"They Dug Trenches Outside Our Homes": Memories Of 1971 Security Drills

The Centre has asked states to conduct security drills on Wednesday to "train civilians and students for effective civil defence in the event of a hostile attack." The order comes at a time when tensions along the international border and the Line of Control are heightened with repeated firing by Pakistan for 11 straight nights.

On April 22, terrorists with links to Pakistan killed 26 civilians in a targeted attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. It was the worst attack in the Union Territory since Pulwama in 2019. Since then, India has taken several diplomatic measures against Pakistan, and Prime Minister Modi has warned that those involved in carrying out and plotting the terror attack will get a punishment they cannot imagine.

The Ministry of Home Affairs' order for civil defence is a first since 1971, the year in which India and Pakistan went to war on two fronts. The two-week-long war ended with Pakistan splitting into two and its eastern half becoming Bangladesh.

Even during the 1999 Kargil conflict, when the armies of both countries were up against each other and a fear of a broader conflict in the western sector prevailed, such an advisory was not issued and even during Operation Parakram in 2001-2002 when India mobilised its troops toward the International Border and the LoC after the Parliament attack planned by terrorists operating out of Pakistan. War seemed imminent, but tensions eased, followed by a ceasefire in 2003.

54 Years Ago: When Civilians Prepared For War

The concept of 'Civil Defence' started in 1962 when Chinese troops illegally occupied large tracts of land in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh (earlier known as NEFA). During this period, many states witnessed blackouts, training to protect themselves in the event of air raids, trenches were dug, and evacuation plans were made in case of an attack. Even in cities like Delhi, people were asked not to light candles because it could direct enemy warplanes, though the Chinese never came by air.

Indians experienced a similar fear three years later in 1965 and again after six years.

In 1971, the Pakistan army launched a brutal crackdown against its Bengali-speaking population in the east. The military's suppression of dissent began in early 1971, and millions of refugees from East Pakistan started crossing over into India, leading to a humanitarian crisis.

In 1971, it was not just the men in uniform but also civilians who were trained to prepare for any "hostile attack".

Indian soldiers on a patrol during the 1962 war

In 1971, Mumbai (then Bombay) switched off lights for 13 consecutive nights. Being India's financial capital, it was a target for Pakistan.

In an article for Deccan Herald, Michael Patrao, who was in primary school in 1971, writes, "There used to be mock drills in my school, St Anthony's High School, Santacruz, located not very far from the airport, a potential target. We were instructed to rush into the church when the siren (schoolbell) was sounded...On hearing the mock drill siren, we used to rush to the church."

The Western Naval Command is headquartered in Bombay, and it was a strategic and tactical target for Pakistan. According to a Times of India article, headlights were covered with brown paper, weddings were held in the afternoon, and mock drills were being conducted.

A video of an air raid drill from Mumbai showed people getting off a BEST bus and covering their heads when an air raid siren was sounded. Many took shelter in nearby structures.

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It was a similar sight in many cities, including Delhi. M R Narayan Swamy, a veteran journalist, writes, "L-shaped trenches had been dug outside our two-room government flats in Netaji Nagar, in south Delhi, so that people could take shelter in the event of a Pakistani air attack."

"Residents - all government servants barring a handful -- had been told to paste thick brown or black paper on their windowpanes so that no sign of life would be visible to the Pakistani pilots. This was called 'blackout' and it came to be enforced even before the India-Pakistan hostilities erupted."

The Civil Defence Act of 1968 lays the foundation to make provisions for civil defence in India. The measures, according to the act, include "Affording protection to any person, property, place or thing in India or any part of the territory there of against any hostile attack, whether from air, land, sea or other places." The Act established the Civil Defence Corps, a voluntary organisation meant to meet civil defence needs.

In Ferozepur, Punjab, a blackout drill was conducted yesterday in the cantonment area. Lights were shut from 9 to 9:30 pm, and the drill reminded of the 1971 war when the bordering district was in the face of action.

The Cantonment Board officer asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) to cut electricity at the exercise's scheduled time. The officer said, "This rehearsal aims to ensure preparedness and effectiveness in implementing blackout procedures during prevailing war threats."

On December 3, 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in a radio broadcast, informed the nation that Pakistan bombed several Forward Operating Bases (FOB) - Amritsar, Pathankot, Uttarlai, Jodhpur, Srinagar, Avantipore, Agra and Ambala. Prime Minister Gandhi declared war against Pakistan.

On December 16, 1971, 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered in Dhaka and on the western front, a ceasefire was declared, ending the war after two weeks.

Even Ferozepur saw action in 1971 and 1965. The 2nd Maratha Light Infantry fought in Hussainiwala in the Ferozepur district in 1965 against a Pakistani brigade.

In 1971, 15 Punjab, along with the Indian Air Force, was deployed to defend the border crossing, which was captured by Pakistan on December 3. By the night of December 4, 15 Punjab had completely withdrawn from the area, which later fell to Pakistan.