THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, DECEMBER 9, 1971
AIRFIELD FALLS AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SEEKS WAY OUT
AMII) ROW OVER SETTLEMENT
WILL TO RESIST IN DOUBT AS INDIANS PRESS FOR DACCA
By Peter Gill in Calcutta
As Indian troops continued their advance into the heart of East Bengal last week, there were doubts whether Pakistani resistance has been as stiff as Indian Army statements in Calcutta claim.
Lending weight to this impression was the hectoring note struck by “Sam” Manekshaw, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, in his broadcast last night to Pakistani troops in East Bengal.
Unlike his earlier messages, it was broadcast in English as well as Urdu. Hindi and Pathan and was thus clearly aimed at officers.
“I know that you are concentrating in the Narayanganj (8 miles south-east of Dacca) and Barisal (70 miles south of Dacca) areas,” the General said. “And I know that you hope that you will be able to escape or be picked up.
“Should you not heed the advice to surrender and endeavor to escape, I assure you that certain death awaits you. Do not say that I have not warned you.”
Columns advance
In striking out from the strategic western cantonment town of Jessore, captured on Tuesday, two Indian columns were yesterday pursuing Pakistani troops towards Khulna and Faridpur.
Journalists who have recently visited Jessore say that even with moderate resistance, it could have withstood an Indian Army assault for far longer than the 24 hours it actually did.
It is argued that although the “hard shell”, of defenses has been breached, the “soft interior” wilt not fall to the Indians quite so quickly as Indian Eastern Command are predicting.
The most significant advance made yesterday by Indian troops was to within a few miles of the border at Comilla, in the eastern part of the Pakistan province. Moynamoti cantonment, a few miles to the west, acted as a divisional headquarters until recently when it was moved north into the interior a Asukanj.
Airfield falls
Although the cantonment is resisting Indian assaults, its troops have been reduced to “a remnant,” according to Eastern Command, and its final collapse is imminent.
The Indian Army yesterday captured Comilla airfield, which lies between the town and the cantonment. The town is already in Indian hands.
Within hours of the capture of the airfield, Lt-Gen. J. S. Arora, GOC of Eastern Command, flew there from Agartala, the remote capital of the east Indian state of Tripura. A wildly cheering reception by the “liberated” population was reported by the Army.
Gen. Arora made a tour of inspection of Indian troops who have already pushed westwards from Comilla to within 25 miles of Dacca. Eastern Command described the tour as a “morale booster,” further indication that the war in East Bengal is far from over.
Pakistani casualties over the last four days of fighting were given by Indian officials last night as one officer and 331 men killed and 181 injured. Nine officers have been captured along with 21 junior commissioned officers and 285 other ranks.
No time to count
But Eastern Command has released no figures for Pakistan dead and wounded in the 24 hour battle for Jessore. Maj Gen. J. F. R. Jacob, Chief of Staff of Eastern Command, said troops “did not have time to count”
The inability of Eastern Command to produce large casualty figures to match their spectacular capture of Jessore may be an indication that the cantonment town fell to the Indians more easily than they are prepared to admit.
Eastern Command has resolutely declined to reveal details of Indian casualties in East Bengal, saying only that they are “always light, and never heavy.”
Commentators suggest that the fall of Jessore may have had less to do with brilliant Indian tactics than with Pakistan’s desire to maintain defenses in the interior as her 80.000 troops in East Bengal are hopelessly outnumbered.