Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 30: The Department of Strategic and Regional Studies (DSRS), University of Jammu, today organized a special lecture, titled “The 1971 War: Re-examining the Largest Military Surrender after the World War-Il” in memory of nation-builders who sacrificed their lives during the freedom movement of India.
Major Gen (Retd) Goverdhan Singh Jamwal presided over the inaugural session while Brigadier (Retd) Vijay Sagar Dheman delivered the special lecture.
Brig Dheman contextualized the initial wars of India with Pakistan and China that eventually drew India to the 1971 War with Pakistan over East Pakistan, which concluded with the surrender of 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan.
“The Indian Government opened its border to allow the Bengali refugees to find safe shelter in West Bengal and Bihar camps. This resulted in a flood of impoverished East Pakistani refugees strained India’s already overburdened economy and provided India an opportunity to train the Mukti Vahini to initiate the Guerrilla war against the Pakistani forces,” he said.
In his presidential remarks, Maj. Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal discussed the mistakes committed in the past which are required to present the real version of history in contemporary times. He stressed that J&K’s contribution to the freedom struggle and India’s defence and security must be recorded, taught, and researched appropriately and adequately in academics.
To elaborate on this, Gen Jamwal maintained, “incomplete and wrong historical facts always pose a threat to the existence of communities and nations, therefore histories must be accurate, complete and inclusive”.
Director DSRS, Prof Virender Koundal gave concluding remarks. He also presented the chief guest and guest of honour his book ‘Swatantra Sangram Mein Jammu-Kashmir Ka Yogdan’.
Faculty of the DSRS, Dr Mohd Monir Alam, Dr Suneel Kumar, Dr Surinder Mohan, Dr Ganesh Malhotra, Dr Ranjan Sharma besides others, including Devinder Kahluria, Riya Kahluria, Dikha Kahluria, Ashok Sharma Vashisht, Arun Prabhat Jamwal, Luv Sharma, Rakesh Gupta and many eminent academicians, journalists, members of civil society, research scholars, and PG students of Semester I and -III attended the seminar.
Dr Ganesh Malhotra conducted proceedings of the seminar while Dr Mohd Monir Alam presented the vote of thanks.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
