Thanks to Rediff for such an excellent interview. Hats off to Lt.Gen. M.L. Thapan. This should be an eye-opener for the new generation. At the time of the Bangladesh War when India swung into action I was sitting with a very senior official of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and I expressed the same question to him ie. whether it is an appropriate step. His reply was that the need of the hour is to weaken a hostile neighbour who is giving trouble at two fronts on the East and West. Later on we shall have to formulate a strategy to tackle the situation with the new neighbour. It was this aspect which we forgot once the objective was achieved. India became complacent and Pakistan tried its best to brew hatred in Bangladesh by the Muslim fundamentalists. At that time it was said that Bengali Muslims are first Bengalis then Muslims. This attitude was gradually changed by Muslim fundamentalists and now they are like any other Islamic country with little regard for the neighbour who helped them to be on their feet. The lack of foresight on the part of Indian leaders, the neglect of a newly emerging and weak neighbour and complacency were all responsible for the deterioration in relations with Bangladesh. Regarding moral values unless we pay attention to discipline in educational and professional institutions, introduce moral lessons, Yoga and meditation in a big way the country will not be able to come out of the Materialistic syndrome. Pradeep Saran.
