Vijay Diwas 2022: All You Need To Know

India celebrates Vijay Diwas on December 16 to mark its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. The war led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. The day also commemorates the sacrifices made by the defence forces in the decisive war.

History

The India-Pakistan war was triggered by the rebellion in erstwhile East Pakistan against the Islamabad government. Following the victory of the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-led Awami League in the 1971 elections, the Pakistani Army used force to influence the results leading to an exodus of people from Bangladesh. This compelled India to intervene. 

The war started after Pakistan launched airstrikes on the Indian Air Force stations on December 3, 1971. Following this, India decided to support Bangladeshi nationalist groups and launched Operation Trident. The Indian forces targeted the Karachi Port in then West Pakistan while the Mukti Bahini guerrillas joined Indian forces on the eastern side.  

After 13 days of fighting, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the chief of the Pakistani forces, signed the Instrument Of Surrender to the Indian Army and Mukti Bahini on December 16, 1971, in Dhaka.

Major General Niazi surrendered along with his 93,000 troops before Lt General Jagjit Singh Aurora, then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India's Eastern Command, marking the largest military surrender since World War II. Since then, the day has been celebrated as Vijay Diwas or Victory Day. Bangladesh observes the day as Bijoy Dibos or Bangladesh Liberation Day.

On December 13, 1971, the then Indian Army Chief Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw had warned the Pakistan Army to lay down their arms saying, “You surrender or we wipe you out”.

Below are some quotes by Field Marshal Manekshaw: 

“Give me a man or a woman with common sense and who is not an idiot and I assure you can make a leader out of him or her.”

“One thing remains the same, your task and your duty. You are required to ensure the security of this country against any offence. What is that means for you? That means, that you should have to fight, a fight to win. There is no roof for losers, if you lose don't come back.”

“Professional knowledge and professional competence are the main attributes of leadership. Unless you know, and the men you command know that you know your job, you will never be a leader.”