The Indian Army's Eastern Command posted a newspaper clipping on X from the back days leading up to the 1971 Indo-Pak War. The caption said, “US arms brought—$2 billion shipped to Pakistan since '54.”
The timing of the post itself is a big answer to the US statement. Just a day earlier, when US President Donald Trump accused India of funding Russia's war in Ukraine by buying discounted crude oil and selling it for profit. Even though the US has already imposed 25% tariffs on Indian goods, Trump even threatened a further “substantial hike” if India continues its trade with Russia. India answered back and called it unjustified and unreasonable.
And then came this post from the Indian Army, which straight-up points to the American partnership with Pakistan—one that tried to block India before the 1971 war.
When the US openly supported Pakistan during the 1971 war, including the deployment of nuclear warships, it covered it all with diplomatic manoeuvres to pressurise India, completely disregarding the genocide unfolding in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). From deploying warships in the Indian Ocean to threatening the Indian Prime Minister on call, the US already made it pretty clear who they were choosing—for their own benefit.
And now, questioning India’s intentions somewhere shows their duality. If their diplomacy could support Pakistan in every move, then why can’t India make trade deals with them when it’s clearly benefiting the Indian economy? Back in the Cold War era, they had sided with Pakistan, while Russia backed us even through the bad times.
When Pakistan attacked, the US took its side and even helped them.
The Indo-Pakistan War broke out on December 3rd, 1971, when Pakistan launched a pre-emptive airstrike on Indian airfields. India responded, and within 13 days, Pakistan troops surrendered in Dhaka, giving birth to a new nation—Bangladesh. But America did everything it could to save Pakistan from military defeat under President Richard Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger.
As Pakistan and America shared the same military alliances like SEATO and CENTO—and more crucially, as Pakistan was a bridge to China for the US—Washington's loyalties were always towards Pakistan, even during a genocide.
India, on the other hand, was seen as leaning towards the Soviet Union as well as Russia, despite its non-aligned credentials. The ideological divide shaped India-US relations back then.
