This text chronicles the 1971 war in South Asia by reconstituting the memories of those on opposing sides of the conflict. The book challenges assumptions about the nature of conflict and exposes the ways in which the 1971 conflict is still playing out in the region. Introduction: Memories in conflict – Call to arms : Bengali nationalist rebellion – Military inaction : power without responsibility – Military action : "Operation Searchlight" in Dhaka – Uncivil war : mobs, mutinies and madness – Village of widows : "securing" the countryside – Hounding of Hindus : the politics of minority persecution – Hit and run : sabotage and retribution – Fratricide : death squads at war's end – Words and numbers : memories and monstrous fables – Appendix 1: Bibliographical note – Appendix 2: List of interviewees.