THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN SHAPING NARRATIVES ON THE INDIA-PAKISTAN WAR OF 1971

Abstract

In the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, the latter was defeated not only politically and militarily but also in the media, which ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh. This study examined the role of national and international media in shaping the nature of conflict. The study used qualitative research method of document analysis to understand the role of media in the conflict. The study concludes that Pakistan's policy of expelling international media from East Pakistan and censoring of West Pakistan's media resulted in a vague depiction of the ground realities. Pakistan's tacit defensiveness and confusion in explaining the military operations put it at political disadvantage both internally and externally. Contrarily, India welcomed the exiled international media and offered place to work. India manipulated Mukti Bahini as well as the national media in its propaganda campaign against Pakistan to achieve the desired strategic goals. Bengali nationalists, with the Indian assistance, used media as a tool to spread propaganda against the Pakistani leadership and its armed forces. The study argues that the unsubstantiated media sensation about military operations in East Pakistan was story-driven, and it selectively targeted the Pakistani army ignoring the atrocities committed by the Bengali nationalists with Indian backing.