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Journalism of Courage
Vijay Diwas 2025 was commemorated with military solemnity at the Army’s Southern Command War Memorial in Pune on Tuesday, marking 54 years of India’s decisive victory in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which concluded on December 16 that year. As part of the observance, veterans of the 1971 war and widows of soldiers who died in the line of duty were felicitated.
Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, led the observance in the presence of serving personnel and veterans of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy. The central event of the commemoration was a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial, during which the Army commander laid a commemorative wreath on behalf of all ranks of the Southern Command, paying homage to the brave soldiers, airmen, and sailors who made the supreme sacrifice. A solemn silence was observed as a mark of collective remembrance and gratitude to the martyrs of the 1971 war.
The short and intense 1971 war, which was fought on both the eastern and western fronts, concluded with the surrender of Pakistani forces and the creation of Bangladesh. The war began with Pakistan launching pre-emptive airstrikes against 11 Indian airbases on December 3, 1971. The notable battles fought in the area of responsibility of the Southern Command included the famous battles of Longewala and Parbat Ali, where the Indian troops defeated Pakistan’s forces.
The Battle of Longewala was fought between December 4 and 7, 1971. This was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the war. Longewala is located in Rajasthan’s Thar desert and was at the time defended by a company of the 23 Punjab regiment, commanded by Major (later Brigadier) Kuldip Singh Chandpuri.
The raid on the Pakistani town of Chachro—carried out by soldiers of the 10 Para Commando Battalion led by Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Bhawani Singh—was another noted military action deep inside enemy territory. In this surgical strike, the Para Commando Battalion went 80 km inside the Sindh province to raid and destroy enemy garrisons at Chachro and other places of military significance in the vicinity.
