Remembering the unsung heroes of the war of 1971

Tomorrow, we will celebrate the 54th Victory Day.

- Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan.

On December 16, 1971, close to 100,000 Pakistan soldiers surrendered to the Indian Army. Bangladesh was born, and post-Partition Pakistan lost a chunk of its territory.To whom would you attribute this great military success? Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, lieutenant-general Jagjit Singh Aurora, lieutenant-general JFR Jacob or then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi? But, do you remember who India’s defence minister was at the time? And, who was the Indian Army general who went against the orders of the headquarters and forced Pakistan general AAK Niazi to surrender? The unsung heroes reflect the tragic mysteries of history.

Some of us may be aware that the Indian military brass divided the Army locked in combat with East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) into four corps. General Sagat Singh was commanding the 4th Corps. He was tasked to enter East Pakistan from along the border in the northeastern states. It was a tough task. Dozens of rivers, rivulets, jungles, swamps and rugged terrain marked this approach. Conventional wisdom dictated that the Army had to cross cities like Bhawanipur, Akhaura, and Memonsingh.

Niazi had heavily fortified these cities to bog down Indian forces. Considering natural obstacles as his advantage, Niazi left them unguarded. This was his mistake-General Sagat Singh was known for moving through unconventional approaches with blinding speed.