Military Literature Fest begins today

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10

The first part of the fifth edition of the Military Literature Festival (MLF), being organised by the Punjab Government in collaboration with Western Command Headquarters, will commence tomorrow. The focus of the event this year is the golden jubilee of the victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

The inaugural session will be addressed by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, former Jammu & Kashmir Governor NN Vohra and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen Nav K Khanduri. In addition, the reasons for the collapse of the Afghan National Army in August will be highlighted by former Army Chief Gen VP Malik (retd). Other sessions scheduled for tomorrow include inside stories on the prelude to the 1971 Indo-Pak war, a kaleidoscope of the western front and operations in the eastern theatre between April and November 1971.

Besides “Bravehearts Motorcycle Ride” on Sunday to commemorate the historic win, the second day will witness a talk on the 1971 war by former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen SS Mehta (retd) and sessions on the Indian Army’s operational masterstroke of crossing the Meghna river in the east, special heliborne operations and the Battle of Basantar.

Contemporary topics scheduled for the second day include countering the global hegemon and strategic imperative in the Indo-Pacific region. The festival’s second part is scheduled for December 18 and 19.