Jammu:
India won the 1971 war on the battlefield but lost it on the negotiation table, Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta said, calling the Shimla Agreement table a “grim reminder of mistakes” by the then government.
Reflecting on developments after the 1971 war with Pakistan in an exclusive interview to NDTV, Gupta said, “India won the war, but we lost it on the table. And that table is still lying in Lok Bhawan in Shimla, a grim reminder of mistakes that were committed then.”
Recalling the Indian Army’s decisive victory during the 1971 war, he said, “Under the leadership of General Jagjit Singh Aurora, over 90,000 troops surrendered before the Indian Army. We had them in our grasp, but we let them go. We could have taken anything from Pakistan at that time.”
“We had split Pakistan into two. When 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered before you, any demand could have been met. Mistakes were indeed made,” Gupta added.
The governor said this days after Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan that if it continues to harbour terrorists and launch operations against India, it will have to choose whether it wants to remain part of geography or become part of history.
The governor said Pakistan has faced defeat in every conflict. “Whether it was 1965, 1971 or the Kargil War, every time Pakistan has bitten the dust,” he said.
“Somewhere, mistakes were made by us and we lost the battle on that table. And that table is still kept in Shimla’s Lok Bhawan. When such things come to mind, it feels that mistakes were made somewhere,” Gupta said.
On Fuel Conservation
Taking note of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the governor said he has reduced the size of his cavalcade by more than 50 per cent. Besides this, he has written to the chief minister, asking him to reduce the size of his cavalcade and issue instructions to other government departments to avoid unnecessary vehicle usage.
“Himachal has always stood shoulder-to-shoulder in times of national crisis. I am confident that the people of Himachal will stand with the prime minister’s appeal to conserve fuel,” Gupta said.
He said all government departments have been instructed to reduce unnecessary vehicle use. “The seven universities in Himachal have also been asked to reduce their vehicle size,” he added.
Emphasising the need to save fuel, Gupta cited the price gap with Pakistan.
“In Pakistan, petrol is Rs 400 per litre while it is around Rs 100 per litre in India. We should abide by the Prime Minister’s appeal and make efforts to reduce fuel consumption,” he said.
