Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora - Sikhs The Supreme

The finest hour of the millennium for India descended on Dec. 16, 1971 at 4.51 p.m. when Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, GOC - in-C, East Pakistan, and his 93,000 strong army surrendered to Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Arora, GOC-in-C, India's eastern command, hero of this war, that gave birth to a new independent nation on the globe, only in 13 days. This is the only example of its own kind in the world history. In India's military archives, the most celebrated photograph is that of the surrender of Dhaka in 1971. After a period of 2300 years, when in 303 BC, Chandragupt Maurya defeated Seleucus Nicator, it was our FIRST decisive victory over any foreign army of importance. The architect who crafted this 13-day war was Gen. J.S. Arora who was paid tributes by none other than the Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw himself, the then Chief of Indian Army, in the words, "WE ARE PROUD OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS"... "WHILE JAGGI DID ALL THE WORK, I GOT THE BATON (of field marshal)". Once in an interview to Delhi Television's perspective, Gen. S.H.F.J. Manekshaw said, "I CANNOT DO BETTER THAN READ THE MESSAGE TO LT. GEN. ARORA." Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee described Gen. Arora as the "PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT" of 1971 victory and A GREAT WAR STRATEGIST.

Born on Feb. 13, 1917 in Distt. Jhelum (Pak), Gen. Arora got his primary education at Rawalpindi. After commissioning in Indian Military Academy, he was deputed as Commissioned Officer in Punjab Regiment in Jan. 1939. He took part in action against Kabaili intruders and Pakistani forces in May 1948 in Kashmir, as a Lt. Col. of Para Regiment-I (Punjab). In 1947 at the time of partition he was assigned the job of rescuing the refugees from Pakistan, which he accomplished with great tenacity. In 1961 he was sent to Bhutan on special mission and he proved the main architect in shaping the military ties between India and Bhutan. Under his leadership, a unit of Indian army gave a befitting reply to Chinese forces when, in 1967 they attacked Nathu La. It was a glorious moment for the Indian Army which was badly frustrated by Chinese Army in 1962. In 1966 he was promoted to the post of Lt. General and Dy. Chief of Army Staff. He served the army as GOC - in - C of Eastern Command from 1969 to 1973.

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