India looks to 1971 war veterans to warm up ties with Bangladesh

In a move that could have a small but incremental effect in normalising India's relations with Bangladesh, a team of seven retired Army officers will visit the the neighbouring country to revive the memories of the Indian effort to help the country get its independence from Pakistan.

This is a first such move. The Indian Army veterans will be led by Gen JFR Jacob (retd) and include Maj Gen Ashok Verma (retd), Lt Gen Lachhman Singh Lehal (retd) and Maj Gen Ian Cardozo (retd), all of whom were associated with the 1971 war. They will be in Bangladesh from March 24 to 31.

The team is going to Dhaka at the invitation of the Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff, Gen Moeen U Ahmad. India's acceptance of the invitation is being considered significant as the Army-backed caretaker government in Bangladesh is carrying out important tasks like anti-corruption drives in movement towards the general elections by December.

This team, which is being briefed by top quarters in the government, could be construed as representing the views of the Indian establishment, seen as being at odds with the previous Bangladesh establishment.

Although relations between Bangladesh and India were excellent after the war, the affectionate welcome that Indian General Officers extended to their Pakistani counterparts captured as prisoners of war (PoWs) in 1971 caused the first disquiet in Bangladesh.

Things deteriorated rapidly following the assertion of Islamist groups. The Bengali nationalism, which played an important role in motivating the freedom struggle in East Pakistan, transmogrified into Bangladeshi nationalism. This, in turn, identified India as "the other", in no small measure caused by the policy mistakes by India.

Now, with this team going to Bangladesh, wartime stories will be swapped in old army messes and "bada khanas" with soldiers seeking to revive the organic link between the two armies.

The veterans' team has been put together carefully. Gen Jacob was the man who secured the instrument of surrender from Lt Gen AAK Niazi, in charge of Pakistan's Eastern Command. His personal weapon, a soldier's most treasured possession, was handed over to Jacob as the first humiliating move in a series that ended in the capture of thousands of Pakistani soldiers.

Maj Gen Ashok Verma of the Rajput Regiment fought the advance from the Tripura side. Gen Lehal led the 20 Division, which captured Bogra in a decisive battle. And Gen Cardozo fought the battle in Sylhet and took a bullet in his leg, which he amputated himself in the battlefield.

Although it was born as a result of atrocities by the Pakistani Army, relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan have been on the mend. In 2002, Gen Pervez Musharraf became the first Pakistani ruler to visit Bangladesh after 1971.

Though Bangladesh's relations with Pakistan improved after 1976 and matured by the early 1990s, they deteriorated after June 1996, reaching an all time low in September 2000.

This was after Musharraf had to cancel his scheduled visit after at the United Nations Millennium Summit, the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the military leadership in Pakistan as part of a general request for action against undemocratic changes of government.

On her return to Dhaka, she demanded that Pakistan apologise for the atrocities committed by its army during the liberation war and bring to justice those involved.

This led to an impasse in relations due to Pakistan's withdrawal of its Deputy High Commissioner in November 2000, his refusal to apologise on behalf of Pakistan, massive demonstrations in Dhaka and his departure after being declared a persona non grata.