Homage paid to 1971 war heroes

Chandigarh, December 16

Retired Honorary Commissioned Officers, under the banner of the National Federation of Defence Honorary Commissioned Officers (NFDHCO), lighted candles in memory of those who laid down their lives and attained martyrdom in the Indo-Pak war in 1971, here today.

Capt Jagdish Verma (retd), chairman of NFDHCO, said several veterans of the federation were active participants of the 1971 war. He himself was deployed in the Barmer Sector of Rajasthan. At 4.31 pm on December 16, 1971, armed forces of India forced Lt General AAK Niazi along with Pakistan’s 93,000 troops to surrender at Ramana Race Course Ground of Dacca in East Pakistan, he said.

He said: “In 1972, during the Simla Agreement, a golden opportunity was lost by releasing surrendered troops of the 1971 war and also land captured through the sacrifice of the life of nearly 3,000 soldiers without any precondition. Had India taken strong and clear-cut stand to get the PoK vacated and then repatriate Pakistan troops and the land, the Kashmir problem could have been solved once for all.”

Flight Lieutenant DS Bindra, Flying Officer BL Dhiman, Capt Hardev Singh Saini, Flying Officer SC Bhardwaj, Capt RS Dahya, Sub-Lieutenant RK Kapoor among others were present. — TNS