Special Day Post
Every year, December 16 is celebrated as Vijay Diwas to honour the victory of Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 war which led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the formation of the new State Bangladesh. On December 16, 1971, India had won the war against Pakistan after fighting for 13 days. The chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini, along with 93,000 Pakistani troops, which was the biggest-ever military surrender after World War II.
Vijay Diwas is also celebrated as 'Bijoy Dibos' or Bangladesh Liberation Day in Bangladesh, which signifies the official independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. On the day, India pays homage to all the soldiers who defended the nation during the war.
Last year, India celebrated the 49th anniversary of the day. President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, "On Vijay Diwas, let us recall the valour of our soldiers that affirmed our nation's unwavering commitment to defend our sovereignty and protect human dignity. Their martyrdom in the 1971 war had shown unparalleled grit and prowess of our forces. The nation is eternally indebted to them".
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the day. The forces are celebrating the occasion with a grand celebration called the Vijay Parv at the India Gate next week. A small glimpse of those grand celebrations was on display in Gurgaon on Monday evening. As a precursor to the Vijay Parv celebrations later this week, the Gorkha Regiment of the Indian Army organised a small show featuring performances and a weapons exhibition at Gurgaon's CyberHub. The event saw a Kalaripayattu martial arts and dance performance by the soldiers that drew loud cheers from the crowd. A pipe band display by the men from the 5/11 Gorkha Regiment followed this. The highlight of the evening was a Khukri Dance performance by the soldiers. "This event was conducted to make people aware of the celebrations. A grander event with much more to offer will be organised at the India Gate from December 10th onwards," informed Major Nelson, who was involved in organising the event.
Some Important facts about Kargil Diwas-
The Liberation War of Bangladesh spurred the conflict after West Pakistan misbehaved with the people and undermined the election results in East Pakistan.
East Pakistan raised the call for secession officially on March 26, 1971. India’s then PM Indira Gandhi gave full support in the independence struggle.
Widespread genocide against Bengalis, mainly Hindus, at the hands of the Pakistani military was reported by the media. It forced around 10 million people to migrate to neighboring India. India had also opened its borders to refugees from Bengal.
On the night of December 4-5, the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command successfully conducted a surprise attack on Karachi port under the codename Trident.
Pakistan had deployed its troops along the western front. The Indian Army retaliated and successfully took over several thousand kilometers of the Pakistani territory.
Pakistan’s 8000 soldiers died and 25,000 wounded, while India lost 3000 soldiers and 12,000 were wounded.
The Mukti Bahini guerrillas in East Pakistan joined with the Indian forces to fight against Pakistani troops in the east. Indian army provided them with weapons and training to participate in the war.
Around 93,000 Pakistani troops led by General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered to the allied forces during the end of the war. They were returned as part of the Shimla Agreement of 1972.
Nearly one-third army of Pakistan was captured by Indian forces. It was a 13-day India-Pakistan war that began on December 13th, 1971 sparked by the revolt in erstwhile East Pakistan against the government of Islamabad.