Mumbai: Times Chronicles, the content studio from Times Network has launched "1971 Birth of a Nation," a documentary series on India post-independence. The seven-part docu-series will begin airing on 27 November on Times Now and Times Now World starting at 6 p.m and Mirror Now starting at 7:30 p.m.
"The 1971 war between India and Pakistan was a pivotal point in world history, resulting in the formation of a new country, Bangladesh. The 13-day military conflict is one of the shortest wars in history and it ended with a decisive win for India. The documentary explores the reason behind the genocide in East Pakistan and the political history behind the birth of a new country Bangladesh," said the channel in a statement. "The series also brings a comprehensive account of the political tussles that led to India overthrowing Pakistan, what caused friction between East and West Pakistan, how the political diplomacy of Indira Gandhi prove ingenious in the period leading to the war, role of MI, IB & RAW in the 1971 war, Operation Searchlight and Dhaka University massacre and significance of India’s intervention in the matters of East and West Pakistan."
Offering a glimpse into the mindsets and emotions of the times, the series will feature first-person accounts and anecdotes of senior officers from the Indian Army, Navy, and Airforce and brings together government officials, historians, journalists, victims of the 1971 war, Bangladesh - Mukti Joddhas, who were in the thick of the action at the time. This includes Probal Dasgupta - author of "Watershed 1967: India’s Forgotten Victory Over China," historian and army veteran, 1971 survivor Ratna Biswas, 1971 survivor and executive director, research initiatives, Bangladesh Meghna Guhathakurta, lieutenant general Depinder Singh (retd) - assistant to Sam Manekshaw from 1969 to 1973 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, colonel MS Joon, who played a key role in training the Mukti Bahini in 1971, former Indian bureaucrat Jayanta Sanyal, former Indian ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg and China Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, Lt Col Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir (retd) - Mukti Joddha, national security analyst and author Nitin A Gokhale, and Times Network consulting editor Maroof Raza amongst others.
Culled from the archival reels gathered from Films Division of India, the series visually recreates the historic scenarios and circumstances by capturing actual locations of the battles, war memorials, unseen footage, and pictures of the wars.
