The Indian Army will pay homage to the valiant soldiers who fought for the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in the Indo-Pak War of 1971 on the occasion of Vijay Diwas on December 16. Almost five decades ago, Indian forces joined hands with the Mukti Bahini of the erstwhile East Pakistan to defeat the Pakistan Army led by General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi. Around 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered to the allied forces at the end of the war.
Major General General Service (MGGS), V. Sreehari has said that the Eastern Command of the Indian Army will pay tribute to the heroes who took part in the war, which led to the birth of the new nation. “Vijay Diwas is a historical event for the Eastern Command in particular,” he said.
A team of Mukti Joddhas of the Mukti Bahini and their families will be part of this year’s Vijay Diwas celebrations. Several serving officers from Bangladesh’s armed forces will also be present on the occasion. The Eastern Command will host thirty mukti joddhas and six serving members of Bangladeshi forces.
On the occasion, members of the Bangladesh forces and mukti joddhas will lay wreaths on the War Memorial at Fort William in Kolkata.
Since it is the centenary birth year of Sheikh Mujibar Rahaman, hailed as the “Father of the nation” in Bangladesh, the country wanted to celebrate the occasion in a grand manner, but in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided that the event will be low key.
The Mukti Bahini was the guerrilla resistance movement which included personnel from military, paramilitary and civilians who fought for the country’s independence. They received weapons and training from India. The Indian forces, who played a major role in the War of Liberation, trained the joddhas for a period of up to three months. The Mukti Bahini was able to take control of large parts of the countryside using the guerrilla warfare tactics.
Finally on December 16, 1971, the allied forces emerged victorious after a struggle of nine months, putting an end to the Bangladesh genocide at the hands of the Pakistani forces. In India, the defence minister and the heads of all three wings of the Indian forces pay homage to the soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate in New Delhi.
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