Before 1971, Lt General JFR Jacob had fought in the Second World War. (File photo)
One of the architects of the 1971 war which resulted in creation of Bangladesh, Lt General Jacob-Farj-Rafael or JFR Jacob, then the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command, played a pivotal role in defining the Indian Army's strategy during the course of operations.
Recipient of several honours from the Indian and the Bangladeshi governments, the
Lt General died on Wednesday. He was 92.
In the 1971 war, he designed a "war of movement" plan where the Indian Army bypassed intermediary towns which had been fortified by the Pakistan Army. His goal was to neutralise Pakistan's command and control infrastructure and use secondary routes to enter Dhaka.
"I am a Calcutta boy - born and brought up in Calcutta. I'm a Bengali at heart. I was very sympathetic to the suffering of the Bangladeshi population in the hands of the Pakistani army," he had said in an episode of NDTV's Walk The Talk in 2012.
Lt General Jacob was also responsible for getting the Pakistani Commander Lt General AAK Niazi to sign the surrender document reportedly by blackmailing him. Lt General Jacob is thought to have told Lt General Niazi that he would let the Mukti Bahini, the force of Bengali freedom fighters, loose on Pakistani nationals in Dhaka if he didn't sign.
While Lt General Jacob frequently claimed he was the chief architect of the liberation of East Pakistan there were other outstanding generals who played a pivotal role. This included the legendary Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw and the Eastern Army Commander Lt General JS Aurora under whose leadership he served.
In the interview, the former governor of Punjab had said, "Sam was a great character. He did a lot for the Army, restored its prestige."
Before 1971, Lt General Jacob had fought in the Second World War. His unit was deployed on the Burma front before becoming a part of the Army of independent India. He retired from the Army in 1978 after 37 years of service. A strong supporter of India-Israel ties, the General joined the BJP in the 1990s and served as a security advisor to the party.
"I joined the Army in 1941. I served five years in the Middle East, Burma and Sumatra. I learnt my soldiering in World War II. The experience stood me in good stead later," he had said, adding that even though he was from the minority Jewish community he never faced any discrimination.
"I've never experienced any anti-Semitism in India, none whatsoever. When everyone asked me why I did not go to Israel told them I was born in India, India gave me everything, I will die in India," Lt General Jacob had said.