In the same month, the Army, however, launched a number of operations in East Pakistan, including helping the RAW train and equip the Mukti Bahini.Ībout three brigades of Bangladeshi troops were trained along with several thousand guerrillas that eventually took on the Pakistani military and civil officers in the lead-up to the war.įor his able and deft leadership, Manekshaw was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan - India’s second and third highest civilian awards. He asked for a few months’ time to prepare, and Gandhi accepted his request. Manekshaw, however, told Gandhi that the Army wasn’t yet ready for war. In April 1971, Indira Gandhi wanted the Army to move into East Pakistan. Sam Manekshaw, who was the chief of the Indian Army at that time, played a crucial role in delivering India its victory in the Liberation War. While Indian diplomats and many others were of the view initially that a united Pakistan was best for India’s interest, it was Kao who nudged Gandhi and others to exploit the freedom movement in East Pakistan.Īlso read: Bangladesh will always be grateful to India for its role in Liberation War: Sheikh Hasina Interestingly, such was Kao’s acumen that two years before the 1971 war, he had told Gandhi to be ready for Pakistan’s partition. General Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981, was said to have told then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that “this man (Kao) knows more about my country than me”. The RAW trained over 1 lakh East Pakistanis, who led the country to freedom with assistance from the Indian military. While the war was indeed a military victory and credit goes to the Army, Air Force and the Navy, Kao was the one working behind the scenes and under whose leadership, the RAW actively helped Mukti Bahini, the Bangladesh forces, to triumph over West Pakistan. He was then the chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s external intelligence agency. Rameshwar Nath Kao, whose team was called ‘Kao-boys’, is known as the ‘architect of Bangladesh’ for his role in the 1971 war. Among the Indians fighting the war were five heroes whose unforgettable contribution led to the decisive win.
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