India Narrative

  As part of the mega celebrations marking December 16 -Vijay Diwas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the warriors of 1971 war at a solemn ceremony and lit the Swarnim Vijay Mashaal in the capital today. ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ also commemorates 50 years of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971. Modi was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. “On the 50th Vijay Diwas , I recall the great valour and sacrifice by the Muktijoddhas, Biranganas and bravehearts of the Indian Armed Forces. Together, we fought and defeated oppressive forces,” the Prime Minister tweeted in the morning. December 16 is celebrated with equal fervour in India and Bangladesh. The day, which is celebrated in India to mark its victory over Pakistani forces, for Bangladesh, it is the independence day. Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind, who is in Bangladesh attended the Victory Day Parade in Dhaka to mark the South Asian country’s 50 years of independence. A 122 member tri services contingent from

  As India and Bangladesh gear up to celebrate December 16 marked as Vijay Diwas for the South Asian nation, elaborate preparations are on even in the small northeastern state of Tripura. An emotional Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her trip Agartala in 2012 had recalled the immense contribution of the people of the northeatern state.” “If Bangladesh is India-locked, Tripura is Bangladesh-locked — goes an adage in the region,” a study by the Observer Research Foundation noted. India-Bangladesh relations have typically been driven by an overpowering narrative that emphasizes the commonalities between the people of West Bengal and the South Asian nation. True the two share common culture, language and food habits but the role of other states including that of Tripura, that is almost tucked within Bangladesh, cannot be ignored. Also read: Maitri Diwas: From physical to emotional connectivity—the way forward for Indo-Bangladesh ties “About 84 per cent of the state’s border