As December 16 marks the creation of Bangladesh and the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971, renewed attention is being drawn to India’s nefarious role in the breakup of Pakistan, which historians describe as an established and well-documented fact.  India’s arming, training and patronage of the Mukti Bahini was the decisive factor behind the events that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Indian political and military leadership not only facilitated the insurgency in former East Pakistan but also directly intervened militarily, violating international norms and regional sovereignty. 

Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have on several occasions openly acknowledged India’s role in breaking up Pakistan in 1971. Critics say these admissions expose New Delhi’s long-standing strategy of destabilizing neighboring countries to assert regional dominance.  Observers note that India’s interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs began immediately after its creation and has continued in various forms over the decades.

Under the Modi-led BJP regime, such political meddling has intensified across South Asia, reflecting what analysts describe as India’s hegemonic ambitions. The popular uprising that ousted pro-India Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid in August last year is seen as a clear signal of the Bangladeshi people’s rejection of Indian domination and political interference. Despite decades of pressure, Bangladesh’s enduring Muslim identity continues to affirm that the Two-Nation Theory remains alive, defying former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s 1971 claim that it had been buried. 

Analysts also point out that Bengal’s leadership played a pioneering and historic role in the Pakistan Movement, recalling that the All-India Muslim League—the party that spearheaded the struggle for the creation of Pakistan—was founded in Dhaka in 1906.  In recent months, Pakistan and Bangladesh have begun opening a new chapter in bilateral relations aimed at countering Indian hegemonic designs and fostering regional cooperation based on mutual respect and sovereignty. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)