The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Leader of the visiting 1971 war veteran Indian generals Lieutenant General JFR Jacob on Friday said the December 16 surrendering ceremony was staged in public despite general Niazi's insistence to hold it at Dhaka cantonment.

"No, you must surrender before the people of Dhaka. We wanted the Pakistani troops to surrender in public as they had carried out so much atrocities on the people of this country," Jacob, the then chief of general staff of India's Eastern Command told a press meet at the Indian High Commission here.

Jacob, who had drafted the "Instrument of Surrender" and organised the ceremony at the 'Racecourse Maidan', now the Suhrawardy Udyan, said Pakistani forces commander Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi wanted to sign a "ceasefire" deal instead of a document suggesting the "unconditional surrender" to "joint forces" of Bangladesh and India.

And then, Jacob, who leads the 11-member Indian war veteran delegation, said the Pakistani commander insisted the ceremony to take place at his Dhaka Cantonment office.

The Indian general, however, said it was a risky to organise the ceremony in public at that turbulent time when "we did not have enough Indian troops at the scene to ensure the security". "But there are always risks in wars."

Jacob, who also authored the famous Surrender at Dacca, in his book, however, wrote that the instrument of surrender was drafted in a manner so "It would not be offensive".

"History has shown that rigid, uncompromising surrender terms have had adverse repercussions in succeeding years," he wrote in his book.

But, Jacob, said Niazi later during his stay in Kolkata as a prisoner of war along with rest of the Pakistani troops, accused him of "blackmailing" in signing the document infusing into them the fears of reprisals by the Mukti Bahini or freedom fighters. "But I never blackmailed him."

Jacob highly praised the freedom fighters including the East Bengal Regiment soldiers saying they emerged as "terror for Pakistani troops".

"Their contribution was crucial to the emergence of Bangladesh . . . they deserve the full credit."

The retired Indian general, who had joined the then British Indian army in 1942, also expressed his gratitude to Bangladesh for the invitation of the Indian veterans to join the 37th Independence anniversary celebration of Bangladesh.

This is the first time when the 1971 war veterans were invited to Bangladesh after the Liberation War as they came here along with their spouses at the invitation of army chief General Moeen U Ahmed.

"India and Bangladesh need each other," Jacob said as he described the bilateral relations as excellent.

But, he said, the two neighbours should strengthen the historic and geographical bondage exploring ways for enhanced trade and economic ties and people-to-people relations for mutual progress and benefit.