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December 16: Vijay Diwas
On December 16, 1971, India defeated the war against Pakistan after battling for 13 days. General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the chief of the Pakistani forces, surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Armed forces and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini, along with 93,000 Pakistani armies.

by Pragti Sharma / 16 Dec 2022 12:58 PM IST / 0 Comment(s) / 229

Every year, Vijay Diwas is celebrated on December 16 in order to honour the victory of the Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 war. On Vijay Diwas, India pays homage and respect to all the soldiers who saved the nation.



Vijay Diwas



On December 16, 1971, India defeated the war against Pakistan after battling for 13 days. General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the chief of the Pakistani forces, surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Armed forces and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini, along with 93,000 Pakistani armies.



It was also the largest-ever military surrender after World War II.



What directed the war?



A rebellion in East Pakistan against the Islamabad government initiated the war. Pakistani forces were perpetrating horrors on the Bengalis and minority Hindu population living in East Pakistan. According to an estimate, the Pakistani army killed approximately 300,000 to 500,000 civilians, although the Bangladesh government puts the figures at three million.



Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi then took a decision to deliver support to erstwhile East Pakistan. She chose to give shelter to people who escaped from East Pakistan. Around 8 to 10 million people left the country.



How did the 1971 war start?



The war began when Pakistan threw air strikes on 11 Indian airbases on December 3, 1971. For the first time, perhaps all three forces of India- Army, Navy, and Air force fought in unison. In return, Gandhi instructed Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw to launch a full-scale war against Pakistan.



What was the result of the war?



The war resulted in the establishment of Bangladesh, which was then East Pakistan. Bangladesh also celebrates December 16 as Bijoy Dibos in order to mark the country's formal independence from Pakistan. Over 3,800 Indian and Pakistani warriors lost their lives during the war.



India had also kept 93,000 prisoners of war by the end of the war on December 16. Eight months after the battle of 1971, in August 1972, India and Pakistan compromised the Shimla agreement. Under the agreement, India decided to release the 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war.


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