‘Indira wanted a Summer campaign for Bangladesh’

“It was after March 25 that General Manekshaw called me and told me to start training the Mukti Vahini. So we set up camps across the border and started training the Mukti Fauj. They were courageous,magnificent people and we gave them all help. Then in May,General Manekshaw called me again and said : “Jac,you will have to move into East Pakistan. I said impossible,there were so many rivers to cross,we will have to build up logistical support. My note was sent to (Prime Minister) Mrs (Indira) Gandhi,who after presiding over a meeting gave the order that there will not be any offensive for the time,’’ Jacob said.

The general then dwelt on some interesting details about the war and how he had maneuvered a public surrender of the Pakistani army. “On the morning of December 16,I along with a Pakistani Brigadier went to Dhaka cantonment where Gen A A K. Niyazi and Gen Rao Forman Ali were waiting for us. On the way the Mukti Vahini people fired on our vehicle so I got down and flaunted my uniform. They wanted to lynch the Brigadier but I saved him somehow,’’ Jacob recalled.

He also said that at the cantonment he did something which involved a lot of risk. “I told Niyazi to surrender but he was not willing. He said they wanted a ceasefire. After much cajoling I told him,‘look general,I give you 30 minutes. If you do not accept surrender we will resume hostilities and our air force will bomb Dhaka cantonment’. I went out of the room and began smoking a pipe. But I was very anxious. They had 27,000 troops in Dhaka and we had only about 3,000. They could have made me captive or they could do anything. But after half an hour they agreed to surrender,” Jacob said.

The seminar was organised by the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies,Kolkata. Other dignitaries who were present included Pinaki Chakrabarty,special secretary in the ministry of external affairs,Veena Sikri,former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh among others.