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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the National War Memorial in Delhi. (Twitter/narendramodi) Marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their respects at the National War Memorial in Delhi. On December 16, 1971, Pakistan’s then eastern army commander Lt Gen A A K Niazi had surrendered unconditionally, bringing the war to an end, which India now celebrates as Vijay Diwas.
Modi tweeted on Thursday, “On this special day of Vijay Diwas, I had the honour of paying my respects at the National War Memorial and merging into the Eternal Flame, the four Vijay Mashaals which traversed across the length and breadth of the country over the course of last one year.”
On this special day of Vijay Diwas, I had the honour of paying my respects at the National War Memorial and merging into the Eternal Flame, the four Vijay Mashaals which traversed across the length and breadth of the country over the course of last one year. pic.twitter.com/HwTKXEcaoq
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2021
He was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Army Chief General M M Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari at the ceremonial wreath laying at the war memorial.
In another tweet earlier, Modi recalled the “great valour and sacrifice by the Muktijoddhas, Biranganas and bravehearts of the Indian Armed Forces” saying, “together, we fought and defeated oppressive forces”.
Singh tweeted in the morning that on the “Swarnim Vijay Diwas” “we remember the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces during the 1971 war. The 1971 war is the golden chapter in India’s military history. We are proud of our armed forces and their achievements.”
This Day, That Year! pic.twitter.com/t9Tp73wvl2
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 16, 2021
He shared a series of photographs from the war, including the iconic photograph of Niazi signing the instrument of surrender. Singh also shared a photo of the instrument of surrender on Twitter.
The Defence Ministry and the armed forces have conducted a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the victory over several weeks.
President Ram Nath Kovind is in Dhaka to attend the Victory Day Parade, marking 50 years of Bangladesh’s liberation.
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