India on Thursday celebrated Vijay Diwas to mark the 50th anniversary of 1971 war and liberation of Bangladesh. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the valour and sacrifice by the Indian Armed forces, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Victory Day in Dhaka and said the 1971 Liberation War has a special place in the hearts of every Indian.
Modi led the nation on Thursday in paying tributes to the Armed forces by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.
“On the 50th Vijay Diwas, I recall the great valour and sacrifice by the Muktijoddhas, Biranganas and bravehearts of the Indian Armed forces. Together, we fought and defeated oppressive forces. Rashtrapati’s presence in Dhaka is of special significance to every Indian,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter.
However the occasion was marred by a controversy with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi criticising the Government for ignoring former PM Indira Gandhi, who played a pivotal role in the 1971 war.
Four victory torches (Vijay Mashaals), which were taken across the country during the last one year, were merged into the memorial’s eternal flame by the PM.
These victory torches, which were lighted by the PM exactly a year ago, were carried to various parts of India, including to villages of the awardees of Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra of the 1971 war, as a part of Golden Jubilee year celebrations (Swarnim Vijay Varsh).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and chiefs of the three Armed forces were present at the National War Memorial during the event. Modi said on Twitter, “On this special day of Vijay Diwas, I had the honour of paying my respects at the National War Memorial and merging into the Eternal Flame, the four Vijay Mashaals which traversed across the length and breadth on Dhaka.”
President Kovind on Thursday said India has always attached the highest priority to its friendship with Bangladesh and that New Delhi remains committed to doing all it can to help realise the full potential of its friendship with Dhaka.
Addressing the Victory Day celebrations here, President Kovind said the 1971 Liberation War, struggle for freedom has a special place in the hearts of every Indian.
“India has always attached highest priority to its friendship with Bangladesh. We remain committed to doing all we can to help realise the full potential of our friendship with Bangladesh,” he said.
The President said history will always be a witness to the unique foundation of India-Bangladesh friendship which is forced in the people’s war that liberated Bangladesh.
He said the world learnt a valuable lesson that the will of the majority of people cannot be subjugated by any force, however brutal. Indeed, seldom has humanity witnessed sacrifices on a scale so epic as during the 1971 war of liberation, he said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Parliament also paid tributes to Bangladeshi freedom fighters and Indian Armed forces on the 50th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, which celebrates India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh. Making a reference in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla remembered the exemplary courage displayed by freedom fighters of Bangladesh as well as the Indian Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
With names of Indira not mentioned in either of the House of Parliament, Congress members raised slogans hailing the late Prime Minister Indira for leading the nation during the 1971 war. In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the display of dauntless courage and gallantry by Indian Armed forces in 1971 is still remembered with pride and zeal across the country, which continues to inspire the people of the nation.
Meanwhile, accusing the Government of ignoring the role of Indira in the 1971 War, Rahul Gandhi said she took “32 bullets for the country” but her name was not even mentioned at a government event in New Delhi on the anniversary of the victory over Pakistan.
“It does not make any difference because I know what she (Indira) did for the country by giving her blood,” Rahul said launching his party’s campaign for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls during a rally at Parade Ground in Dehradun.
Congress rally at Parade Ground comes days after Modi held a rally at the venue.
He said the credit for the 1971 war victory, which came in just 13 days, does not go exclusively go to the Army, Navy or the political leadership of the day, it goes to the “united fight put up by Indians regardless of their cast or religion”.
Lakhs of families donated gold to the Government of the day to strengthen the fight against Pakistan, he said. The Congress leader said helicopters and fighter aircrafts do not strengthen a country. “A country becomes strong when its people are strong,” he said.
“The way thousands of families in Uttarakhand lose their kin battling for the country’s honour, my family too has made sacrifices. This is my relationship with Uttarakhand,” he said. Rahul said while travelling to Dehradun, he was thinking what kind of relationship he has with Uttarakhand.
“I thought of the few years I spent here as a student of the Doon School, during which I got a lot of your love. I was also reminded of two dates--October 31--when my grandmother became a martyr and--May 21--when my father was assassinated. And the word that struck me was sacrifice,” he added.
Rahul said he was at school when he was told that his grandmother received 32 bullet wounds. “Such calls are received by thousands of families in Uttarakhand when their kin make the supreme sacrifice to safeguard the country,” he said.
But families that have made no sacrifice for the nation cannot feel this, he said. They cannot feel what it means to lose a father or an uncle, the Congress leader said.
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, “Our first and only woman Prime Minister Indira is being left out of the misogynist BJP Government’s Vijay Diwas celebrations.”
“Modi, women don’t believe your platitudes. Your patronising attitude is unacceptable. It’s about time you started giving women their due,” said Priyanka.