BASH ON REGARDLESS HB

54 Infantry Division, commanded by then Maj Gen WAG Pinto, added a golden chapter to India’s post-independence military history during the 1971 Indo-Pak war (commonly known as the Bangladesh war) on the Western front. As CO of 9 Engineer Regiment, I had the proud privilege to be part of this offensive as the engineer task force commander. From 3rd December to 17th December, under the leadership of Gen Pinto, we fought as a well-knit all arms force; blazed our own trail, crossed three minefields of unprecedented depth, forced our enemy to react and commit his theatre reserves at the place and time of our choosing. This thrust into Pakistani territory culminated in the epic Battle of Basantar from 15th to 17th December, where we decimated the opposition and knocked out one infantry and one armoured brigade, as a consequence of which the Pakistan high command had to concede defeat and accept the ceasefire in the Western Theatre from 8:00 pm on 17th December 1971.