The kind of image Rahul Gandhi has earned, his statement and speech do not qualify to be taken seriously. However, he has been prime ministerial candidate of Congress Party since last two Lok Sabha elections, hence his statement can not be discounted. “Had UPA been in power, “we would have evicted and thrown out China in 15 minutes,” said Rahul Gandhi in a public gathering at Anaj Mandi in Kurukshetra, Haryana on 6 October.
Does Rahul Gandhi think he can fool entire population of India with such juvenile statement?
16 December 1971 was the date when India had Pakistan on its knees, after India had seized over 15,000 kilometres of Pakistan territory and captured its 93,000 soldiers—nearly a quarter of its army—as prisoners of war. But, former prime minister and Rahul Gandhi’s grand mother, Indira Gandhi, returned both land and Pak soldiers without even bargaining the release of 54 Indian Prisoners of War (PoW), who are still said to be languishing in Pakistani prisons. Unfortunately, many of them would have died painful and anonymous death.
Rahul Gandhi’s hollow and superficial statement gives impression that he doesn’t like to read history.
On 3 December 1971, war started between India and Pakistan after latter launched air strikes on 11 Indian airbases. India’s three forces, fighting in unison, counter attacked to Pakistan Army’s movements in the west to capture around 15,010 kilometres of Pakistan territory till the war continued to 13 days.
On 16 December 1971, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the chief of the Pakistani forces, surrendered in Dhaka to the joint forces of Indian Army and Bangladesh’s Mukti Wahini along with 93,000 Pak soldiers.
On 16 December 1971, India had won the war against Pakistan, which also resulted in the birth of Bangladesh, then East Pakistan. It was the day, when Indian Army had brought Pakistani army to its knees, by seizing their 93,000 troops and over 15000 Kilometer territory.
On 2 July 1972, Shimla Agreement was signed between then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Under the Shimla agreement, ten times stronger India gave a weak Pakistan everything what it wanted; the territory Pak had lost to India and safe return of its 93,000 soldiers.
Why did Indira Gandhi—who was claimed to be a courageous and decisive leader—return 93000 Pak soldiers and 15,000 Km territory without even demanding the safe return of 54 Indian soldiers? What is even more appalling is that Indira Gandhi didn’t even hold Pak soldiers responsible for the genocide they committed in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Would Rahul Gandhi answer these questions before making such boastful statement?
It is Indira Gandhi, who was responsible for 54 Indian soldiers still languishing in Pak jails. Some of them would have lost mental balance and died painful death, some of them would be alive, but would be living a torturous life. President of All India Veteran Core Group, Brigadier (Retd) H S Ghuman slammed Indira Gandhi government for being benevolent to return 93,000 Pakistan prisoners while she failed to ensure the safe return 54 Indians prisoners of wars.
It is not 54 families of Indian soldiers, who have been suffering because of Indira Gandhi’s failure to demand their safe return, but she also failed to convert India’s victory in the 1971 Indo Pak war into a durable peace. India has still continued to bear the consequences of Indira Gandhi’s indecisiveness.
Rahul Gandhi should also visit to the history, when his great grand father Jawaharlal Nehru, first prime minister of India, lost 37,244 square kilometres of Aksai Chin in 1962 Indo China war. Aksai Chin, the north-eastern end of India’s crown has been under Chinese occupation for many decades now. Who can forget Nehru’s irresponsible statement about Aksai Chin, when he had said, “not even a blade of grass grows in Aksai Chin” as he had forsaken the Indian territory without even fighting.
After Jawaharlal Nehru lost 37,244 square kilometres of Aksai Chin, Indira Gandhi 15000 Kilometer Pak territory, would Rahul Gandhi throw out Chinese from Aksai Chin in 15 minutes?
