India’s largest Army Command turns 95, wreaths laid at Vijay Smarak

The Indian Army’s largest command — the Eastern Command that was tasked with training Chinese troops along with Indian and British ones during the last few years of World War II celebrated its 95th Raising Day on Saturday. Raised in 1920 with its winter headquarters in Lucknow and summer headquarters in Nainital, the command moved to Fort William, Kolkata, permanently after the 1962 Indo-China conflict. 

“Even before moving to Kolkata, the Eastern Command was tasked with tackling insurgency in Nagaland. Later, counter-insurgency operations started in Manipur, Assam and other states. Apart from CI operations, the command is in-charge of managing the Line of Actual Control with China in the eastern sector. Troops of the Eastern Command operate from the dense forests of the Northeast to the snow-capped mountains,” a senior officer said. 

On Saturday, Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command and other senior officers laid wreaths at Vijay Smarak at Fort William to mark the occasion. 

In his address, the Eastern Army commander highlighted the importance of safeguarding the interests of the eastern and northeastern parts of the country. The command will continue to strive for unparalleled professional competence to ensure the highest standards of operational readiness, he said. 

He said Eastern Command, being the largest command of the Indian Army, will continue to strive for unparalleled professional competence to ensure the highest standards of operational readiness.

He also praised the undying zeal and fervour of the gallant soldiers, astute leadership of the commanders and dedication of the staff at Command Headquarters, a defence ministry release said.

Enriched with sagas of ‘Glory and Guts’, the Eastern Command has a rich and varied history with the onerous tasks in the process of evolution of the pre and post-independence Indian Army.

The command that was in charge of the world-famous Chindit operations against the Japanese in Myanmar (then Burma) in 1943 is now upgrading itself with modern equipment and more manpower. 

A mountain strike corps was recently raised for better preparedness against China. Some major achievements have also been made against militant outfits in the Northeast. 

Earlier this year, in retaliation to a strike against Indian troops in Manipur, special operations were carried out, resulting in neutralization of several ultras. At the same time, the command is also involved in a lot of activities to help residents of the eight northeastern states who live in remote areas.