Emotion of 1971 Indo-Pak war should not fade: GOC-in-C Krishna

The excitement and emotion over the victory of Indian armed forces against Pakistan and birth of Bangladesh on this day in 1971 should pass on to the next generation, the GOC-in-C of Eastern Command Abhay Krishna said today.

The feelings and exuberance should not pass away with the generation which was connected with the event, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Abhay Krishna said after the wreath-laying ceremony on 'Vijay Diwas' at the Eastern Command headquarter Fort William here.

A 72-member Bangladesh delegation, including Mukti Joddhas (freedom fighters), was present at the solemn event in memory of those who laid down their lives in the 1971 war.
 

"It's exciting and a matter of pride that even today, after so many years, we are so emotionally connected about everything and we feel so good about it," Krishna said.

"My only thrust is that this excitement, this emotional connect, should not pass away with the generation which was connected with that event in those days. It has to pass down to the next generation also," he said.

In a joint statement, Lt Gen Krishna and Mosharraf Hossain, leader of the Bangladesh delegation and a minister in the Sheikh Hasina Cabinet, said that Vijay Diwas is an occasion for both nations to re-affirm the principles of democracy and lend support to each other in their pursuance.

"With these celebrations, both nations re-pledge their commitment towards friendship and mutual respect," the statement said.

Recounting his memories, Krishna said he was a student of seventh standard at St Xavier's School in Patna and got to know about the war from his elder brother who was in the Air Force, and then from the media.

"It really excited all of us at that time even at that age, that something very very big has happened, that we have liberated a nation," he said.

Hossain, a Mukti Joddha himself, actively participated in the Liberation War for his country and had blown up a crucial bridge during the conflict, hitting the supply lines of the Pakistan Army in the eastern theatre.