Lieutenant  General (R) Jagjit Singh Aurora will always be remembered for scripting Indian Army's victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and overseeing surrender of over 90,000 Pakistani Army soldiers. The  image of Lt Gen Aurora taking the signature of  Pakistan Army's Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi on the Instrument of Surrender on December 16, 1971, will always remain alive in the memories of the Indians, thus becoming immortal. The year 2020 marks the 104th birth anniversary of one of the most decorated officers of the Indian Army. Air Force Day 2019: From Bangladesh Liberation War to Balakot Airstrikes, List of Major IAF Operations in Post-Independence India.

Lt Gen Aurora was born on February 12, 1916, in Kala Gujran, Jhelum district of undivided Punjab. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy in 1939 and was commissioned into the 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment. Lt Gen Aurora was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command when the war broke out between the India and Pakistan in 1971. Vijay Diwas: How India Brought Pakistan to Its Knees And Liberated Bangladesh in 1971 War.

Here Are Interesting Facts About Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora:

  1. After the partition, Aurora opted to join the Indian Army and participated in the Indo-Pak war of 1947 as a commissioned officer.

  2. In May 1961, as BGS XXXIII Corps, Brigadier Aurora led a team of Army officers on a reconnaissance mission to Bhutan.

  3. He fought in the Sino-Indian War in 1962 as a Brigadier.

  4. On June 6, 1966, Aurora was appointed Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) with the acting rank of Lieutenant General. Finally, he was promoted to Lt Gen rank in August in the same year.

  5. On June 8, 1969, he was appointed the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command.

  6. He organised and led the Indian forces in the Eastern sector against the Pakistani Army leading to the creation of Bangladesh.

  7. Lt Gen Aurora forced  Unified Commander of Pakistan Armed Forces's Eastern Military High Command, Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi to sign an unconditional  Instrument of Surrender.

  8. Aurora was honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Padma Bhushan for his role in the war.

Lt Gen (R) Jagjit Singh Aurora Receiving Surrender of Over 90,000 Pakistani Army Soldiers:

Lt Gen (R) Jagjit Singh receiving surrender of over 90,000 Pakisatni Army soldiers. (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

Lt. Gen Aurora retired from the Indian Army in 1973. After retirement from the Indian Army, he joined Akali Dal and served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. He was a vocal critic of the Operation Blue Star conducted by the Indian Army to flush out Sikh extremists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Lt Gen (R) Aurora died at an age of 89 years on May 3, 2005, in New Delhi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2020 08:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).