The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : War veterans go down memory lane

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 17, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

War veterans go down memory lane

Staff Reporter

Vijay Diwas marking the victory of 1971 war celebrated
Documentary film on 1971 war screened on the occasion

HYDERABAD: If it is not war, it will be peace time for civilians. However, this does not apply to Defence personnel. For them, if it is not war, it will be the preparation for war.

The same message was conveyed by General (Retd) K.V.Krishna Rao to 54 Infantry Division on the occasion of Vijay Diwas-- the annual celebration of the day in 1971 when Pakistan’s Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi signed the instrument of surrender, submitting his forces to the Indian command.

Addressing a gathering of 1971 war veterans at an event hosted by the commanding officer of the Division, Major General Anil Chait at his official residence ‘Bison House’ on Sunday, the former Chief of Army Staff and erstwhile Governor General of Jammu and Kashmir asked the new generation officers to study historical wars during peace time in order to prepare for any eventuality of war.

“I served in Burma during World War II, and it was an experience that had taught me everything about war,” he said and maintained that no amount of training could match a real time war experience.

Maintaining that the country has so far faced only four real wars, General Rao dismissed Kargil experience as just a “confrontation limited to a sector”.

Crucial role

General Krishna Rao, it may be recalled, played a crucial role in liberating the North-East sector of Bangladesh in 1971—an achievement that had got him the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

Commending the 54 Infantry Division as the best in Western Command during Bangladesh War, he fondly remembered General Pinto who commanded the Division then.

“The Division was high on morale. They were eagerly hoping for an act of aggression from Pakistan so that they could trounce their troops once again,” the General said.

A documentary film made on 1971 war was screened on the occasion.

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