Sam Manekshaw On The 1971 Indo-Pak War

Brut India

"My job is to fight, fight to win." Sam Manekshaw recalls the days leading up to the 1971 Indo-Pak war and its aftermath... : Parzor Foundation

Transcript

00:00A number of you will be joining as officers of the Indian Army, a great professional army.

00:14So Sam, tell me about the beginning of the Bangladesh war, the Mukti Bahini.

00:21Oh, Pakistan had really cracked down in a big way.

00:28The poor old Bengalis, what could they do against the Pathans and Punjabi Muslims and the army?

00:38So they started pouring in into India and Mrs Gandhi, in an awful temper,

00:48looked at me and read out messages from the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

00:53The thousands of refugees have poured in from the Chief Minister of Assam, the Chief Minister of Tripura.

01:01And she looked at me and said, what are you doing about it?

01:04Nothing, what's it got to do with me?

01:09She said, I want you to do something. I said, what do you want me to do?

01:14I want you to march into East Pakistan. I said, that means war.

01:21So she said, I don't mind if it's war.

01:25So I said, oh, have you read the Bible? God said, let there be light, and there was light.

01:31And you say, let there be war? Are you ready? I certainly am not.

01:38Then I said, this was about the 23rd of April.

01:44I said, you know, the Himalayan passes are opening.

01:48And if the Chinese give us an ultimatum, then I said,

01:53the monsoon will be breaking in a few days' time.

01:57And when it rains in that part of the world, it pours.

02:01Rivers become like oceans. If you stand on one bank, you can't see the other.

02:06The movement will be confined to roads.

02:10Because of climatic conditions, the Air Force will not be able to support me.

02:15And if I were to go in, I guarantee you a hundred percent defeat.

02:20I said to Mrs. Gandhi, will you now give me your orders?

02:27All right. Cabinet would meet again at four o'clock.

02:34Everybody started walking out, I being the junior one.

02:38A smile on my face as I was going out. She said, Chief, stay behind.

02:42I said, Prime Minister, before you open your mouth,

02:45shall I send in my resignation on grounds of health, mental or physical?

02:51I said, oh, sit down, Sam, tell me. Everything you told me is the truth.

02:56I said, yes, everything I've told you is the truth.

02:59I said, it's my job to fight, fight to win, not to lose.

03:04She smiled at me and said, all right, Sam, you let me know when you're ready.

03:13I went to Pakistan about two months after the conflict.

03:21And they really gave me a first class welcome.

03:26The governor, this was at Lahore, the governor invited me for lunch.

03:32Gave me a martini before lunch, wines at lunch.

03:37And during lunch, he said, General, will you do me a favor?

03:42So I said, if I can, Mr. Governor, I will.

03:45I thought he was going to ask me about some relation of it.

03:48He said, my staff is outside. They want to shake hands with you.

03:54And they were all lined up. About the 11th man took his pagdi off and put it at my feet.

04:00So I picked it up.

04:03They gave it to me.

04:05Why did you do this?

04:07He said, Huzoor, if it was you, we would have been saved.

04:11My five boys are your prisoners.

04:15And he turned around, the governor was with me.

04:40And I got into trouble in my own country.

04:50The bureaucrats and the ministers complained about me.

04:55My sons-in-law.

05:02They complained against me, cabinet meeting.

05:07At the meeting, Mr. Gandhi looked at me. I said, Prime Minister, there were soldiers.

05:12They fought. They fought extremely well.

05:15They lost.

05:18And I'm looking after the soldiers.

05:21I've forgotten all about the war and everything.

05:24Sam, what was your greatest achievement in the army?

05:28Do you know?

05:30From the rank of second lieutenant to field marshal,

05:34I have never punished a man.

05:38My adjutant general, when I was the chief and my judge advocate general used to get all wild.

05:46Court martial proceedings would come to me.

05:49If they said not guilty, I'd sign.

05:52If they said guilty and punished, I'd take the file home.

05:55I'd look at it. I'd say, no, I think witness number three has lied.

06:00And they'd say, how can we maintain discipline with you as army chief if you're not punishing?

06:07You damn chaps sit in Delhi with your wives and your children in lovely homes

06:12and you forget what those chaps are going through.

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