Shillong: Headquarters 101 Area, under the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, has lined up several programmes in Meghalaya to commemorate the 50th-anniversary historic victory against Pakistan in the 1971 War.
The celebrations, also called “Swarnim Vijay Varsh,” began from December 2020 with the Prime Minister, Chief of Defence Staff and Tri-Service Chiefs laying a wreath and paying homage to the fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial on 16 December 2020.
The day is also celebrated as Vijay Diwas because on 16th December 1971 over 93,000 Pakistani troops raised white flags and surrendered unconditionally at Dhaka.
These Pakistani troops surrendered in the presence of the three tri-service theatre Commanders of the Indian Armed Forces.
Incidentally, this mass surrender of troops from a country is second to the Axis troops’ surrender after World War-II.
During the 1971 War, Headquarters 101 Area took an active part in combat operations in the Sylhet and Mymensingh districts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and was the first to reach Dhaka, thereby earning the sobriquet ‘First in Dacca’,”
Headquarters 101 Area observed the commencement of the 50th anniversary of Vijay Diwas being celebrated as ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ by paying tributes to the valiant personnel of the Armed Forces who made the supreme sacrifice during various operations in the 1971 war.
Meanwhile, various events as part of Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations have been lined up by the 101 Area.
Some of the programmes include Weapon and Equipment display, Screening of movies on 1971 war in Schools and Colleges, Band Concert, football Championship and other events to be hosted in Shillong, Guwahati and other cities of the region.
