'Vijay Diwas' is being celebrated across the nation today to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. Tributes are being paid to the martyrs who lost their lives during the war.
Since the partition of British India in 1947, two countries, India and Pakistan have been involved in a number of wars. The ‘Indo-Pakistani War of 1971’ was a major military conflict between the two countries.

1971 has special significance in Indian history as the Indian Army had broken Pakistan into two pieces with their immense power, resulting in the formation of Bangladesh.

On 16 December 1971, India won Pakistan in the war. For this reason, this day is celebrated as ‘Vijay Diwas’ or Victory Day.

The 1971 war started when Pakistan launched airstrikes on 11 Indian airbases, in which over 3,800 soldiers of India and Pakistan sacrificed their lives.

The conflict between the two countries was sparked by the Bangladesh Liberation War.

It is believed that the war ignited after the 1970 Pakistani election, in which the East Pakistani Awami League won 167 of 169 seats in East Pakistan.

Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presented Six Points and claimed the right to form a government. After the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, refused to give premiership of Pakistan to Mujibur, President Yahya Khan called in the military, which was made up largely of West Pakistanis.

On March 27, 1971, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi expressed full support to the Bangladeshi struggle for freedom.

The governments of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura established refugee camps along the border.

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