Lesson 2/34 min
Foreign press and world opinion
Who told the world
| Name | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Dring | Daily Telegraph, London | Report from Dhaka, 30 March 1971: ‘Tanks crush revolt in Pakistan’ |
| Anthony Mascarenhas | The Sunday Times, London | ‘Genocide’, 13 June 1971 |
| Archer Blood | US Consul General in Dhaka | A cable of protest against the killings in April 1971: the ‘Blood Telegram’ |
| Mark Tully | BBC, New Delhi | Reported the war to the world |
| Debdulal Bandyopadhyay | Akashvani, Calcutta | Read ‘Sambad Parikrama’, bringing news of the war |
Watch out: In exams the books' answer to ‘who first told the outside world’ is Simon Dring. Some sources instead call Mascarenhas's ‘Genocide’ the first detailed account of the killings. So remember each report with its date and newspaper.
Governments and leaders
- Indira Gandhi: India's Prime Minister; she toured abroad to build opinion for the war
- Edward Kennedy: a US senator who spoke up for Bangladesh
- In the war the Soviet Union stood with Bangladesh; the United States and China stood with Pakistan
Check yourself
Who wrote the ‘Genocide’ report in The Sunday Times on 13 June 1971?
At a glance
- 1
Simon Dring's report ran in the Daily Telegraph on 30 March 1971: ‘Tanks crush revolt in Pakistan’.
- 2
Anthony Mascarenhas's ‘Genocide’ appeared in London's Sunday Times on 13 June 1971.
- 3
Archer Blood was the US Consul General in Dhaka; his cable is the ‘Blood Telegram’.
- 4
Mark Tully reported for the BBC; Debdulal Bandyopadhyay for Calcutta's Akashvani (‘Sambad Parikrama’).
- 5
In the war the Soviet Union backed Bangladesh; the United States and China backed Pakistan.