Deceptive Photo Triggered Pakistan's 1971 Surrender, Saved Lives

• During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, a lack of photos led newspapers to downplay the crucial Tangail airdrop, India's first major airborne assault.
• Lieutenant Colonel Ram Mohan Rao, PRO to General Sam Manekshaw, used an old training photograph of a parachute brigade from Agra.
• Rao released the photo with the caption "Indian Para Brigade troops land in East Pakistan," creating an impression of a massive troop deployment.
• The image was published globally, psychologically impacting Pakistani commander Lieutenant General AAK Niazi, who believed an entire brigade had been dropped.
• Niazi cited the photo as a reason for his swift surrender on December 16, 1971, saving thousands of lives.

Why It Matters: A strategically deployed old photograph played a crucial psychological role in Pakistan's 1971 surrender.