| |
| 1971, March 1 |
| |
| Indian elections resulted in success for Indira Gandhi and her wing of Congress, Congress (R). They won 350 out of 520 Lok Sabha (lower house) seats, reducing the Congress opposition to 16 members. | 1 |
| |
| March 31 |
| |
| India intervened in the civil war between East and West Pakistan: Indira Gandhi appealed to the UN regarding the plight of civilians in East Pakistan. This was a subcontinentwide issue, as East Pakistan's military attacks on peasants in the West Bengali countryside prompted more than 1 million refugees to flood into India, beginning in April. Thousands of young Bangladeshis joined guerrilla bands of “Liberation Forces” (Mukti Bahini), which received arms and support from Indian troops. | 2 |
| |
| Aug. 9 |
| |
| Indira Gandhi signed the 20-year Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation with the Soviet Union. | 3 |
| |
| Nov. 23 |
| |
| Troops of three Indian divisions, with armor and air support, attacked Jessore, Rangpur, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Sylhet. | 4 |
| |
| Dec. 15 |
| |
| After India made rapid advances in East Pakistan, the banner of the new nation of Bangladesh was unfurled in every town and village. The Instrument of Surrender was signed on this date by India's chief of staff Gen. Sam Manekshaw and Pakistani general Niazi. | 5 |
| |
| Dec. 22 |
| |
| Refugees began to return to Bangladesh. By March nearly all of the almost 10 million people had returned to their homeland. | 6 |
| |
| |
