"Era of Indira Gandhi vs Present Day Differentiated": Shashi Tharoor during Congress' Revival of Indira Gandhi Image
New Delhi Chatter: Shashi Tharoor, Congress heavyweight, compared the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and the 2025 skirmish with Pakistan, stating that the context and objectives differed significantly.
Tharoor asserted that in '71, India rallied to support the birth of a new nation, whereas the recent conflict was all about sending a tough message to terrorists. The senior party leader elaborated that the objective back then was to liberate Bangladesh, while the focus now lies in preserving peace and preventing an unnecessary escalation.
Addressing an ANI interaction, Tharoor opined that the conflict in '71 was extensive and led to crucial changes in the geopolitical landscape. In contrast, he emphasized that the sustained escalation in 2025 was avoidable, and peace is what the nation demands.
Tharoor's argument hinged on the premise that India didn't intend to wage a prolonged battle in 2025, and the lessons for terrorists have already been taught. While the 1971 victory was a 'rewrite' of the subcontinent's map, he noted that current Pakistan posed a different challenge due to its advanced military capabilities and destructive potential.
In a nutshell, Tharoor contended that the fight for Bangladeshi liberation in 1971 was a moral struggle, whereas India aimed to teach terrorists a lesson in '25. The Congress leader reiterated that peace is vital for India's progress and encouraged the government to focus on growth and development instead of dragging out a conflict devoid of a clear objective.
Post the ceasefire announcement, the Congress shared photos of Indira Gandhi, symbolizing her decisive leadership during the 1971 war, in a supposed dig at PM Modi's approach. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia countered the criticism by reminding the Congress of the then-UPA government's response to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The Congress demanded an all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to discuss the ceasefire pact and addressed queries about the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's mention of a "neutral site" for discussions[2][3][5].
Fun Fact: Indira Gandhi oversaw the 1971 war, essentially altering the map of South Asia by birth of Bangladesh[4]. A decade later, in 1984, she became the first - and to date, only - female Prime Minister of India.
- Initially discussing the 2025 skirmish with Pakistan, Shashi Tharoor, a Congress leader, highlighted the distinct difference in context and objectives compared to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
- Tharoor, during an interaction with ANI, noted that contrary to the extensive conflict in 1971 that led to geopolitical changes, the 2025 escalation was avoidable and the nation now demands peace.
- Post the ceasefire announcement, the Congress party shared photos of Indira Gandhi, symbolizing her strong leadership during the 1971 war, which might be interpreted as criticism of Prime Minister Modi's approach.
- During politics-related general news, it was mentioned that Indira Gandhi oversaw the 1971 war, significantly altering the map of South Asia with the birth of Bangladesh, and a decade later, she became the first female Prime Minister of India.
