<b>December 3, 1971:</b>
The India-Pakistan war of 1971 began on the evening of this Sunday, when Pakistani Air Force launched air strikes on eight airfields in India including Agra, under an operation codenamed Changez Khan.
Swiftly and strongly reacting within thirty minutes, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a war on Pakistan, and within a couple of hours Indian Air Force was flying sorties after sorties deep inside Western Pakistan so much that IAF flew not less than 4,000 sorties within two weeks. Same day, the Indian Army crossed the East Pakistan borders. In coordinated move, the Indian Navy pressed its Operation Trishul, and assaulted Karachi port, resulting in the destruction of not only the port's operating ability but also Pakistani destroyer ships, and then quickly moved on Eastern waters when news of US Fleet's inward movement arrived. Within 2 weeks, Fld Msl. Sam Manekshaw was setting deadline for Pakistan to surrender.
But let this also be remembered, that unlike present day leadership of India, the success at that time was mainly due to tremendous courage and single-minded mission of the Indian leadership at that time - polical, diplomatic and military. Indira Gandhi, the 'woman with balls', displayed what India can acheive if it puts its will into efforts. The military success was only the last fillip of a long and single-minded effort of Indian leadership:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->On 27 March 1971, the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, expressed full support of her government to the struggle for independence by the people of East Pakistan. In the early autumn of 1971, Indira Gandhi launched a diplomatic offensive with a tour of Europe. She was successful in getting both the United Kingdom and France to break with the United States to block any pro-Pakistan directives in the United Nations security council. Gandhi's greatest coup was on 9 August when she signed a twenty-year treaty of friendship and co-operation with the Soviet Union, greatly shocking the United States, and decreasing the possibility that the People's Republic of China would become involved in the conflict.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1971<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The India-Pakistan war of 1971 began on the evening of this Sunday, when Pakistani Air Force launched air strikes on eight airfields in India including Agra, under an operation codenamed Changez Khan.
Swiftly and strongly reacting within thirty minutes, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a war on Pakistan, and within a couple of hours Indian Air Force was flying sorties after sorties deep inside Western Pakistan so much that IAF flew not less than 4,000 sorties within two weeks. Same day, the Indian Army crossed the East Pakistan borders. In coordinated move, the Indian Navy pressed its Operation Trishul, and assaulted Karachi port, resulting in the destruction of not only the port's operating ability but also Pakistani destroyer ships, and then quickly moved on Eastern waters when news of US Fleet's inward movement arrived. Within 2 weeks, Fld Msl. Sam Manekshaw was setting deadline for Pakistan to surrender.
But let this also be remembered, that unlike present day leadership of India, the success at that time was mainly due to tremendous courage and single-minded mission of the Indian leadership at that time - polical, diplomatic and military. Indira Gandhi, the 'woman with balls', displayed what India can acheive if it puts its will into efforts. The military success was only the last fillip of a long and single-minded effort of Indian leadership:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->On 27 March 1971, the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, expressed full support of her government to the struggle for independence by the people of East Pakistan. In the early autumn of 1971, Indira Gandhi launched a diplomatic offensive with a tour of Europe. She was successful in getting both the United Kingdom and France to break with the United States to block any pro-Pakistan directives in the United Nations security council. Gandhi's greatest coup was on 9 August when she signed a twenty-year treaty of friendship and co-operation with the Soviet Union, greatly shocking the United States, and decreasing the possibility that the People's Republic of China would become involved in the conflict.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1971<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->