”The (1971 India-Pakistan) war tells us that the partition of India on the basis of religion was a historic mistake,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today.

Pakistan was born in the name of one religion but it could not remain one. After the defeat of 1971, it has continuously been fighting a proxy war. Pakistan wanted to disrupt peace in India by promoting terrorism and other anti-India activities, he said.

Rajnath was inaugurating ”Swarnim Vijay Parv”, an event commemorating the valour and professionalism of the armed forces and their contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh in the Indo-Pak 1971 war, at India Gate Lawns here. The event marks the culmination of year-long celebrations of 50 years of India’s victory in the war.

The minister said; ”Tthe anti-India feeling in Pakistan can be seen from the fact that they name their missiles after invaders who attacked India – Ghori, Ghaznavi, Abdali, whereas India’s missiles are named Akash, Prithvi, Agni. Now one of our missiles has also been named Sant”.

At the outset, Rajnath paid rich tributes to India’s first Chief of the Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on 8 December. “In the untimely death of General Rawat, India has lost a brave soldier, an able advisor and a lively person. He was looking forward to taking part in the Swarnim Vijay Parv,” he said.

The minister termed ‘Swarnim Vijay Parv’ as a festival that commemorates the glorious victory of the Indian armed forces in the 1971 war, which changed the history and geography of South Asia. He paid tributes to the brave Indian soldiers, sailors and air warriors and their families who ensured the victory in the 1971 war, saying that the country will always be indebted to their sacrifice.

“This festival is a testament to the fact that the memories of 1971 are still fresh in the heart of every Indian. At the same time, it is a symbol of the zeal, passion and valour our forces displayed during the 1971 war. It inspires us to keep moving forward on the path of Nation’s progress with the same zeal and passion,” he added.

Rajnath described the 1971 war victory as an epitome of the spirit of humanity and universal brotherhood of Indians who live in a country, which considers the whole earth as its family and has always stood for truth and justice.

He stated that the victory in the 1971 war was the triumph of humanity over inhumanity, virtue over misconduct and justice over injustice. He cited the statement by Martin Luther King Jr. in a famous New York speech, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Shri Rajnath Singh said, the atrocities on the people of then East Pakistan was a threat to the entire humanity and it was India’s responsibility to liberate them of that injustice and exploitation.

He said the 1971 war is a classic example of India’s morals and democratic traditions. “It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country does not impose its dominance, but hands over power to its political representative. India did this because it is a part of our culture. India has never invaded any country, nor has it ever captured an inch of the land of any other country,” he added.