Rapid Fire
54th Anniversary of Vijay Diwas
- 18 Dec 2025
- 3 min read
India observed the 54th Vijay Diwas on 16th December to mark its historic military victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, a 13-day conflict that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
Indo-Pakistan War 1971
- Cause & Intervention: Operation Searchlight, a pre-planned military crackdown, was launched by the Pakistan Army on 25th March 1971 in East Pakistan to seize major cities, disarm Bengali forces, and arrest or eliminate Awami League leaders and supporters.
- It led to mass atrocities causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and forcing about 10 million refugees into India.
- This humanitarian crisis prompted India's intervention in support of Bangladesh's independence struggle.
- Decisive Victory & Surrender: The conflict concluded with the surrender of about 93,000 Pakistani soldiers in Dhaka on 16th December, 1971—one of the largest military surrenders since World War II.
- Strategic Leadership & Operations: The victory was led by Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and featured key operations like Operation Trident (naval operation) against Karachi port and iconic battles such as the Battle of Longewala 1971.
- Outcome & Sacrifice: The war resulted in the liberation and formation of Bangladesh, cementing India's regional standing.
- The Shimla Agreement was signed on 2nd July 1972, in Shimla, following the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, with both nations resolving to end conflict and confrontation.
- Significance: Vijay Diwas honors the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces and the Mukti Bahini (Bengali guerrilla resistance movement), reinforces national unity, and serves as a reminder of the human cost of freedom.
| Read More: Indo-Pak War: 1971 |
