A newly surfaced US archive document reveals that PM Indira Gandhi requested President Nixon to stop Pakistan’s aggression during the 1971 war, contradicting popular narratives of her war stance. The revelation has sparked fresh political debate, with BJP targeting Congress amid Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor.
A newly declassified document from the US National Archives has reignited political controversy in India by revealing that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, often hailed for her assertive leadership during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, had in fact reached out to US President Richard Nixon, pleading for his intervention to halt Pakistan’s aggression.
The letter, dated December 5, 1971—two days after Pakistan attacked India on the Western Front—was addressed to President Nixon in what Indira Gandhi described as “this hour of danger.” In the correspondence, she appealed to the US administration to use its influence to stop Pakistan’s “wanton aggression and military adventurism.”
The revelation comes at a politically charged moment, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, during a Lok Sabha debate on Tuesday regarding Operation Sindoor, praising Indira Gandhi’s “bold” leadership during the 1971 war. He claimed she gave a “free hand” to the armed forces, unlike the present Modi-led government, which, according to him, restricted military action against Pakistan-based terror groups.
However, the emergence of the US archive document has prompted sharp criticism from the BJP, which countered Rahul Gandhi’s narrative by pointing out the Congress party’s historical dependence on the US during wartime. “It was Indira Gandhi who pleaded with the US to restrain Pakistan. In contrast, PM Modi’s government never came under any international pressure and responded decisively to Pakistani terror threats,” said a senior BJP leader.
In her letter, Indira Gandhi urged Nixon to “exercise your undoubted influence with the Government of Pakistan to stop their aggressive activities against India.” The document, preserved in the Nixon Presidential Materials collection, now casts doubt on the popular image of Indira Gandhi as a resolute wartime leader who defied superpowers during the 1971 crisis.
The BJP seized the opportunity to draw a stark contrast between the Congress’s historic foreign policy approach and the current government’s posture. “When faced with foreign aggression, Modi’s leadership was assertive and independent. Surgical strikes and Balakot airstrikes happened under his watch without bending to foreign powers,” the BJP spokesperson added.
On the floor of the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of denying Indian forces operational freedom during Operation Sindoor. He alleged that the Centre restricted military retaliation, refrained from escalating the conflict, and even warned Pakistan in advance that India would not escalate hostilities.
Rahul Gandhi’s narrative portrayed Indira Gandhi as the epitome of political courage, referencing her decision to go ahead with the 1971 war despite the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, being deployed to the Bay of Bengal to intimidate India. However, the newly surfaced US letter contradicts this bold-warrior portrayal by showing that she was actively seeking diplomatic intervention from the US to de-escalate the situation.
Historians have long debated the complex geopolitics of the 1971 war. While India’s military and diplomatic efforts ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh and a decisive victory over Pakistan, the internal deliberations and foreign communications remain points of intense scrutiny and interpretation.
This recent archival disclosure has now added a fresh dimension to India’s political discourse, particularly as it intersects with the ongoing war of narratives between the BJP and the Congress in Parliament. It has also triggered renewed interest in the broader context of Indo-US relations during the Cold War era and how both nations navigated their strategic differences amid global tensions.
While Congress leaders have yet to officially respond to the contents of the letter, political observers believe this development could blunt Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to contrast his grandmother’s wartime leadership with the current government’s military strategy.
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As the nation reflects on its history, the truth behind wartime decisions—once sealed in diplomatic archives—is steadily emerging to challenge long-held political assumptions and reshape historical memory.
