Hyderabad: Veterans of the 1971 war say they are willing to fight for the nation again if the government calls them. If the Indian Army needs more hands we are ready to serve, said a retired officer who belonged to the Bison Division. Bison, the only strike division in southern India, completes 50 years of raising on October 1, 2016.
The division was raised in the southern sector in 1966 and is associated with Hyderabad and Secunderabad. A Pakistani Patton tank captured in the Battle of Basantar in 1971 was presented to the twin cities by the Bison Division in 1972.
The division has seen action in Operation Cactus Lilly (1971), Blue Star (1984), Pawan (1987), Vijay (1999) and Parakram (2001) and has won 679 gallantry awards including three Param Vir Chakras (PVC) for Major Hoshiyar Singh in 1971, 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal in 1971 and Major R. Parameshwaran in 1987.
Retired Captain Manohar Sharma, who earlier worked at AoC Secunderabad and was associated with the Bison division said, "It was during my time the bison division was commissioned. This divisions includes those working in the forward wing during battles. After hectic battles officers are sent to this division.”
The celebrations will consist of a blood donation camp for Thalassemics and a medical camp for the under privileged. The Bison Division is honouring its ‘heroes’, veterans and war widows. Over 25 war widows Naris whose husbands were martyred in the 1971 war and Operation Pawan will be honoured along with six gallantry award winners.
