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Instrument of Surrender (1971)
Encyclopedia
The Instrument of Surrender was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka
at one past five in the evening (1701 hrs), local time, on December 16, 1971, by Lieutenant General
Jagjit Singh Aurora
, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General
Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, Commander of Pakistan
i forces in Bangladesh, as the formal act of surrender of all Pakistani forces in erstwhile East Pakistan. Also present during the ceremony were Lieutenant General JFR Jacob, Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command and architect of the plan for the capture of Bangladesh, and, the commanders of Indian Naval and Air Forces in the Eastern Theatre.
The signing of the document ended the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
, and led to the formation of Bangladesh. The name of the new country, Bangla Desh (later reduced to a single word), was used in the instrument of surrender, which declared: "The Pakistan Eastern Command agree to surrender all Pakistan armed forces in Bangla desh to Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Indian and BANGLA DESH forces
in the Eastern Theatre."
Aurora accepted the surrender
without a word, while the crowd on the race course started shouting anti-Niazi and anti-Pakistan slogans and abuses. Niazi along with a sizeable number of Pakistani soldiers were taken prisoner (upwards of 90,000). This was the largest number of POWs since World War II
and included some government officials.
"The PAKISTAN Eastern Command agree to surrender all PAKISTAN
Armed Forces in BANGLA DESH to Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA,
General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Indian and BANGLA DESH forces
in the Eastern Theatre. This surrender includes all PAKISTAN land, air
and naval forces as also all para-military forces and civil armed forces.
These forces will lay down their arms and surrender at the places where
they are currently located to the nearest regular troops under the
command of Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA.
The PAKISTAN Eastern Command shall come under the orders of
Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA as soon as the instrument has
been signed. Disobedience of orders will be regarded as a breach of
the surrender terms and will be dealt with in accordance with the
accepted laws and usages of war. The decision of Lieutenant-General
JAGJIT SINGH AURORA will be final, should any doubt arise as to the
meaning or interpretation of the surrender terms.
Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA gives a solemn assurance
that personnel who surrender shall be treated with dignity and respect
that soldiers are entitled to in accordance with provisions of the
GENEVA Convention and guarantees the safety and well-being of all
PAKISTAN military and para-military forces who surrender. Protection
will be provided to foreign nationals, ethnic minorities and personnel
of WEST PAKISTAN origin by the forces under the command of Lieutenant-
General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA."
Signed by J.S. Aurora and A.A.K. Niazi on 16 December 1971.
, the encounter between the two generals is shown in the chapter Sam and the Tiger
Virtual Bangladesh
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
at one past five in the evening (1701 hrs), local time, on December 16, 1971, by Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Jagjit Singh Aurora
Jagjit Singh Aurora
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, Commander of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i forces in Bangladesh, as the formal act of surrender of all Pakistani forces in erstwhile East Pakistan. Also present during the ceremony were Lieutenant General JFR Jacob, Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command and architect of the plan for the capture of Bangladesh, and, the commanders of Indian Naval and Air Forces in the Eastern Theatre.
The signing of the document ended the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, and led to the formation of Bangladesh. The name of the new country, Bangla Desh (later reduced to a single word), was used in the instrument of surrender, which declared: "The Pakistan Eastern Command agree to surrender all Pakistan armed forces in Bangla desh to Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Indian and BANGLA DESH forces
in the Eastern Theatre."
Aurora accepted the surrender
Surrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
without a word, while the crowd on the race course started shouting anti-Niazi and anti-Pakistan slogans and abuses. Niazi along with a sizeable number of Pakistani soldiers were taken prisoner (upwards of 90,000). This was the largest number of POWs since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and included some government officials.
Text of the Instrument
Armed Forces in BANGLA DESH to Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA,
General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Indian and BANGLA DESH forces
in the Eastern Theatre. This surrender includes all PAKISTAN land, air
and naval forces as also all para-military forces and civil armed forces.
These forces will lay down their arms and surrender at the places where
they are currently located to the nearest regular troops under the
command of Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA.
The PAKISTAN Eastern Command shall come under the orders of
Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA as soon as the instrument has
been signed. Disobedience of orders will be regarded as a breach of
the surrender terms and will be dealt with in accordance with the
accepted laws and usages of war. The decision of Lieutenant-General
JAGJIT SINGH AURORA will be final, should any doubt arise as to the
meaning or interpretation of the surrender terms.
Lieutenant-General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA gives a solemn assurance
that personnel who surrender shall be treated with dignity and respect
that soldiers are entitled to in accordance with provisions of the
GENEVA Convention and guarantees the safety and well-being of all
PAKISTAN military and para-military forces who surrender. Protection
will be provided to foreign nationals, ethnic minorities and personnel
of WEST PAKISTAN origin by the forces under the command of Lieutenant-
General JAGJIT SINGH AURORA."
Signed by J.S. Aurora and A.A.K. Niazi on 16 December 1971.
In Literature
In Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's ChildrenMidnight's Children
Midnight's Children is a 1981 book by Salman Rushdie about India's transition from British colonialism to independence and the partition of India. It is considered an example of postcolonial literature and magical realism...
, the encounter between the two generals is shown in the chapter Sam and the Tiger
Sources
INSTRUMENTS OF SURRENDER OF PAKISTANI FORCES IN DACCA Hosted by Ministry of External Affairs, IndiaVirtual Bangladesh