2023 - Operation Vijay 1971 | Mint Souvenir Token

The 2023 saw the coloured souvenir token issued on Operation Vijay 1971 by India Government Mint, Kolkata.

Operation Vijay was against the infiltrating Pakistani troops. In 1971 on December 16, India won the war against Pakistan which had lasted almost 13 days.  Along with 93,000 Pakistani troops the chief of the Pakistani Forces, Maj General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi had surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladesh’s Mukti Bahini. Niazi was at that time the Commander of the Pakistan Eastern Command; he had also signed the ‘Instrument of Surrender’ on that day at Ramna Race Course in Dacca (In the present time this is known as Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh).

This was on that day signed and accepted by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, who was the then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Eastern Command.

The struggle for independence in East Pakistan, it all started on December 3, 1971 and 13 days later it resulted in unconditional surrender of the Pakistan Army. On this day rich tributes are paid to those who had put their lives on line during the war.

Since the 1947 partition, there has always been animosity between India and Pakistan for several reasons and one of them being East Pakistan.  The events leading up to the 1971 war were what had prompted the Indian Army troops to get involved.

The war between the two countries lasted almost 13 days – resulting in the liberation of a new country – Bangladesh on December 16, 1971.  And, this not only established the prowess of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy, this changed the contours of the world map too. Bangladesh celebrates this day as `Bijoy Dibos’ – marking its formal independence from Pakistan.