VIJAY DIWAS

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Context: Vijay Diwas or Victory Day is commemorated on December 16, marking the end of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the liberation of Bangladesh. India declared victory on this day 51 years ago after Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender.

Details:

On December 16, 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93 thousand troops, had surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces consisting of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini, led by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora in Dhaka after their defeat in the Liberation war.
The day is also observed in Bangladesh as ‘Bijoy Dibos’, marking the country’s formal independence from Pakistan.
Eight months after the war, in August 1972, India and Pakistan settled the Shimla agreement.
Under the agreement, India agreed to release the 93,000 Pakistani prisoners-of-war.

What led to the 1971 Indo-Pak War?

After the partition of India following the end of British rule in 1947, two independent countries were formed – India and Pakistan.
The latter consisted of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan).
The two Pakistans had their share of problems since the beginning because of a number of reasons – the most glaring one being the geographical disconnect between them.
East Pakistan was often overlooked in terms of administration as the top posts were held by those in the West.
There was also an issue of cultural conflict. For instance, when Urdu, used in West Pakistan, was made the official language of the country, it was seen as an imposition on the culture of the people in the East.
In the mid-1960s, leaders such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also known as the founder of Bangladesh (and the father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina), actively began protesting against these policies and helped form the Awami League.
Soon, their demand became one for freedom and greater autonomy. The League ended up winning a stunning 160 of the 162 seats in East Pakistan in the 1970 elections – and won no seats in the West.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party won 81 of the 138 seats in West Pakistan, but Mujib had a clear overall majority in the House to become the Prime Minister.
However, instead of recognising the mandate, on March 25, 1971, the Pakistani military began a brutal crackdown that saw the mass slaughter of Bengalis.
At midnight on March 25, Pakistan unleashed genocide in Bangladesh. Refugees streamed into India. India stood by Bangladesh in its freedom struggle and one must salute the contribution of Indira Gandhi — as well as of the Indian Army — in winning liberation for Bangladesh… The Pakistani supremacy lasted two and a half decades — religion and the two-nation theory fell on the way.

India’s role in the 1971 War

India had declared support for the League previously.
Without direct intervention, this was visible: on May 15, it launched Operation Jackpot, an operation to recruit, train, arm, equip, supply and advise Mukti Bahini fighters engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Pakistan military.
There was a diplomatic plan in place, too.
The first task of the foreign ministry was to promote international sympathy and support for Bangladesh
The second task was to explain to the international community that the problem in East Bengal was not simply an internal problem of Pakistan — that by driving out millions of refugees into India, Pakistan was exporting a domestic problem to India. And, this threatened to destabilise the political situation in the neighbouring states.
When the Pakistan Air Force launched pre-emptive strikes towards Western India (including Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Avantipura, Ambala, Sirsa and Agra) on December 3, 1971, India formally declared war on December 4.
The war, which was short and intense, was fought on both the Eastern and Western fronts over 13 days.
The notable battles which were fought in the area of responsibility of the Southern Army included the famous battles of Longewala and Parbat Ali where Pakistan’s armoured forces were destroyed by resolute Indian troops.
An important figure in this war was India’s Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who is often evoked in relation to it. His planning and strategy helped secure one of the quickest victories in recent military history.