1971 war: Tribute paid to heroes of victory

Lt General Vijay Singh, Chief of Staff, Sapta Shakti Command, laid wreath on the Sapta Shakti Memorial to commemorate the Indian victory and pay tribute to the soldiers who fought in 1971 war. A wreath laying ceremony was held at South Western Command in Jaipur.

On this day,  46 years ago, 93,000 members of Pakistani troops raised white flags and surrendered to Indian Army and Mukti Bahini. The Indo-Pakistani war was sparked by the armed liberation struggle that was taking place in East Pakistan between the dominant Bengalis and the West Pakistanis over the issue of right to governance and the constitution.

The conflict started   when the Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman won a massive majority in Pakistan general elections. However, instead of inviting Sheikh Mujib to form the government, on March 25, 1971, the Pakistani military junta began a crackdown on the people of East Pakistan. It soon turned into a large-scale genocide. Pakistan’s air force launched a surprise attack on December 3 on eight military airfields in western India forced India to take a decisive military action.

The Indian Army virtually ran through the then east Pakistan and reached Dacca within 11 days. A defeated and demoralised 93,000-strong Pakistan Army led by Lt Gen A A K Niazi was made to surrender on December 16.