| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
|---|---|---|
| সাবেক সেনাবাহিনী প্রধান জেনারেল কাউল-কর্তৃক বাংলাদেশ প্রশ্নে সরকারী নীতির সমালোচনা | হিন্দুস্তান স্ট্যাণ্ডার্ড | ৩১ জুলাই, ১৯৭১ |
We Blundered By Not Intervening In Bangladesh, Say Gen, Kaul
July 30-Gen, Kaul former chief of General Staff and author of the controversial, “The United Story” has criticized the Government for its failure to take timely action in Bangladesh, says YNI.
In his new book ‘Confrontation with Pakistan’ Gen. Kaul says: “We missed a great opportunity, the like of which may not come our way in the foreseeable future, We could have liquidated a substantial chunk of the Pakistani Army in Bangladesh and this would have weakened Pakistan considerably reducing major threat to our security, But we have missed the bus.”
India should lose no time in discussing with the Soviet Union and Japan the measures to be taken against China in the context of the present threat of a joint Sino-Pakistan military offensive against this country, Gen. Kaul suggests.
Criticizing the political leadership, Gen, Kaul writes: When suggestion were made in certain quarters soon after March, 25, that India should strike on aid of the liberation forces certain personages hummed and hawed and said that if we took armed action we would bring China in against us.”
And here, as thought troubled by haunting recollections of the NEFA campaign Gen. Kaul asks sarcastically: “But why should that have deterred us, remembering the boast that India was so well prepared militarily that it could take on China as also Pakistan”?
Gen. Kaul, as whose meteric career in the Indian Army was cut short by his voluntary retirement in the wake of the NEFA debacle in 1962, had, in his earlier book, sought to lay the main responsibility for the Indian military reserve on the political leadership particularly of the Prime Minister Mr. Nehru and his Defence Minister, Mr. V. K. Krishna Menon- and its alleged errors of judgment in forcing its decisions on the army commanders.
The present book which has been update to include reference to President Nixon’s dramatic July 16 announcement of his acceptance of Premier Chou En. Lai’s invitation top visit Peking.
“In view of the fact Pakistan may attack us in collusion with China, Gen. Kaul says. “We must strach and test our diplomacy and make advance arrangements with some friendly countries to cope with such a situation.
“Whatever we do, we must not allow China or Pakistan to take the initiative against us on the next occasion. Indeed we should take the first step the first step Ourselves with suitable allies once China or Pakistan creates provoking circumstances”.
