Vijay Diwas 2021: 5 lesser-known stories from India's glorious win over Pakistan in the 1971 War

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Dec 16, 2021, 10:58 AM IST

December 16 every year is celebrated as Vijay Diwas to mark India's glorious victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War and the creation of Bangladesh.

December 16 every year is celebrated as Vijay Diwas to mark India's glorious victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War. This day also led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of a new country, Bangladesh. On this day, 50 years ago, the Chief of Pakistan forces, General Niazi, along with 93,000 Pakistani soldiers, surrendered to Indian forces. Celebrated as 'Bijoy Dibos' or Bangladesh Liberation Day in Bangladesh, this day signifies the official independence of the country from Pakistan.

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On Vijay Diwas, we take a look at five interesting stories about the Indo-Pak War of 1971 we bet you did not know.

1. The story of the brave mule Pedongi, who bagged a unique award from the Indian Army

A bay mare of Spanish breed, Pedongi, joined the Indian Army in 1962. Part of the Animal Transport units, under the Indian Army Service Corps., Pedongi's primary job was to transport ammunition and casualties to military hospitals on some of the most treacherous tracks in the world. During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, an animal transport column that included Pedongi was captured by Pakistani forces. However, days later, Pedongi escaped carrying boxes of Pakistani ammunition on her back.

Years later, in 1987, then 29-year-old Pedongi was stationed at 853 AT Company ASC when the Commanding Officer Major Chunni Lal Sharma noticed the mule's bravery and loyalty. She was made the mascot of 53 AT Company ASC, and in 1989 her photograph graced the 'season's greeting card' of the unit. In 1992, Pedongi was taken to Delhi, where she was presented with a bravery citation and a ceremonial blue velvet rug. In 1997, the brave mule also made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'Longest-Serving Military Mule' before passing away in Bareilly on March 25, 1998.

2. An Auschwitz survivor helped India get Israel's aid in the Indo-Pak War 1971

Even though India and Israel did not have diplomatic relations those days, a book 'The Blood Telegram' by American journalist Gary Bass notes that Israel secretly provided India weapons and instructors in the run-up to the 1971 War. Although the book focuses on how US President Richard Nixon turned a blind eye to the repression of then East Pakistan by military ruler Yahya Khan, it offers an interesting glimpse of what was perhaps the first instance of military cooperation between Israel and India.

Gary Bass, in the book, mentions that in July 1971, Golda Meir, Israel's then PM, secretly got an Israeli arms manufacturer to provide India with some mortars and ammunition, along with a few instructors. The arms maker who provided the mortars and ammunition is identified as Shlomo Zabludowicz, a Polish Jew and a survivor of the horrifying Auschwitz concentration camp. According to reports, Shlomo was then heading Establishments Salgado, a Liechtenstein-based firm that had supplied Israeli arms to India during the 1962 and 1965 wars.

3. How Lt Gen JFR Jacob masterminded Pakistan's surrender in the 1971 War

During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, then Major General JFR Jacob was the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command. A renowned Indian Army officer, he was the brainchild behind the 'war of movement' strategy for the war. The plan was to reach Dhaka using secondary routes after neutralising Pakistan's communication infrastructure and command. On December 16, 1971, Jacob made his way to Dhaka, where he persuaded the then Pakistani Army commander in East Pakistan, Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, to surrender along with his 93,000 soldiers. This extraordinary feat marked the end of the 1971 war.

Also read: How Indian Navy's iconic Operation Trident paralyzed Pakistan during the 1971 war

4. The unsung Rabari herder from Kutch, who helped Indian Army during the war

During the 1965 war, Ranchod Pagi, who hailed from a family of Rabaris - a nomadic tribe of herders living in Limbala village of Banaskantha, was recruited by the Indian Army as a scout for his exceptional tracking skills. Pagi had a unique ability to deduce crucial intelligence about troop movements from their footprints, thank to having lived a life intertwined with livestock and nature.

Affectionately known as the 'old war camel' by BSF jawans, Pagi could also identify the number of intruders, their speed of movement and whether they are carrying any weight/luggage from footprints. He was also able to identify how much time had elapsed since the intruders made their way into Indian territory and which direction they headed. This skill provided the Indian Army with key inputs that helped them strategise better. His expertise helped Indian Amry capture crucial posts of Chharkot and Vidyakot in the 1965 war. He repeated this feat by helping the Indian Army capture the Pali Nagar post during the 1971 war. Interestingly, following the 1971 War, Pagi was personally invited by an impressed Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw to meet him. A chopper was sent to bring the Gujarat scout, and Sam Manekshaw rewarded him with Rs. 300 for his stellar work.

5. The diplomatic battle India fought in the UN for recognition of Bangladesh

While everyone remembers India's glorious victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, very few know the diplomatic battle New Delhi fought in the United Nations to ensure recognition of a newly-created Bangladesh. In 1972, then PM Indira Gandhi asked her envoys in New York to move a resolution in the General Assembly seeking international recognition of Bangladesh. Nations like the United States and China had raised apprehensions on the armed intervention by India (backed by USSR) in support of Bangladesh's secession from Pakistan. The question that was raised is - if Bangladesh was really Independent? Only two countries - Mongolia and Bhutan - backed India's resolution after much lobbying. In fact, Mongolia signalled the UN General Assembly that it would co-sponsor India's resolution. In response, Pakistan immediately cut off diplomatic ties with Mongolia.

An immensely pleased Indira Gandhi invited Y. Tsedenbal, then Mongolia PM, to visit India. Tsedenbal, who had enjoyed her father Pandit Nehru's hospitality in 1959, accepted the invitation. During Tsedenbal's visit to India in February 1973, both nations signed the Joint Indo-Mongol Declaration.

Also read: The 13-day war that led to birth of a nation in 1971

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