Old Photo, New War: How a Single Image Forced Pakistan's 1971 Surrender

• During the 1971 India-Pakistan War, the Indian Army executed the daring 'Tangail Airdrop' on December 11, parachuting soldiers behind enemy lines near Dhaka.
• The operation aimed to secure the crucial Poongli Bridge and open the path to Dhaka, involving 50 aircraft and soldiers of the 2 Para Battalion.
• To amplify the psychological impact, Lieutenant Colonel Ram Mohan Rao released an old photograph of a large-scale parachute drop from Agra, captioning it as a current landing in East Pakistan.
• This 'masterstroke' of psychological warfare, despite the photo being a year old, was published globally, including in the London Times.
• The image led Pakistani General Niazi to believe his forces were heavily outnumbered and surrounded, significantly contributing to the Pakistani Army's swift surrender.

Why It Matters: A strategically deployed old photograph played a crucial role in breaking Pakistani morale and forcing their 1971 surrender.