VISAKHAPATNAM : The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Vijay Diwas on Friday by paying tributes to the personnel of the armed forces who made the supreme sacrifice in various operations, including in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain laid a floral wreath at the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’, the Navy War Memorial, on RK Beach in the morning.
Wreaths were also laid by Navy Foundation president Vice Admiral VK Namballa (retired) and city police commissioner T Yoganand and Deputy Chief of Flotilla, Pacific Fleet, who is participating in INDRA-Navy bilateral exercise, Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov and paid homage to the martyrs.
On the occasion, a A 50-man Guard of Honour was also paraded at the venue and a two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the soldiers who have laid down their lives for country.
The defence services across the country celebrate Vijay Diwas on December 16 every year to commemorate the historic victory against Pakistan in the 1971 war.
On the momentous day, the Pakistani Forces under the command of Lt Gen AAK Niazi surrendered in Dhaka, in the presence of three tri-service theatre Commanders of Indian Armed Forces. It was on this day in 1971 that the declaration of ceasefire was brought into force ending the Indo-Pak war, resulting in the birth of the sovereign country of Bangladesh.