Page 20 - seniors today november 2020

War & History

The Lightning Campaign Victors with their war booty, a Chaffee tank

The liberation of Bangladesh was possible because of the low morale of the
Pakistan armed forces, chiefly caused by the famous Battle of Garibpur in
November 1971. Col VY Gidh, VSM (Retd) looks back on one of the finest
moments in Indian history

The ‘Lightning Campaign’ to liberate Pakistan army in early 1971. In view of
Bangladesh during the Indo-Pak War 1971 the military actions by the Mukti Bahini,
was one of the finest moments in Indian Pakistani forays and provocations inside
history. One of the main factors leading Indian territory increased, leading to Indian
to the fall of the erstwhile East Pakistan casualties. 14 Punjab was concentrated
was the low morale of the Pakistan near the International Border, where it was
Armed Forces. While various factors are tasked to train the Mukti Fauj volunteers.
attributable to this lowering of morale, It also had to neutralise an enemy border
one major factor was the famous ‘Battle of outpost, Dhopakhali, manned by Pakistani
Garibpur’ fought in the initial stages of the
war.
This key battle, fought on November 21-22,
1971 before the Indo-Pak War was officially
declared on December 3, 1971, was the
first major battle in East Pakistan where a
single infantry battalion 14 Punjab (Nabha
Akal) supported by a squadron of armour
successfully fought a Pakistani brigade.
The situation on the Indo-Pak border
was worsening due to genocide by the Brigadier RK Singh with a copy of The Battle of Garibpur

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