I learned about the events in Dhaka such as the mass rape-murders in the university dormitories, from BLITZ (Free-Frank-Fearless-First and a nice pic of a nekkid actress usually on the back page).
No, the fact that most of the victims and refugees were Hindus, was ***NOT*** discernible from any of the Indian media, not even BLITZ. (BLITZ was run by commies, a nephew of my Dad was a top person there which is why my Dad subscribed to it, and I was strictly forbidden from reading it
).
The feats of the Mukti Bahini were reported as if were happening in a distant country. The GOI's efforts to request help for the refugees, and Mrs. IG's strenuous trip, giving lectures at many universities all over the US, UK and Oirope to try to get the *&^%$(*&s to act in the UN, were publicized in the newspapers (Indian Express was what we used to get). I think desi language papers also reported, but nothing different.
But someone reading the papers carefully, could probably hope/figure out that the IA/BSF were at least being sympathetic to the Mukti Bahini. Whether there were Indian advisors accompanying them on raids was something to wonder about / hope for. As far as the papers reported, I think we could be happy that all the weapons of the MB were captured from the Pakis.
And then the 'JKLF' hijacked an IA plane to Karachi and burned it down. Mrs. G in a flash, banned overflights by Paki planes across India, so their supply route went through Sri Lanka or China. Fuel supplies in East Pak dwindled, it became harder for them to keep their planes flying.
There was a report that Indian MiG-21s had buzzed Dhaka. Paki Sabres had challenged them, at which point, to quote the newspaper,
The Indians just put on afterburners and flew away, confident that the Pakistanis would run out of fuel sooner or later
The MiGs could reach Mach 2, the Sabres were subsonic/transonic.
All the time, for many months, the Indian papers were full of the threats of all-out war being declared by this Paki or that Paki in West Pakistan. So it was no surprise that the Pakis eventually DID launch a completely 400% unprovoked invasion and air raid.
The first indication of war was the 3 Paki Sabre jets being pest-e-sha'eed, when the Indian planes decided to call their bluff. Of course because they violated Indian airspace. I remember wondering that day whether shooting 3 planes didn't mean that the Paki H&D would be trashed and they wouldn't launch a big attack....
And then Dec. 3, the Pakis tried pre-emptive attack on Indian airbases, and when they returned to their bases, there weren't any because the Indian bombers had already vijited.... And the GHAZNI (or was it GHAURI?) was shark-bait.
But India help and arm the Mukti Bahini?
WHIYAR did joo hiyar such nonsense, hain?
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