Military 50 years
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally inaugurating the “Swarnim Vijay Varsh”, a conclave to mark 50 years of the war with Pakistan
50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDO-PAK WAR 1971 Overall, the conclave was an extremely enlightening experience not only on the war with Pakistan in December 1971; but more so the prevailing geopolitical and geostrategic disposition of the nation
Photograph: IAF
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd) The year 2021 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the war between India and Pakistan that was waged in December 1971 by the armed forces of the two nations. The war culminated in a humiliating defeat for the Pakistani Armed Forces deployed in East Pakistan. The Pakistan Army in East Pakistan surrendered to the Indian Army that took 93,000 prisoners of war who were finally released by India over a year after the war. But what was of greater significance was that the war in December 1971 resulted in the emergence of Bangladesh as an
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independent nation. The Indo-Pak war fought on both the Eastern and Western fronts was one of the shortest wars in the history of warfare. It lasted for just 13 days in which there was full involvement of and support from the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Indian Army penetrated East Pakistan moving on three axes and totally decimated all opposition by the forces of the enemy. The role played by the IAF in the war was indeed exemplary and the employment of air power had a strategic effect on the final outcome of the conflict with Pakistan.
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