SHILLONG, April 24: Rich tributes were paid to bravehearts who sacrificed their lives for the country at Shillong War Memorial, Rhino Prerna Sthal, by Lieutenant General RP Kalita, General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command, Major General RK Jha, Officiating General Officer Commanding (GOC) 101 Area and all soldiers of Headquarters 101 Area, during the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Indian Army’s Headquarters 101 Area here on Monday.
Conveying his compliments on the occasion, the GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, addressed all soldiers of HQ 101 Area and lauded them for carrying forward the legacy of dedicated service to the nation.
To commemorate the formations 60 glorious years of service to the nation, release of a special cover and stamp were also a part of the celebration. The unveiling of busts of Major General Gurbaksh Singh Gill and Major General Gandharv Nagra, who were GOCs of 101 Area during 1971 war and helped curate the resounding Indian Army victory in 1971 war, was another highlight.
GOC-in-C Kalita also received the Rhino Riders Motorcycle Rally organised by Headquarters 101 Area .
The rally was flagged off on April 9, 2023, by Governor Phagu Chauhan from Rhino Training Complex Shillong. The motorcycle rally team travelled through Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh celebrating the spirit of patriotism. They also interacted with the youths, veterans and Veer Naris.
It may be noted here that ‘101 Communication Zone’, as it was then called, was raised in the wake of the Chinese aggression, on April 22, 1963, for provision of logistic support to all formations and units in the Northeastern region.
HQ 101 Area has a historically unique distinction of having taken part in active combat operations despite being a logistic formation. It undertook counter-insurgency operations in Mizoram from 1966-69.
During the 1971 war, HQ 101 Area took part in operations in Sylhet and Mymensingh districts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and was the first formation to reach Dacca on the morning of December 16, 1971, leading to surrender by Pakistan that afternoon, and earning it the name First in Dacca.
Over time, 101 Area has evolved to provide logistic support in remote and challenging terrain in border areas across entire Northeastern region. It has contributed immensely in nation-building aiding infrastructure development, providing humanitarian aid and ensuring outreach to remote villages.
