India and the World

In one of the darkest chapters of the subcontinent's history, Pakistan Army unleashed Operation Searchlight - a planned pogrom of terror and violence unleashed on a section of its own population. The people of East Pakistan took refuge in India in millions, and the stage was set for an epic showdown. Sources - Official History of the 1971 India Pakistan War - MoD History DivisionDe-classified CIA and US State Department DocumentsA Stranger in my own Country - Maj General Khadim Hussain RajaZulfikar Ali Bhutto - Six Steps to Summit - Kamaleshwar SinhaThe Betrayal of East Pakistan -- Lt Gen A.A.K. NiaziThrough the 1971 Crisis- An Eyewitness Account by a Soldier - Hakeen Arshad QureshiWe've Learnt Nothing from History - Air Marshal Asghanr KhanThe Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide - Gary J Bass

The collision course set by Pakistan's historic 1970 elections, where a massive democratic verdict was violently rejected by the West Pakistan. A devastating cyclone and cynical political manoeuvring led to the eventual launch of the brutal 'Operation Searchlight'. This episode uncovers how a nation was torn apart by its own leaders.Sources - Official History of the 1971 India Pakistan War -- History DivisionMemoirs of Lt. Gen. Gul Hassan Khan - Lt Gen Gul Hasan KhanPakistan’s Foreign Policy 1947-2019 - Abdul SattarA Stranger in my own Country - Maj General Khadim Hussain RajaMemories & Reflections Of A Pakistani Diplomat - Sulltan Muhammad KhanIndia-Pakistan in War & Peace - JN DixitWe've Learnt Nothing from History - Asghanr KhanThe Struggle for Pakistan - Ayesha JalalBhutto - a political biography - Salmaan Taseer 

In the first of several episodes covering the 1971 India Pakistan War, we look at the key personalities who shaped the destinies of their respective countries through this conflict. Sources - A History of the Pakistan Army - Brian CloughleyOfficial History of the 1971 India Pakistan War - History Division Ministry of DefenceThe origins of war in South Asia- Indo-Pakistani conflicts - Sumit GangulyInterview with History - Oriana FallaciDeclassified CIA and US State Department Document

A stalemate at the battle front and a summit in a distant Russian city led to 'Tashkent Declaration'. Was it one step forward, or two steps back? Listen to find out.Sources - Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan- His Life & Times - Stanley WolpertBhutto - a political biography - Salmaan TaseerFrom Kutch to Tashkent - the Indo Pakistan War of 1965 - Farooq BajwaThe Struggle for Pakistan - Ayesha Jalal.India-Pakistan in War & Peace - J. N DixitPakistan's Drift into Extremism - Hassan AbbasDeclassified CIA and US State Department Documents

A daring misadventure in the desolate Rann of Kutch emboldened Pakistan to try a similar tactic in the North. This led to the 1965 war. Listen to the mistaken assumptions that Pakistan made and what happened when they turned out to be false. Sources - India-Pakistan in War & Peace - Dixit, J. N_Pakistan’s Foreign Policy 1947-2019 - Abdul SattarGenesis of Indo-Pakistan conflict on Kashmir - V. D. Chopra, P.N. HaksarSouth Asian Insecurity and the Great Powers - Barry BuzanA History of the Pakistan Army - Brian CloughleyThe First Round - Indo Pakistan War 1965 - Air Marshal Asghar KhanMemoirs of a Bystander - A Life in Diplomacy - Iqbal Akhund

The subcontinent became a playground for the Cold War rivalry, which further fuelled the conflict between India and Pakistan. With China's wildcard entry, the complexity increased. Sources - https://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2011/December/revolution.htm Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan- His Life & Times - Stanley WolpertSouth Asian Insecurity and the Great Powers - Barry Buzan Explaining Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Escaping India, author Aparna PandeJinnah- His Successes, Failures and Role in History - Ishtiaq AhmedPakistan's Drift into Extremism - Hassan AbbasTINDERBOX The past and Future of Pakistan - M.J. AkbarForeign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954 Volume XI, Part 2 Africa and South Asia - US State DepartmentArchivesA History of the Pakistan Army - Brian CloughleyThe Wailing Vale - Aziz Beg.

The first decade after independence saw India and Pakistan set upon divergent paths that defines them who they are as nations even today. India strengthened its institutions and democracy, while Pakistan drifted into political vacuum leading to military dictatorship.In this episode we look at the circumstances, choices and decisions that led to this.Sources - Declassified CIA Documents - https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/historical-collectionsArmy and nation - Steven WilkinsonMemoirs of Lt Gen Gul Hasan Khan - Lt Gen Gul Hasan KhanThe Struggle for Pakistan - Ayesha JalalThe role of the United Nations in the Indo-Pak Conflict - Mohinder Singh RandhawaJinnah- His Successes, Failures and Role in History - Ishtiaq AhmedPakistan Faces India - Aziz Beg

Declassified documents throw new light on the circumstances and reasons for partition of India.Sources - The Shadow of the Great Game - The Untold Story of India's Partition - Narendra Singh SarilaWar and Diplomacy in Kashmir, 1947-48 - C DasguptaForeign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The British Commonwealth, The Far East, Volume VI ( https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1945v06 )Jinnah - His Successes, Failures and Role in History - Ishtiaq AhmedPakistan's Foreign Policy 1947-2019 - Abdul SattarThe Struggle for Pakistan - Ayesha JalalPakistan Faces India - Aziz BegIslam, Politics and The State - Asghar KhanZulfikar Ali Bhutto - Six Steps to Summit - Kamaleshwar SinhaSouth Asian Insecurity and the Great Powers - Barry Buzan, Gowher Rizvi, Rosemary Foot, Nancy Jetly

In Jan 1948 India approached the UN against Pakistani aggression in Kashmir. Instead of getting a fair adjudication, the issue was complicated. A ceasefire was announced a year later in Jan 1949, though Pakistan still held one third of Kashmir. A deep dive into the politics, intrigue and international stakes behind the events that are still casting their impact today.Sources - War and Diplomacy in Kashmir,1947-48 - C DasguptaIndia-Pakistan in War & Peace - JN DixitMy Years with Nehru-Kashmir - BN Mullik Confrontation With Pakistan - Lt Gen BM KaulThe Kashmir Story - BL SharmaGenesis of Indo-Pakistan conflict on Kashmir - V. D. Chopra, P.N. Haksar.

Dramatic events in the last week of October 1947 changed the history and geopolitics of the subcontinent and gave rise to a conflict that continues to date.Sources - Raiders in Kashmir - Akbar KhanMilitary Plight Of Pakistan Vol I - M N GulatiThe Time and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy, 1951: The First Coup Attempt in Pakistan - Hasan ZaheerOperation Rescue - Military Operations in Jammu & Kashmir 1947-49 - Maj Gen SK Sinha India-Pakistan in War & Peace - JN DixitGenesis of Indo-Pakistan conflict on Kashmir - V. D. Chopra, P.N. HaksarThe Wailing Vale - Aziz BegWar and Diplomacy in Kashmir, 1947-48 - C Dasgupta

In this series of deep dives into India Pakistan relationship, we start at the beginning - the deep animosity and distrust that started at the time of partition. What were the reasons? Sources used in this episode - India-Pakistan in War & Peace - JN DixitShooting for a Century - The India-Pakistan Conundrum - Stephen P. CohenGenesis of Indo-Pakistan conflict on Kashmir - V. D. Chopra, P.N. HaksarZulfikar Ali Bhutto - Six Steps to Summit - Kamaleshwar SinhaThe Struggle for Pakistan - Ayesha JalalSouth Asian Insecurity and the Great Powers - Barry Buzan, Gowher Rizvi, Rosemary Foot, Nancy JetlyThe origins of war in South Asia- Indo-Pakistani conflicts - Sumit GangulyThe Wailing Vale - Aziz BegPakistan's Foreign Policy 1947-2019 - Abdul SattarA Stranger in my own Country - Maj General Khadim Hussain RajaThrough the 1971 Crisis- An Eyewitness Account by a Soldier - Hakeem Arshad Qureshi