"Renaming of #Fort William to VIJAY DURG is a tribute to Indian Army’s finest military victory in post-independent India in 1971 that was spearheaded by Fort William (VIJAY DURG) based Eastern Command.
This lightening military campaign, that saw the creation of Bangladesh as also unconditional surrender of over 93,000 Pakistani troops, is celebrated on 16 December every year as VIJAY DIWAS, to honour the historic victory and the sacrifices of our soldiers.
Any attempt to link it to anything else is misleading, deleterious and irresponsible," said a twitter (X) post by the Eastern Command of Indian Army.
The 'misinterpreted version' put in circulation was that the Defence ministry’s decision to rename Kolkata’s historic Fort William as Vijaydurg was akin to Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg.
It was also spread of course with ill-intent and political motive that "renaming" colonial landmarks is not new but the choice of a Maratha name for a British-built fort in West Bengal was anti-thesis to the historical context.
The truth of course is far from has been circulated in some quarters.
There is of course a 12th-century fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg that Shivaji had restructured. But it has nothing to do with the India army's decision or the Ministry of Defence nod vis-a-vis the Fort William in Kolkata.
The official version of the Eastern Command makes it crystal clear indeed:
"Every year a military delegation from Bangladesh takes part in these joint celebrations, reinforcing the deep military ties between the two nations.
The recently held celebrations in Dec 2024 (Dec 16th) saw the Hon’ble Governor Shri CV Ananda Bose and Hon’ble Chief Minister Ms Mamta Banerjee also participate wholeheartedly, marking the occasion with great reverence."
The Indian Army fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, also known as the Indo-Pakistani war. India's involvement in the war helped create Bangladesh as an independent country.
As a backgrounder we may mention that Pakistan had launched air strikes on Indian air stations on December 3, 1971.
India declared war on Pakistan in response and famous war was fought on two fronts, in the east and the west.
On December 16, 1971, the Pakistan Army signed the Instrument of Surrender in Dhaka.
It is also noteworthy that the Indian Air Force achieved air superiority in the eastern theater.
The Mukti Bahini, a guerrilla resistance movement, liberated many cities and towns.
The Indian Army and the Mukti Bahini advanced rapidly and finally the then East Pakistan became Bangladesh.
In fact, giving a new name to the Fort William was over due.
Fort William in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Indian Army's Eastern Command, was originally named after King William III of England.who played a crucial role in the rise and spread of Protestant Christianity in Europe.
King William III of England, also known as William of Orange, was the reigning monarch in 1700.
The original fort was built in 1696 by the British East India Company.
The fort, whose construction work was started by Job Charnock in Hastings, suffered significant damage during the siege of Calcutta in 1756.
ends
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