt Madison Square Garden @TheGarden in New York, East Bengal-born Ravi Shankar @ragaravishankar & George Harrison played the first & arguably one of the greatest benefit concerts, the Concert for Bangladesh … /28

28: Distraught over atrocities in East Pakistan, Ravi Shankar hoped to raise a small sum for refugee relief. Harrison readily agreed to support him & roped in many other stars. In shrewd marketing, the line-up was initially identified only as “George Harrison & Friends” … /29

29: The programme eventually included Harrison’s fellow former Beatle Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, the similarly reclusive Bob Dylan in his first major public performance in 5 years, and over two dozen other genuine stars ... /30

30: The concert was a smash hit. It opened with Ravi Shankar, tabalchi Alla Rakha & sarodya Ali Akbar Khan (also East Bengal born) showcasing Bangla Dhun, in khayal form ... /31

31: But it really took off with Harrison’s over two dozen star “Friends” and his for-the-moment song “Bangla Desh”. More to the point, it made the still-largely unknown name Bangladesh familiar worldwide, literally overnight:

…

... /32

32: Concert for Bangladesh remains the original large-scale benefit concert, and the model for later ones. Through LPs (later CDs), a movie, a home video (later a DVD) and other merchandise, it continued to generate revenues, most of which eventually reached Bangladesh … /33

33: … Ravi Shankar had hoped to raise $25k for Bangladesh. In the event, the concert alone raised $0.25 million (in 1971; equiv nearly $2 million today). Continued royalties from audio & video recordings would raise $12 million ... /34

34: In May this year, a sold-out 50th Anniversary concert was held at (refurbished) @msg, showcasing the global Bangladeshi band Chirkutt instagram.com/chirkutt/ & the long-running musically-diverse German band Scorpions (@scorpions):



... /35

35: Back to aviation for one tweet: Irresistibly for this Hunter fanboy, the official video of “Winds of Change”, a major @scorpions hit, has a glimpse of a Hawker Hunter, an aircraft which played a major role in the Liberation of Bangladesh.



... /36

36: There is a small section on the original August 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, also irresistible to this middle-aged Beatles, Clapton & Ravi Shankar fan, in my book, #DecemberInDacca.

More to come, on the larger story.

037: Still on background to #1971War & #Bangladesh Liberation, we must acknowledge that many parties from outside India, including international agencies as well as the GoI’s current bete noir, foreign NGOs, helped India cope with the massive, unprecedented refugee burden … /38

38: Prominent among them was British-founded @Oxfam, one of the first humanitarian aid organisations to employ professionals rather than volunteers in their work ... /39

39: In India Oxfam worked through several Indian NGOs & dedicated people, including Jayaprakash Narayan & (undeservedly) lesser-known Narayan Desai, son of Mahatma Gandhi’s aide Mahadev Desai ... /40

40: Oxfam in Bihar was informed of growing refugee crisis by Jayaprakash Narayan. Alan Leather (2nd from left in pic 1), Oxfam Asst Field Director, & Julian Francis (4th from left), travelled to the border. What they saw was utterly horrifying … /41

41: Their reports were initially disbelieved, their numbers assumed to be over-stated 10-fold. Leslie Kirley, Oxfam's Director (in pic), visited; initial skepticism was overcome, and action began. They went on to mobilise funds, and materiel, some particularly key … /42

42: Key among items delivered were purpose-designed sanitation units. India, itself stressed, managed food & shelter provision. But with rains at this time, cholera outbreaks began in refugee camps. The sanitation units were unglamorous but effective countermeasures … /43

43: Even more importantly, Oxfam raised awareness, particularly through what became known as the Testimony of 60, about which more later … /44

44: Oxfam was unusual in speaking out forcefully. NGOs operating in conflict zones usually do not speak out on political aspects, so as to retain access to the work they do. Oxfam spoke out (& continued to do so elsewhere), earning some controversy thereby … /45

45: Oxfam, still a globally prominent poverty relief organisation, is one of reportedly 6000 NGOs which lost their foreign funding licences in India, under FCRA rules early this year:

thequint.com/news/india/600…

... /46

46: The full story of how India coped with this enormous burden is not adequately chronicled. There is a small section on the challenges and a hat-tip to unsung heroes, in my book, #DecemberInDacca.

More to come, on the larger story.

047: Still on background to #1971War & #Bangladesh Liberation, on 1st September I can think of no better way to remember than original beat poet Allen Ginsberg @ginsbergquotes's searing, harrowing "September on Jessore Road" ... /48

48: Like much else about lead-up to #1971War, Ginsberg's poem, Joan Baez's & Bob Dylan's music, brave journalists' writings, brought global attention (tho' not Nixon's & Kissinger's, the only people who could have stopped the massacres before the Indian armed forces ... /49

49: The version attached to the previous tweet is only part of the poem; not attaching the full work but do recommend it - it's harrowing, as it needs to be:



... /50

50: By September that year, 1971, it was becoming increasingly obvious that "somebody needs to do something"- though there were still diplomatic calisthenics to be undergone before courageous Bangladeshis were joined by Indian armed forces. More to come, in this long story:

51: As September draws to a close, a few more tweets on landmark events from that September so fateful for Bangladesh, and the #1971War Bangladesh Liberation 51 years ago ...

52: In mid September Pakistani CMLA Yahya Khan granted a long, rambling interview to French paper @Le_Figaro. He claimed complete calm in E Pak, except on frontier, where he blamed India, & threatened war.

In late September the interview was also published in the @nytimes:

53: Yahya Khan's threat in NYT drew understated but immediate response from Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko. Both @srinathraghava3 and Chandrashekhar Dasgupta refer in their books to Gromyko’s unmistakable message to Pakistan:

54: Another interesting development in September was the deployment of a detachment of HAL Gnat aircraft from 22 Squadron IAF, from AF Stn Kalaikunda to the international airport at Dum Dum itself, as set out in my book below ...

55: 22 Sqn was a relatively young squadron, raised just five years earlier. Some of its personnel would acquire a level of celebrity in a few weeks’ time, such as only Bollywood or IPL stars enjoy in India nowadays. That story will be told soon. Meanwhile ...

56: Still on background to the #1971War & #Bangladesh Liberation, 51 years ago. The first half of October 1971 was quiet - deceptively so. Military, political & public relations alignments & preps were coming together for the upcoming military campaign … /57

57: On the political front, Mrs Gandhi was prepping a last-ditch trip to countries including the USA & UK, hoping they would rein in Pakistan Army depredations in East Pakistan. A forlorn hope, but undertaken to ensure India had made every effort to avoid war …

58: On the public relations front, tho' not co-ordinated with Indian govt, British charity @Oxfam was in the last stages of assembling credible accounts of atrocities being committed in East Pakistan, in what would become known as the Testimony of 60 … /59

@Oxfam @oxfamgb @OxfamIndia 59: Militarily, in early Oct Indian Army began supporting Mukti Bahini attacks on Pakistani posts with artillery fire + small numbers of participating Indian troops. In 2nd week Oct, participating units were permitted to undertake offensive ops 15 km into E Pakistan ... /60

60: Intent was to occupy key salients in E Pakistan to make full-strength assaults easier, later. Captured territory was, however, to be held by the Mukti Bahini, with Indian troops withdrawing to positions behind the borders once the salients had been occupied ... /61

61: The next stage in these operations would begin in the second half of October. And these tactics would, in a few weeks, bring the Indian Army, the Mukti Bahini, and 22 Sqn Gnats together …

62: Still with run-up to the #1971War & #Bangladesh Liberation, 21 Oct was the 51st publishing anniversary of @Oxfam’s Testimony of 60. It is regularly re-published OTD. Oxfam’s investigations & publicity were a huge help in promoting Bangladesh’s (& India’s) case in 1971 …

63: In related developments, on 25 Oct UN Res 2758 admitted the PRC to the UN. India voted *in favour* of admitting the PRC; the US voted against (& RW US supporters protested on the street) – did I mention, history is complex? ...

archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs…

64: The ROC / Taiwan, which houses the Chinese party who actually led China’s war against WW2 Japan (which gave China the right to UNSC membership), was expelled. The session was ugly & undiplomatic, with PRC observers & supporters gloating; ROC delegates dignified in defeat …

65: And 25 Oct - 12 Nov was the period that Mrs Gandhi visited W Europe & the US, in a last-ditch attempt to explain India’s pov. Realistically she did not expect to change minds, but was determined that no-one could accuse India of not having made every attempt to avoid war …

066: In the UK, Mrs Gandhi was heard out (the UK did not fully support US policy on Bangladesh) but tore into a mildly hostile interviewer. Those who claim India was "subservient" to foreign media until the current EAM need to read a little history …

facebook.com/HistoryOfCongr…

067: In the US, Mrs Gandhi received a state welcome, with trumpets & an honour guard, but endured barely-concealed hostility from Nixon & Kissinger; full extent known now (see 4th pic below). Her icy dignity seems to have only exacerbated Nixon’s insecurities & antipathy …

068: And two separate events on 1 Nov, part of unstoppable global & domestic moves towards the #1971War:

The IN’s Eastern Fleet formed, R Adm Sarma (whom we just lost, at age 99, earlier this year) at its head, as Cmde @srikantkesnur tweeted ...

https://twitter.com/srikantkesnur/status/1465776133224288256

069: And Senator Ted Kennedy, who had visited Bangladesh in August, presented to the US Senate his account of Bangladesh’s agony (which the US President & NSA had turned a blind eye to), & requested financial aid, tho' the Senate rebuked Nixon by shutting down all foreign aid …

70: In short, a great deal was happening in late Oct & early Nov 1971, as stormclouds of the #1971War gathered.

We are now close to 22 Nov, a date that Indian aviation enthusiasts (& the IAF Gnat brotherhood) remember, with good reason. More in my book, #DecemberInDacca …

71: Coming up to 22 November, the 51st anniversary of the day the IAF showed the prospect of #1971War was becoming serious. A relevant passage from my book, covering 19 Nov onwards, the run-up to 22 Nov, shared by @HarperCollinsIN pre-publication:

harpercollins.co.in/blog/book-exce…