India observes 15th death anniversary of one of the most decorated Indian Army officers Lieutenant General (Retd) Jagjit Singh Aurora. Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora breathed his last at the age of 89 years on May 3, 2005. Lt Gen Aurora will always be remembered who brought the Pakistan Army on knees. He scripted Indian Army's victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. 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. Vijay Diwas: How India Brought Pakistan to Its Knees And Liberated Bangladesh in 1971 War.

The Indian Army officer oversaw the surrender of over 90,000 Pakistani Army soldiers in erstwhile East Pakistan. The Image of Lt Gen Aurora taking surrender from Pakistan Army's Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi on December 16, 1971, can make every Indian proud of its Army. Lt Gen Aurora was born on February 12, 1916, in Kala Gujran, Jhelum district of undivided Punjab. Air Force Day 2019: From Bangladesh Liberation War to Balakot Airstrikes, List of Major IAF Operations in Post-Independence India.

Here Are Interesting Facts About Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora:

  • He graduated from the Indian Military Academy in 1939.

  • Lt Gen Aurora 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.

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

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

  • 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.

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

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

  • 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.

Aurora was honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Padma Bhushan for his role in the war. 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 criticised the then Indira Gandhi government for carrying out the Operation Blue Star to flush out Sikh extremists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 03, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).