On the first Episode of Wars and Warriors, Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam takes the listeners through the months before the India-Pakistan war of 1971 on the Eastern Front.

This podcast introduces listeners to PM Indira Gandhi's dilemmas with the refugee crisis from East Pakistan and follows on with General Sam Manekshaw’s strategy to attack East Pakistan from three directions after the monsoons. The tempo rises as the raising of the guerrilla force, the ‘Mukti Bahini’, the early ground and air battles at Garibpur and Boyra on the 22nd of November, the repositioning of the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, and the declaration of war by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 03 December 1971, are all narrated via an easy but meticulously researched narrative.

You can follow Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam on Twitter. You can also check out his books ‘India’s Wars’ and ‘Full Spectrum’.

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcasts App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

NOTE: Speeches of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi have been recreated for broadcast purposes.