You may have heard about the 1971 INDO-PAK war, But today I’m going to tell you an interesting story of a General who reportedly blackmailed Pakistani General into signing the “Instrument of Surrender.”

Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob was one of the most important protagonists in 's greatest military victory. On December 16, 1971, 93,000 Pakistani soldiers led by Lt. Gen. A A K Niazi, surrendered to Lt. Gen. , Commander-in-Chief of , at the race course and the new nation of was born. Standing behind Gen Aurora in the photograph of the surrender ceremony was Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob(then General), who played a significant role in India’s greatest victory. The story goes as follows: had two parts, East and West, which were separated by about 1,000 miles. was mainly the eastern part of the province of Bengal. However, due to discrimination in ruling powers against them, the East Pakistanis vigorously protested and declared independence under the leadership of . To suppress the unrest in East Pakistan, the Pakistani government sent troops to East Pakistan and unleashed a massacre. And thus, the war for liberation commenced. Under Lt Gen , infamously known as the ‘Butcher of East Pakistan’, the conducted horrific acts of brutality on the innocent Bengalis. Thousands of them were killed in cold blood. Many more were tortured over several months. The genocide led to a mass departure and about 1 Crore refugees wandered across the border into neighbouring Indian states. The then Prime Minister criticized the atrocities in East Pakistan and asked the to prepare for war as India’s security was weakened due to the massive increase in refugees coming from East Pakistan. As a result of atrocities done by Pakistani troops, Bengali troops in East Pakistan revolted in large numbers to join the , a guerrilla force that began to conduct covert operations against Pakistani forces. India provided political and diplomatic support to the Mukti Bahini. Under the command of Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, the planning and preparation for the liberation of Bangladesh was headed in Eastern Command by Maj. Gen. Jacob. On December 3, 1971, , the then launched pre-emptive air strikes against 11 Indian air bases and India and Pakistan were once again at war. India responded with multi-pronged offensive operations into East Pakistan. The , with support from the and the and hand-in-hand with the Mukti Bahini, made rapid progress. Operations required systematic planning and bold execution. Maj. Gen. Jacob led the efforts and resolved problems as they occurred. The aim was to capture Dhaka and the surrender of all Pakistani troops in East Pakistan. Maj. Gen. , Military Adviser to the Governor of East Pakistan, expressed the administration’s willingness to surrender. Showing great courage, on December 16, 1971, Maj. Gen. JFR Jacob, flew into Dhaka in an unarmed aircraft and landed on an unsecured airfield and drove to the Governor’s house through areas that were still under Pakistani control. He carried with him the draft instrument of

surrender and negotiated the terms of surrender. The Draft Instrument of Surrender was read out, To which Lt. Gen Niazi said, “Who said I am surrendering? You have only come to discuss a ceasefire and withdrawal as proposed by me.” Other service chiefs of Pakistan present over there also objected. Niazi also said that they will fight India for next 1000 years. Maj Gen JFR Jacob called Niazi aside and told him that they can fight only for next 10 to 12 days as there is no help coming from Land, Sea or Air as all the routes were blocked by the Indian Armed Forces. He said he would give Niazi 30 minutes to reconsider his decision and if Niazi didn’t agree, he would order the resumption of hostilities and the bombing of Dhaka. He reportedly told Lt Gen Niazi that he would let the Mukti Bahini, the force of Bengali Freedom Fighters, loose on Pakistani Nationals in Dhaka if he didn’t sign. Later that day, An “Instrument of Surrender” was signed by the defeated Pakistani General Niazi and by the Indian commander General Aurora at 1631h Indian Standard Time. The victory in Bangladesh was the result of a systematically planned and brilliantly executed military campaign. emerged as a military leader who succeeded in forging unity among the three Services so that the full potential of Indian combat power was exploited in an optimal and synergised manner. Along with Field Marshal Manekshaw and Gen JS Aurora, Gen Jacob was one of the principal architects of the victory in Bangladesh. On promotion to the rank of Lt Gen, he was GOC, 16 Corps and was then appointed GOC-in- C, Eastern Command, a role in which he excelled in operational planning as well as administration. A distinguished , after retirement Gen Jacob served as the Governor of Goa and then Punjab. Gen Jacob will be long remembered for his stellar contribution to furthering the highest traditions of the Indian Army in the pursuit of professional excellence. On 13th January 2016, at the age of 93, one of India’s great military icons, Lt Gen JFR Jacob passed away in Delhi. He was accorded a ceremonial send-off befitting a war hero.

Name : Cadet Shubham Pawale Regimental No.: MH19SDA630015 Group : Mumbai A Unit : 5 MAH EME COY College : VIVA College