NEW DELHI – Hours after the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, PrimeMinister Indira Gandhi wanted to take over Pakistan at the prodding ofSoviet President Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, a new book has claimed.
It is based on the notes of G Parthasarathi, policy advisor to the then PM,and authored by his former bureaucrat son Ashok Parthasarthi. DNA hasexclusive excerpts of the book titled GP:1915-1995 that will release byMarch-end.
A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) held onDecember 16, 1971, even consented to her plan to direct the Army to marchto Peshawar and annex what was then West Pakistan, claims the book.
The excerpts also reveal that all CCPA members, except PN Haksar, the PM’sprincipal secretary, were in favour of reversing Partition.
Armed with Brezhnev’s top secret telegram, received at the PMO around 1 amof December 16, 16 hours before Pakistan’s surrender in Dhaka, Gandhi, asper the book, asked Army Chief Sam Manekshaw: “Sam, How long will it takeyou to reach Peshawar?”. Sam shot back: Three days Madam.”
Ashok, who was Science and Technology Advisor to the PM, was also presentin the meeting along with his father, reveals that Gandhi told Sam: “Youseem very sure of yourself.”
He replied: “Madam, as we saw the collapse of Pakistan in the East, we inArmy Headquarters were sure that you and your colleagues were most likelyto ask us the question, you have posed to me. So we did our home work andare fully ready.”
All those present, including ministers, secretaries concerned and servicechiefs, were in favour of annexing Pakistan, till she turned to Haksar, whoopposed the idea.
He wanted to know if India will rule West Pakistan. “If so, initially, thepeople of West Pakistan will all be with us, shouting slogans like ‘downwith Yahya Khan, down with Tikka Khan’. Hindus and Muslims are brothers,”Haksar said.
But six months later, the same people will be shouting ‘down with theIndian Army, Hindus go back’, he continued.
The Soviet President’s telegram had prodded Gandhi to take the crucialdecision and expressed his support.
Haksar was countered by Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram, who said that hedidn’t want annexing West Pakistan, but return of the occupied areas ofJammu and Kashmir.
After hearing everyone, Gandhi said she will think about it. As the meetingbroke, Ashok recalls he went with the PM to her residence and pleaded toher to go ahead, the book claims.
“We will never get another chance in history,” he told her. She repliedthat it was a monumental decision. But at 8 pm, the All India Radioannounced the declaration of ceasefire, stamping out any possibility of theIndian Army marching to Peshawar.
Parthasarathi senior, a multifaceted diplomat popularly known as GP, isalso son of Sir Gopalaswami Ayyangar who had served as Kashmir’s PM during1937-43. The book also reveals that Ayyangar had undertaken a secret visitto Srinagar on September 23, 1947, and successfully persuaded Dogra KingHari Singh to accede to India, reversing the familiar theory that theinvasion of Pakistan raiders had forced the King to sign the Instrument ofAccession.
In 1971, GP had become Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, butcontinued to have access to crucial Cabinet meetings.
The book’s foreword has been written by former President Pranab Mukherjee.