New Delhi: Friday marks the 34th anniversary of the liberation of East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh and India is observing the day as Vijay Diwas.
To mark the historical day, the armed forces have put on display some of the equipment used during the 1971 Indo-Pak War in New Delhi.
This range of artillery, armour, light weapons, Gnat fighter aircrafts and models of ships are the ones that took part in the raid on Karachi harbour, that began a war leading to the separation of East Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh.
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee will formally open the display and felicitate war heroes.
But amid all the revelry and back-slapping, there's also an underlying mood of dissent and confusion.
What's going on?
The event is being billed as the biggest-ever celebration to commemorate Indian military's finest hour but in the hyped-up celebrations, the heroes of the 1971 Indo-Pak War have been overlooked.
There's no apparent provocation but the UPA Government has suddenly decided to give the 34th Vijay Divas a higher profile.
The Ministry of Defence has pulled out all the stops to hastily organise a military carnival at India Gate in the Capital and the event has been packaged as a people's celebration of the famous military victory.
Appeals have been issued to the public to turn up at India Gate to pay tribute to the Indian soldier. But strangely, no invitations have been issued to soldiers who won the war, not even its most enduring icons.
"I don't know if any ceremony is taking place," Lt-General (Retd) JFR Jacob, former Army Commander, said.
No invite has been issued even to the legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and the-then Navy Chief Admiral SM Nanda, who are the symbols of the victory.
"No, I have not been invited. I don't even know who's organising it," Nanda said.
PAGE_BREAK
Veterans feel that not enough credit is given to the armed forces and a political suspicion is lingering in the Army corridors.
"It's only in times of crises that the armed forces are remembered," Lt-General JFR Jacob, former Army Commander, said.
The message being sent out is that the Government is happy to invoke a military victory but is shy of honouring the soldiers who won the war.
Revisiting the past
It was on this day in 1971 when the subcontinent woke up to a dramatic end to the bloodiest conflict since the Partition.
On March 7, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared East Pakistan as a separate nation and called it Bangladesh. The then-Indian Prime Minster Indira Gandhi extended full support into this fight for independence.
The protests in Pakistan continued and on March 25, 1971, Pakistani forces start Operation Searchlight to track down the millions from East Pakistan who were attempting to flee to India, fearing persecution.
On December 3, as Pakistan launched a series of preemptive airstrikes on Indian airfields, an open war is declared between the two neighbours.
But Pakistan was defeated within a fortnight and on December 16, 1971, Lieutenant-General A A K Niazi, the supreme commander of Pakistani Army in Bangladesh, surrendered.
Bangladesh was hence declared an independent nation and Sheikh Mujibur Rehman took over the reins of the country.
Comments
0 comment