[ResistNewWorldOrder]

Link A book by Major General (Retd) Kuldip Singh Bajwa, a local war veteran, on the 'falsehoods' in the account given by Lt Gen (Retd) J F R Jacob on the Indo-Pak War 1971, has set the cat among the pigeons. It has also sparked a fierce debate in the defence circles.

Lt Gen Jacob is considered the architect of the 1971 victory against Pakistan.

In his book 'India-Pakistan War 1971, Military Triumph and Political Failure', Maj Gen Bajwa has alleged that Jacob in his two books published after the death of Field Marshal Manekshaw and Lt Gen Aurora and in an article published in a Bangladesh newspaper has blatantly claimed that he was the architect of the military campaign that led to the liberation of Bangladesh.

"The final decision on to how to conduct the operation is that of the commander alone, as is the command ethos in the Indian Army as well as other armies. A staff officer, even at pinnacle of the staff ladder, howsoever brilliant he may be, neither claims any credit for success nor earns stigma for failure," the book says.

Lt Gen Jacob, who has also served as Punjab governor, was chief of staff (COS) of Army's Eastern Command during the 1971 war. Lt Gen J S Aurora was the Army Commander of the Eastern Command, which is credited to have won the war, and Field Marshal S H F J Manekshaw was the Army Chief at that time.

Bajwa's book, however, says that the contribution of Jacob in persuading Lt Gen Niazi of Pakistan to accept the terms of the unconditional surrender must be acknowledged. But adds that by ''proclaiming himself as the architect of the victory, Jacob has denigrated Indira Gandhi, Manekshaw as well as the chiefs of the Air Force and Navy''.

The credit for winning the 1971 India-Pakistan has become the subject of a new book by a war veteran Maj Gen Kuldip Singh Bajwa. Reacting to the Maj General's version, Lt Gen Jacob sent an email to TOI saying, "Bajwa is certainly entitled to his opinion, but all those who served in HQ Eastern Command during the 1971 war will confirm that Lt Gen Aurora left operations and logistics entirely to me. Why did Aurora shred all documents, perhaps all operational assessments and orders on logistics signed by me?"

"Why did Indira Gandhi not give him (Gen Aurora) anything despite his requests to her? Gandhi was well aware of his contribution in 1971. I was promoted to raise 16 Corps. The Akalis later nominated Aurora to the RS...I do not want to say more." Jacob also clarified that his book ''Surrender at Dacca: Birth of a Nation '' was published in 1997 when Manekshaw and Aurora were alive. "I gave copies to Manekshaw and Aurora in 1997 and they never contested anything in the book.''