When India brought Pak to its knees in just 13 days

President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads the nation in celebrating 'Vijay Diwas' and paying rich tributes to the martyrs of 1971 war.

New Delhi, Dec 16: Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on 16 December to honour the victory of Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, formerly known as East Pakistan, as a sovereign country.

On this day in 1971, exactly 51 years ago, chief of the Pakistani forces General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, had laid down their arms in front of coalition forces led by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora in Dhaka, after their defeat. It was also the largest military surrender after World War II.

How India won 1971 war?

It was not exactly a war but a conflict that was imposed on India by Pakistan and its bumbling generals. It all began when Pakistan launched pre-emptive strikes on 11 airbases of Indian Air Force (IAF). A swift response to these unprovoked attacks was launched by the Indian defence forces on the western and eastern fronts, on land, sea and air. It was perhaps the first time in which India's all three forces fought in unison.

With proactive action of Indian armed forces, Pakistani soldiers surrendered in Dhaka ending the 13-day war and Bangladesh emerged as an independent country. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan started from 3 December 1971 till the fall of Dacca (Dhaka). The Indian forces brought the Pakistani army to its knees and gave 75 million people of Bangladesh their independence. Over 3,800 soldiers of India and Pakistan lost their lives in this war to end the genocide Pakistan had unleased on the Bengali population of East Pakistan.

Instrument of surrender

A framed photo of 16th December 1971, where the Pakistan army signing the 'Instrument of Surrender', a written document that enabled the surrender of 93,000 soldiers of the Pakistan armed forces, was inked by the Pakistani Army's commander in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi accepting a decisive defeat in Eastern Theatre.

The document was signed by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Indian and Bangladesh Forces in Eastern Theatre Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora from the Indian side. During the surrender ceremony, Field Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral N. Krishnan, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) and Eastern Air Command Air Marshal H.C. Dewan were also present.

Remembering the martyrs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in remembering the soldiers who laid their lives in the line of duty during the war. Taking to Twitter, he 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.''

President Draupadi Murmu too paid rich tributes to the 1971 martyrs. ''On Vijay Diwas, we remember with gratitude the exceptional valour displayed by our armed forces during the 1971 war. Stories of their unparalleled courage and sacrifice for the nation continue to inspire every Indian,'' Murmu tweeted.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari and Vice Chief of Indian Navy Vice Admiral S.N. Ghormade also paid their respects at the National War Memorial in Delhi to commemorate the occasion.