Indira 'mishandled' situation after creation of B'desh: Sarma

Guwahati: Following criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Congress leaders regarding US President Donald Trump's statement on India-Pakistan ceasefire mediation, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday questioned Indira Gandhi's leadership after India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 that led to the formation of Bangladesh.

Writing on ‘X', Sarma stated that Bangladesh's creation represented a missed historic opportunity for India due to inadequate political leadership at that time. The CM, who has been critical of Bangladesh interim govt's chief advisor Mohammad Yunus's comments about the northeast in China, said while Indian forces achieved remarkable battlefield success, the political administration failed to secure lasting strategic advantages. Yunus controversially said the seven states were landlocked and suggested China could use Bangladesh to "make extensions".

On X, under the title "The Myth of Bangladesh's Creation: A Strategic Triumph, A Diplomatic Folly", Sarma posted: "India's 1971 military victory was decisive and historic. It broke Pakistan in two and gave birth to Bangladesh. But while our soldiers delivered a stunning battlefield success, India's political leadership failed to secure lasting strategic gains. The creation of Bangladesh is often hailed as a diplomatic triumph — but history tells a different story."

Sarma argued that India's military success wasn't matched by strategic foresight. "What could have been a new regional order was reduced to a one-sided act of generosity. Had Mrs Indira Gandhi been alive today, the nation would have questioned her for mishandling the decisive victory won by our armed forces," Sarma wrote on X. He added, "The creation of Bangladesh was not a bargain — it was a historic opportunity lost."

Sarma said Bangladesh's creation as a "secular promise" transformed into an "Islamic Reality". "India supported a secular Bangladesh. Yet by 1988, Islam was declared the state religion. Today, political Islam thrives in Dhaka, undermining the very values India fought to protect," he said. Regarding Hindu persecution, he highlighted that their population decreased from 20% to under 8%.

Addressing India's strategic "Chicken's Neck" corridor through north Bengal bordering Bangladesh, Sarma observed its exposed position. He said despite military success, India didn't address the Siliguri corridor's vulnerability. "A secure land corridor through northern Bangladesh could have integrated the northeast — but no such arrangement was ever pursued," he said.

Sarma said the migrant issue was also overlooked, with no agreement to ensure illegal Bangladeshi migrants' return. Consequently, he said that Assam, West Bengal, and the northeast face unchecked demographic change, causing social and political instability. He noted India's failure to secure Chittagong Port access, left the northeast landlocked despite helping create Bangladesh.