The Liberation War of 1971 and India

India’s role in the liberation war is often seen through the geopolitical prism. Its response to developments in East Pakistan was complex and evolved over a period of time. Before taking recourse to military action, India exhausted its diplomatic initiatives to draw the attention of the international community to the refugee crisis which arose due to the Pakistan Army-perpetuated genocide – a term first used by India in the Parliament Resolution of 31 March. This article focusses on the debates in the Indian Parliament on the ‘crisis in East Bengal’ that ranged from making budgetary provisions for ten million refugees to building pressure on the Indian government to recognise Bangladesh.