2016-12-16 Fri

16th December 1971 is the day that Pakistan was partitioned; East Pakistan was liberated and Bangladesh was formed. This day is celebrated as Vijay Diwas (Victory day) in India marking its military victory over Pakistan and her success in liberating Bangladesh in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

By 13th December, 3,000 Indian troops led by Lieutenant General Jacob Farj Rafael Jacob were on the outskirts of Dhaka. On 16th December morning Indian Army Chief Sam Manekshaw gave Jacob a simple order – “Go get a surrender”; Lieutenant General Aak Niazi, Governor of East Pakistan wanted to call it a ceasefire, not surrender.

Jacob gave Niazi 30 minutes to respond. For 30 minutes Niazi said nothing after which Jacob said: “I take your silence as a yes”. Indian Army’s Eastern Commander Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora accepted Niazi’s surrender in full public view at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka, making Pakistan’s humiliation absolute.

India took 90,000 Pakistani Prisoners of War. The liberation of Bangladesh was India’s greatest military victory.

India Post released a commemorative stamp to celebrate Vijay Diwas in 1996 valuing 2 INR. The stamp shows 3 soldiers saluting three flags.

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