Vijay Diwas 2021 Updates: India Celebrates 50 Years of Victory Against Pak in 1971 War

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Thursday that the government is determined to completely dismantle the terror ecosystem in the union territory and accused Pakistan of running "a factory of terrorism". At a function on the 50th Vijay Diwas, Sinha reminded Pakistan of its thrashing defeat and public surrender in 1971 and said India's armed forces will not back off from repeating it, if the need arises.
 

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War, the Indian Army celebrated Vijay Diwas by reaching out and felicitating our oldest war hero in Macchal - Rifleman Miya Gul Khan, now retired. Rifleman Miya Gul Khan is a 73-year-old Indian Army veteran who participated in the 1971 war against Pakistan in the Macchal sector.

Commemorating 50 years of the nations' glorious victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and the liberation of Bangladesh, people pay tribute to the country's zeal. Here is a look at Swarnim Vijay Diwas across the country.

Click here to view the picture story.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday laid a wreath at the war memorial here and hailed the sacrifices of soldiers on the golden jubilee celebration of India's triumph over Pakistan. Stalin, presiding over a brief ceremony at the war memorial in Chennai on Kamarajar Salai paid tributes to soldiers by laying a wreath and saluted the brave hearts.

President Ram Nath Kovind attended Vijay Diwas celebrations at the Bangladesh Parliament in Dhaka on Thursday to commemorate India's glorious 1971 war victory over Pakistan that led to the liberation of Bangladesh. Addressing the Vijay Diwas ceremony, President Kovind asserted that the vision of Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) was of a Bangladesh which was "not only free politically but also of a nation that was equitable and inclusive."

Read full story.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday announced government jobs to kin of  1971 Indo-Pak War martyrs from the state. He made the announcement while addressing a programme on Vijay Diwas at Amar Jawan Jyoti.

As per the existing rules, any one dependent of those martyred between August 15, 1947 and December 31, 1970 is given a government job. The new rule will extend the cut off to December 31, 1971, paving the way for appointments of the dependents of soldiers martyred in the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

On the occasion of Victory day of the 1971 war, Wg Cdr Asha Jyothirmai of the Indian Air Force carried out a joint skydiving demonstration along with skydivers of the Bangladesh Air Force at Dhaka on Thursday.

Every year, December 16 is celebrated as 'Vijay Diwas' in memory of the glorious victory achieved under the deft and able leadership of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, regarded as one of the greatest heroes of the Indo-Pakistan war. The historic war led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh.

Here's How Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Led India’s Historic Victory During 1971 War

"On December 6, India and Bangladesh jointly celebrated 'Maitri Diwas' worldwide, the day when India recognized Bangladesh as an independent country in 1971. BSF has done the task of maintaining peace at the Indo-Bangladesh border," External Affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar said.

He added, "10 million refugees from Bangladesh had come to India, living in camps at the border areas. The people of India opened their hearts and extended support to their oppressed brothers. BSF managed the evolving situations on the ground."

"There are still many roads and buildings in cantonment areas that were named after officers loyal to the British crown. Defence Ministry and Directorate General Defence Estates should consider renaming them after our brave soldiers and makers of modern India," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.

"The 1971 Liberation War, struggle for freedom has a special place in the hearts of every Indian. History will always be witness to the unique foundation of our friendship forced in people's war that liberated Bangladesh," President Ram Nath Kovind said.

In a warm gesture towards the 1971 Indo-Pak soldiers on the occasion of 50th Vijay Diwas 2021, Indigo pilot Rajiv Batish who was earlier on the Hunter Squadron 56 course paid his 'glowing' tributes to the war heroes. A video that has gone viral on the Internet shows the pilot calling out the names of the veteran soldiers and their family members who were present on an Indigo flight. 

Read full story.

Indian Army on Thursday organised 'Swarnim Vijay Gatha' at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata to mark the culmination of celebrations of ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’.

The northern command of the Indian Army on Thursday commemorated the sacrifice of its forces in the 1971 war by dedicating to them 'Swarnim Vijay Dwar' in Udhampur. This year is the 50th anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, and is being celebrated as 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh'.

Bangladesh will soon import defence related items from India under the USD 500 million Line of Credit provided by New Delhi as several identified equipment are being fast-tracked, according to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

His remarks came after President Ram Nath Kovind, who is here on his maiden state visit at the invitation of his counterpart M Abdul Hamid to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, held delegation-level talks with the country’s top leadership on Wednesday.

Read full story.

In a public address in Uttarakhand's Dehradun, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "Pakistan bowed its head within 13 days in the 1971 war. Generally, a war is fought for 6 months, 1-2 years. America took 20 years to defeat Afghanistan but India made Pakistan lose in 13 days only as India was united and was standing as one."

Commemorating India's 1971 victory over Pakistan that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, and of which he was an integral part, Colonel Virender Kumar Sahi, Vir Chakra, said the adage - 'Friends can be changed, Neighbours cannot' - doesn't apply to the Indian Army as its 1971 war victory proved with the formation of Bangladesh.

Read full story.

Every year, December 16 is celebrated as 'Vijay Diwas' in memory of the glorious victory achieved under the deft and able leadership of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, regarded as one of the greatest heroes of the Indo-Pakistan war. The historic war led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh.

It was his strategy, under which the army launched several preparatory operations in erstwhile East Pakistan such as training and equipping the Mukti Bahini, regular Bangladeshi troops, and 75,000 guerrillas with arms and ammunition. These forces were used to harass the Pakistani Army stationed in East Pakistan in the lead up to the war.

Read more here

"She epitomised strength; She personified power; She stood unrelenting for peace, prosperity & progress. Indira Ji's leadership during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War inspires one and all, across the world," Congress shared on Twitter. 

President Ram Nath Kovind, who arrived in Dhaka to attend the 50th Victory Day celebrations of the country, held talks with Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday and gifted her cakes, sweetmeats and biscuits specially made at Rashtrapati Bhavan. According to Dhaka Tribune, Bangladeshi State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said that PM Hasina gladly received the sweetmeats, cakes and biscuits from the President. Kovind, on the other hand, shared his delight over mangoes sent by Hasina back in July and said that those were “very sweet and tasty”. 

"I think when you have an occasion like this, you also need a personal touch. Rashtrapati Bhavan, the house of the President of India, like the Banga Bhawan, the House of the President of Bangladesh, has its own bakery. They made some sweets and cookies for the Honourable President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh. And those are, I would say the added touch that is there," Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.

On Vijay Diwas 2021, leaders extended wishes to the nation and paid tributes on Koo to commemorate the decisive victory in the 1971 war against Pakistan.

Every year, December 16 is celebrated as 'Vijay Diwas' in memory of the glorious victory achieved under the deft leadership of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, regarded as one of the greatest heroes of the Indo-Pakistan war. The historic war led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh.

As India marks 50 years of the 1971 war, we remember Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, under whose command Indian forces conducted victorious campaigns in the Indo-Pakistani War.

Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was appointed as the eighth Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on June 8, 1969. It was his strategy, under which the army launched several preparatory operations in erstwhile East Pakistan such as training and equipping the Mukti Bahini, regular Bangladeshi troops, and 75,000 guerrillas with arms and ammunition. These forces were used to harass the Pakistani Army stationed in East Pakistan in the lead up to the war.

Read more about  Sam Manekshaw's four-way attack strategy in 1971 Indo-Pak war

"The path of religion is the path of justice. We are all together on this path," Rahul Gandhi shared on Twitter. 

"On this special day of Vijay Diwas, I had the honour of paying my respects at the National War Memorial and merging into the Eternal Flame, the four Vijay Mashaals which traversed across the length and breadth of the country over the course of last one year," PM Modi shares on Twitter. 

Remembering the braves who served and sacrificed in the Indo-Pak war in 1971. Vijay Diwas marks 50 years of India's victory.

National President of BJP Yuva Morcha Tejasvi Surya shared, "You surrender or we wipe you out," said FM Sam Manekshaw to Pak which led to an unprecedented surrender of 93000 Pakistani soldiers As we commemorate the 50th year of our victory in the 1971 War, we must never forget those who died fighting for our motherland."

"Tributes to the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who brought glory to Mother Bharati on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. Happy 16th December "Victory Day" to all the countrymen."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled a commemorative stamp at the National War Memorial on the occasion of the 50th Vijay Diwas. He praised the armed services' bravery and sacrifice during the 1971 conflict, describing it as a "golden chapter in India's military history". Swarnim Vijay Varsh commemorates the 50th anniversary of India's triumph over Bangladesh in the 1971 war.

"Marching together since 1971!"

Northern Command of Indian Army located in Udhampur dedicated the ‘Swarnim Vijay Dwar’ in remembrance of the supreme sacrifice by the Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 War, at a ceremony at Udhampur Military station on 16 Dec 2021. 

Additionally, the Khalra Cycling Expedition was flagged in at Udhampur by GOC-in-C, Northern Command. The expedition espoused the spirit of ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’. It began at Rakhmuthi Military Station on 07 Dec 2021 and in the ten intervening days witnessed a team of fourteen Soldiers covering a distance of 650 Km. 

Unveiling of busts of 2 Para Vir Chakra and 18 Maha Vir Chakra recipients who participated in the 1971 War were held too. 

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar shared, "Babu Jagjivan Ram, the defence minister laid down the strategy of winning the 1971 war: If attacked then fight the opponent in their territory. Till they surrender."

Union Minister for Civil Aviation shared, "On the occasion of this Swarnim Vijay Diwas, we celebrate the valour, resolve, and tenacity of our armed forces. The 1971 war was a momentous chapter in our illustrious military history - one that we will forever be proud of."

Taking to Twitter, the celebrated music composer, producer & singer shared, "On the 50th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, we salute the bravery of the Indian soldiers who fought to liberate Bangladesh 1971."

Taking to Twitter, Lok Sabha MP of Wayanad shared, "Remembering the martyrs and veterans of the 1971 war. India won the war to save the idea of democracy under the able leadership of Former PM Smt. Indira Gandhi ji. Jai Hind!"

"The courage with which all Bravehearts fought the 1971 war, is remembered by everyone. We salute your sacrifice. Also celebrating the contribution of our Armed Forces in this feat. Your heroism continues to inspire us, even today!" the West Bengal CM shared on Twitter. 

Taking to Twitter, Canadian diplomat Chris Alexander urged the international community to 'sanction Pakistan' for the PM Imran Khan-led country 'has waged proxy war continuously against Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India & other states.'

Reminding Pakistan of its thrashing defeat and public surrender to India on December 16, 1971, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha issued a stern warning to the neighbouring country. 

While paying tribute to 1971 war heroes at Balidan Stamb in Jammu, Sinha said India is not a supporter of the war, nor does she follow the policy of expansionism, but when her integrity is challenged, a befitting reply is given.

" If needed, Indian Armed forces won’t back off from repeating 1971," the Lt Governor said on the occasion of 50th Vijay Diwas.

"President Ram Nath Kovind presented a replica of 1971-era MIG 21 aircraft to President Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh. An aircraft of the same model gifted by India to Bangladesh has been installed at Bangladesh National Museum"

President Kovind, the guest of honour for Bangladesh's Liberation Day celebrations, arrived in Dhaka to mark the occasion. 

"Salute to the brave soldiers of the Indian Army, who raised the head of the country by defeating the enemies in the 1971 war with incomparable courage and valour and hearty congratulations to all the countrymen on this glorious 'Victory Day'," the Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development & Lok Sabha MP from Amethi shared.

In a special conversation with Republic TV, Major Gen Ian Cardozo said, "My battalion fought for nine days and nine nights with limited ammunition, limited food, and no water. We fought with an enemy which was 20 times our size and thus forced them to surrender. I was attending a course at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the unfortunate incident took place and the course was prematurity shut down because of the war and we were told to join our units. I was lucky to be in time to catch the last wave of helicopters taking the battalion to Sylhet."

Watch the full interview here

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla pays tribute to Bravehearts of the 1971 Indo-Pak war 

"The historic achievement of the discipline, indomitable courage and amazing valour of the Indian Army is- 'Vijay Diwas'. Salute to all the heroes who put the tilak of victory on the forehead of Mother Bharati while glorifying humanity with their unequalled valour in the 1971 war. Jai Hind!" CM Yogi shared on Twitter. 

Air show in Dhaka marking Liberation Day of Bangladesh

4 flames that have toured all corners of India over the last year are merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial;

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at National War Memorial to mark 50 years of India's glorious victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Indian Army, on Twitter, shares rare images of Pakistan's surrender before Indian Army on 50th Vijay Diwas, 2021. 

President Ram Nath Kovind arrives at the National Parade Ground in Bangladesh's Dhaka, to mark 50 years of India's Vijay Diwas over Pakistan in the 1971 war and the liberation of Bangladesh. 

"This Day, That Year!" he stated on Twitter

Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was appointed as the eighth Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on June 8, 1969. A Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Military cross Awardee, Manekshaw was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the post of Field Marshal in 1973. The late stalwart led the Indian Army in five different wars but is most notably remembered for the 1971 victory that lead to the creation of Bangladesh.

Know more about Manekshaw.

"On the occasion of ‘Swarnim Vijay Diwas’ we remember the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces during the 1971 war. The 1971 war is the golden chapter in India’s military history. We are proud of our armed forces and their achievements," the Defence Minister shared on Twitter.

Members & families of IMA's 1971 batch who led India to victory against Pakistan 50 years ago pay tribute to the martyrs from their ranks.

Vijay Diwas is commemorated on December 16 in India to remember and honour the heroism of the nation's soldiers. This day even reminds the 13-day-long Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, in which Indians celebrate the triumph of the Indian military soldiers against Pakistan. Vijay Diwas also marks the partition of Bangladesh from Pakistan. Even after 50 years, the nation celebrates the historical win with pride and passion in Vijay Diwas 2021. 

Indian troops had made significant sacrifices during the 1971 battle. Over 9800 Indian soldiers were injured, and over 3,900 Indian soldiers had lost their lives on the battlefield. Thus, this day depicts India's bravest soldiers' valour, unshakable courage, commitment and sacrifice.   

"On the 50th Vijay Diwas, I recall the great valour and sacrifice by the Muktijoddhas, Biranganas and Bravehearts of the Indian Armed Forces. Together, we fought and defeated oppressive forces. Rashtrapati Ji’s presence in Dhaka is of special significance to every Indian."

Amid speculations over the impending office holder of India's Chief of Defence Staff, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane has assumed the charge as the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee that comprises the three service chiefs, people familiar with the development said.

The post fell vacant following the death of first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat in the IAF helicopter crash on December 8.

General Naravane has been given the charge as the chairman of the committee as he is the senior-most among the three service chiefs, the people cited above said.

Aghast at Union MoS Ajay Mishra's assault on a journalist, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday, demanded his resignation. Vadra, who has been demanding Mishra's ouster since his son was accused of mowing down four farmers in Lakhimpur, questioned why Prime Minister Modi was still shielding him. Ajay Mishra's son - Ashish and nine others have been arrested in connection to the Lakhimpur violence.

Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Gita Gopinath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) took to Twitter to share pictures from their meeting revealing that the Indian-American economist had called on PM Modi. The two had last met in 2019 when Gita Gopinath, who was then Economic Counsellor and Director of the IMF Research Department, had visited PM Modi in the national capital. 

With four new cases of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, the total tally of the state has jumped to five on Wednesday, informed State Health Minister Veena George. Adding more to it, she said that among the four reported cases,  two are the wife and the mother-in-law, as they came in contact with the first positive case which was reported in Kochi while the third person is from Ernakulam who had arrived from Congo and the fourth case is from Thiruvananthapuram was a returnee from the United Kingdom. "All the patients are currently stable", she added.

Further advising everyone to remain cautioned, she said that the contacts of these persons' flight details are being probed. 

Kerala has recorded 4,006 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours on Wednesday followed by 125 fatalities and 3,898 recoveries. Also, 157 deaths have been added to the tally as per the new guidelines of the Centre. Earlier these numbers were not added to the COVID-19 death list due to some reason. 

Balussery Government Girls higher secondary school in Kozhikode introduced a gender-neutral uniform for its students on Dec 15. The move was met with protests by some organisations, however, the state  Education Minister seconded her decision. 

State's Higher Education Minister R Bindu said, "It's an attempt to wipe out gender-biased attitudes in society. All changes in society have come through years of transformations."

A report published on Monday suggests that a radical Jewish group disguised themselves as Muslims in order to enter Jerusalem's Temple Mount, where they silently performed Jewish prayers while appearing to partake in Islamic devotion, as per  Times of Israel. The extremist right The Return to the Mount movement, which demands Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount, has alarmed security officials, who fear that their acts may incite unrest at the holy site.

Although Israel controls overall security at the monument, the Muslim Waqf oversees religious activities. Raphael Morris, the Returning to the Mount group's leader, told Channel 13 that they were reluctant to accept the penalties against Jews that exist on the Temple Mount.

"We have made good progress in a line of credit (LOC), as Bangladesh accounts for almost a third of our line of credit. 10 billion dollars is what India extended to Bangladesh, which is at highly concessional credit terms. These lines of credit have contributed to enhancing our connectivity, infrastructure, not just at the border but different parts of Bangladesh," the Foreign Secretary said. 

“We are very satisfied with the progress of these lines of credit. We are going on further streamlining this, looking at another package,” Shringla said, adding, “Last year despite COVID we disbursed 120 million dollars in LOC money.”

Amid mounting concerns over the threat of the Omicron variant spreading, the West Bengal government has extended COVID-related restrictions till January 15. As per the issue ordered, restrictions related to the movement of people and vehicles between 11 pm and 5 am shall be relaxed for Christmas and New Year celebrations from December 24 to January 1.

On Thursday, PM Modi will address farmers and scientists across the country on natural and zero-budget farming during the ongoing National Summit on Agro and Food Processing being held in Gujarat. The three-day summit, which commenced on December 14, has been organised to shed light on the method of natural farming and make farmers aware of its benefits. PM Modi will virtually address the farmers during the valedictory session of the national conclave at 11 am.

Zero budget natural farming reduces the cost of agriculture by relying on traditional field-based technologies which lead to improved soil health. During the summit, farmers will be provided with all requisite information detailing the benefits of adopting natural farming methods.

Click here to read what is zero budget natural farming? 

Amounting to major revelation, a former Pakistan ISI Chief, during a show on a Pakistani news channel spoke of his affinity with the Haqqani network of Afghanistan. 

In the short clip, shared by the senior editor of a leading independent news agency in Afghanistan, the late General Hameed Gul could publicly be heard admitting his close association with the Islamist militant organisation. Moreover, he admitted that he had sent his two sons along with the Haqqani for jihad. The old video, which is now viral on a micro-blogging site, is enough to suggest the deep-rooted ties of the Pakistani military with any terrorist outfit. Notably, the former Pakistan ISI Chief was speaking about Jalaluddin Haqqani-- an Afghan militant commander-- who founded the Haqqani network, an insurgent group fighting in guerilla warfare against US-led NATO forces and the interim government of Afghanistan they support.

Watch the video here: 

• Killed Terrorists identified as: 

Amir Dar, who was active since April 2021 and was associated with The Resistance Front (TRF)

Adil Yousuf shan. a resident of Sursunoo, Behibagh. Associated with TRF, he was active since Oct 2021
 

• Following unlicensed recoveries were made

2 Pistols, 2 magazines, 7 pistol rounds and 1 grenade

The mortal remains of Group captain Varun Singh who succumbed to his injuries post the fatal IAF chopper crash on Wednesday will be shifted from Command Hospital to his hometown on Thursday, December 16. Republic has learned that the last rites of Group Captain Varun Singh will be held in Bhopal. His mortal remains will be brought to Bhopal on Thursday, which would be followed by his funeral, the day after. According to the Bhopal Collector, instructions on his last rites are yet to come in writing. 

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the IAF helicopter crash that killed 13 people in Coonoor passed away on Wednesday, December 15, after a week-long battle for his life. On December 9, he was transferred from the Military Hospital in Wellington to the Command Hospital in Bengaluru in critical but, stable condition. 

The cases of Omicron are rapidly growing across the country as the newly detected ‘variant of concern’ has also been discovered in a patient in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, December 15. As per the state health officials, a 47-year-old passenger returning from Nigeria via Doha has been detected positive for the Omicron variant.

The state health officials have isolated the six family members of the individual who had also tested positive, and are suspected to be infected with the B.1.1.529 variant. Their samples had also shown a ‘S Gene’ drop, yet the officials are awaiting the results of the genomic testing for confirmation. A co-passenger has also tested positive, and officials have sent the sample for genomic testing to determine the variant causing infection.

Amid the continued Opposition protests over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, the government Wednesday said it was ready to revoke their suspension if they apologise to the House for their "wrong" behaviour. Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal said it was shameful on the part of some Opposition members that they were not even ready to accept the "wrong" behaviour of the suspended members and were not ready to repent.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also said, "You would have to apologise and we are open to taking you back."

Opposition members continued to protest inside and outside the house and caused disruptions over the suspension of 12 MPs.

Members of several Opposition parties including the Congress, Left, DMK, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena, AAP and others stormed the Well of the House Wednesday holding placards and raising slogans in support of their demand.

They also held placards reading "save democracy" and "suspend me" and criticised the "dictatorial" behaviour of the government.