Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in remembering the soldiers who died in the line of duty during the 1971 war against Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Vice Chief of Indian Navy Vice Admiral SN Ghormade also paid their respects at the National War Memorial in Delhi.
In a tweet, PM Modi wrote: “On Vijay Diwas, I pay homage to all those brave armed forces personnel who ensured India attained an exceptional win in the 1971 war. Our nation will always be indebted to the armed forces for their role in keeping the country safe and secure. (sic)”. The 1971 war “was the triumph of humanity over inhumanity, virtue over misconduct and justice over injustice,” Rajnath Singh stressed in a tweet, as he underlined: “India is proud of its Armed Forces.” On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi attended the ‘At Home’ reception at Army House to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Andalib Elias, said that the ties between his country and India have grown deeper over the years. “Really grateful to India for all the support that they provided during 1971 and afterwards. That is a friendship that was built on blood and sweat. We pay our deep respect to Indian people, the Indian government and the Indian armed forces,” Elias was quoted as saying by news agency.
The Indian armed forces on December 16, 1971, defeated the Pakistan Army in a bid to liberate Bangladesh, formerly part of East Pakistan. Over 3,000 Indian soldiers were killed in the war, which stretched over 13 days. Around 93,000 Pakistan soldiers laid their arms down before the Indian forces. It is marked as the largest military surrender after the second world war. The day is hailed as Vijay Diwas.
The women’s wing of Congress said the soldiers along with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made history after defeating the Pakistan army. “On this day in 1971, Indian Armed Forces defeated Pakistan, resulting in the Liberation of Bangladesh. Our beloved and determined PM, Smt. Indira Gandhi led from the front, even as our brave soldiers scripted history,” the All India Mahila Congress said in a tweet.