Guwahati: Indian Army’s Headquarters 101 Area celebrated 60 glorious years of its service to the nation in Shillong on Monday.
The celebration kicked off with a solemn ceremony by paying tributes to the bravehearts at the Shillong War Memorial, which was led by Lieutenant General, R P Kalita, General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-IN-C), Eastern Command and soldiers of HQ 101 Area.
Major General RK Jha, AVSM, Officiating GOC 101 Area and all ranks of headquarters 101 Area also paid rich tributes to those who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
The 101 Communication Zone, as it was then called, was raised in 1963 in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression for providing logistic support to all formations and units in the Northeast.
HQ 101 area has the unique distinction of having taken part in active combat operations despite being a logistic formation.
It also undertook an active part in counter-insurgency operations in Mizoram from 1966-69. During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, it took part in operations in Sylhet and Mymensingh districts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and was the first Indian Army formation to reach Dacca on the morning of 16 December 1971, thus earning its name ‘First in Dacca’.
“Over time, 101 Area has evolved to provide seamless logistic support in remote and challenging terrain to Indian Army formations in border areas across the entire Northeastern region. The formation has contributed immensely in Nation building aiding infrastructure development, providing humanitarian aid and ensuring outreach to remote villages,” a defence statement said.
While conveying his compliments on the occasion, Lt Gen Kalita complimented the soldiers for carrying forward the legacy of dedicated service.
The unveiling of a special cover and stamp—celebrating the formation’s 60 glorious years of service to the country—was another highlight of the celebrations. The unveiling of busts of Major General Gurbaksh Singh Gill and Major General Gandharv Nagra, who were GOC of 101 Area during 1971 war and helped curate the resounding Indian Army victory in 1971 war, was also another highlight of the event.
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As part of its diamond jubilee celebrations, the formation undertook a daring bike rally which was flagged off by the Governor of Meghalaya, Phagu Chauhan on April 8 April. The rally traversed through Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh celebrating the spirit of patriotism in the year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The team interacted with civilians, ex-servicemen and veer naris along its over 2,500km route, showcasing the prowess of the Indian Army and motivating young minds including school and college students as well as NCC cadets to join the Indian Army. The bike rally was flagged in by the GOC-in-C Eastern Command on Monday in Shillong.
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