1971 all over again? Inside India’s massive war-readiness drill

medium120961851Across 244 districts officially designated as “civil defence zones”, the nation on May 7 simulated a war-like emergency — blacking out cities, testing air raid sirens, camouflaging vital installations, and conducting large-scale evacuation drills.The ministry of home affairs has invoked Section 19 of the Civil Defence Rules, 1968, directing state governments to execute this sweeping exercise as part of a national readiness strategy amid mounting tensions with Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.The atmosphere draws a chilling parallel to a defining moment in the country’s history: December 1971. That month, Pakistan launched pre-emptive airstrikes on Indian airfields. In the hours that followed, cities across India plunged into darkness — not by accident, but by order. The blackouts marked the beginning of the Indo-Pak war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Now, more than five decades later, the echoes of that time are growing louder.In those tense weeks of 1971, ordinary Indians transformed their homes into fortresses. Windows were covered with kraft paper, ensuring no light could escape. Families huddled under beds when air raid sirens were sounded, clutching radios for updates. Some dug shallow trenches in backyards, using them as makeshift shelters. Civic instructions were followed to the letter — street lights were switched off, and vehicles moved without headlights. The focus was survival.The May 7 exercise was not just a routine drill, according to security officials. It is the most ambitious civil defence simulation since independence — a response not to imminent war, officials say, but to the need for public readiness in an increasingly uncertain time.Operation Sindoor has added to the urgencyIn the early hours of May 7, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, a precision military strike targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.The operation, executed with Rafale jets equipped with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs, targeted terrorist networks of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, avoiding Pakistani military installations. Indian officials described the strikes as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory”.The strikes were a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists, 25 of them Indian, were killed. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that the targets were selected based on credible intelligence, aiming to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.Major cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, participated in the civil defence drills. In Mumbai, sirens were sounded at 4pm, followed by five-minute power blackouts.In Bareilly, there was a 10-minute blackout, while drills at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Tamil Nadu tested emergency readiness.What happened in 1971The Indo-Pak war of 1971 officially began on December 3 — but The Times of India archives suggest the country had been preparing long before that.In the weeks preceding the war, border tensions escalated. India had already absorbed millions of refugees fleeing atrocities in East Pakistan. Reports spoke of Pakistani troop build-ups and low-intensity skirmishes along the eastern frontier.Civil defence authorities in several Indian cities quietly began readiness exercises. Blackout pamphlets were distributed. Women’s groups were enlisted for training in fire safety, trench first-aid, and food rationing.At 5.45pm on December 3, 1971, Pakistani jets roared over Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Avantipur, and other key airfields in western India, dropping bombs and catapulting the subcontinent into its third war in 25 years. Within hours, the Indian government declared a state of emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution. medium120961737A special session of Parliament was summoned for the next day. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi went on radio: “No option but to fight,” she said, addressing the nation.In Bombay, the blackout began that very night. The Times of India, in a front-page report on December 4, wrote that the city “blacked out from dusk to dawn, but was never before more alive than now to the exigencies of the situation”. Every light went out. Every window was sealed with black kraft paper. Cinemas went dark. Radio became the only lifeline.Public response was swift and serious. “There is not even a murmur of protest,” noted the newspaper. The usual rush-hour traffic was replaced with eerie silence. Suburban trains ran only till early evening. Offices, schools, and banks shifted their timings. Shops downed shutters before sunset. Crowds thinned, and the city’s pulsating nightlife fell into hibernation. Women were prioritised on buses and trains for early departure.The Bombay Municipal Corporation imposed emergency work hours between 9.30am and 4.30pm. medium120961840Chaos and orderThe discipline was remarkable. But it wasn’t perfect. Anti-social elements exploited the darkness. “A man who got down from a bus at Byculla was set upon by three well-dressed people. The miscreants used violence to brush aside rescuers and walked away with the victim’s wallet,” reported The Times of India on December 5.Scarcity became an economic shadow of the war. Candles, torches, kerosene, and even sugar vanished from shelves. A sheet of black kraft paper that earlier cost 50 paise now sold for 75. Kerosene and candles saw price hikes of up to 20%. “Only the hardened drink addicts continue to patronise speakeasies,” the paper wryly noted.There was no looting on a mass scale, but some opportunism flourished. Sandbags, though urgently needed for makeshift shelters and trenching, were unavailable. Children and unruly crowds created chaos in some neighbourhoods, raising false alarms or harassing homes that hadn’t switched off their lights in time. Stones were thrown. The shout “Battii Band Karo!” (Turn off the lights!) rang across alleyways. medium120961805Protocols during wartimeMaharashtra’s response was methodical. A dedicated four-member war sub-committee was formed, led by the chief minister and including key ministers from finance, power, irrigation, and revenue. The government announced that ceremonies like bhoomi puja, guard of honour, and public feasts would be suspended. Major public gardens — including the Mehta Garden at Malabar Hill and Powai Park — were closed. Cremations were prohibited after sundown.A special war savings drive was launched. “If a village or group of people saved ₹5 lakh, they could help buy a tank,” urged the chief minister. “₹20 lakh could buy a Gnat aircraft.” It was not just rhetoric. The campaign instilled a sense of ownership in the civilian war effort. Donations poured in.The publicity wing of the state government was asked to operate round-the-clock to disseminate authentic information and combat rumours — a move that’s being followed in 2025, with digital alerts and official radio bulletins scheduled to accompany the May 7 drill.While the west coast prepared for air raids, Delhi saw the rise of a new defence force: women. The Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS), led by Mrs L Raghuramiah, mobilised 40 organisations to support the war effort. Civil defence courses were run in Lodi Colony, training women in first-aid, firefighting, bomb awareness, and emergency communications.WVS canteens at New Delhi and Old Delhi railway stations provided tea and biscuits to soldiers. Volunteers wrote letters to jawans, offered support at hospitals, and collected supplies like tea leaves, sugar, and biscuits from door to door. Some received condensed four-day courses in nursing to assist military hospitals overwhelmed by war casualties.In 1971, the battle for hearts and minds was waged over the airwaves. As noted in The Times of India’s Sight & Sound column by Amita Malik, All India Radio and Swadhin Bangla Radio played vital roles in not just informing the public, but mocking enemy narratives. Satirical skits from AIR Calcutta lampooned Pakistani officials with brutal humour. Swadhin Bangla Radio exposed collaborators in East Pakistan. medium120961782Meanwhile, Pakistan Radio — broadcasting in shortwave from Dacca — released sermons exhorting soldiers to die for jihad. These were described by The Times of India as “diatribes”, contrasting sharply with India’s more measured messaging, which included personal appeals from Army officers and even General Sam Manekshaw, urging Pakistani soldiers to surrender and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. By mid-war, Pakistan had reportedly banned its citizens from listening to both AIR and the BBC.Difference between then and nowUnlike the reactive, improvised measures of 1971, Operation Abhyaas was a meticulously planned exercise, designed to build civilian resilience in a world where threats are no longer confined to borders.The drills also serve as a reminder that preparedness is not just about military might but about a society’s capacity to stand strong, together, in the face of any crisis.