11-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
1971 war veteran from Odisha's Kendrapara praises Operation Sindoor
KENDRAPARA: For 75-year-old Duryodhana Mohanty, memories of 1971 have come rushing back. And as a war veteran, Operation Sindoor has provided him joy the native of Barunadiha village under Kendrapara's Rajkanika block.
Mohanty, who fought against the Pakistani Army in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, said, 'A lot of water has flown under the bridge since the 1971 war. The introduction of missiles and drones in Operation Sindoor has changed the nature of warfare. We are proud that many missiles were earlier tested in the Integrated Test Ranges (ITR) on Dr Abdul Kalam Island and Chandipur in Odisha.'
Mohanty, who joined the Indian Army in 1970 at the age of 20, served in the 14th Battalion Brigade of The Guards during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. He recalled intense frontline combat across Bangladesh - from Habiganj and Laskarpur to Ajmiriganj, Tongi Junction, and ultimately Dhaka.
'We crossed the border from Agartala into East Pakistan on December 1, 1971. The battles were fierce. We used self-loading rifles, mortars, rocket launchers, anti-tank guns, cannons, howitzers, tanks, and machine guns. The maximum range of our guns was just about a kilometre,' he said.
The veteran recalled Indian Air Force deployed MiG-21s, Hawker Hunters, Folland Gnats, and English Electric Canberra bombers to great effect. 'We fought alongside the Mukti Bahini, destroyed enemy tanks, and pushed the Pakistani troops back all the way to Dhaka,' he added.
After serving the Indian Army for 32 years, including participation in Operation Meghdoot (1984), the mission to secure the Siachen Glacier, Mohanty retired in 2002. During his career, he was posted in Mizoram, Assam, Tripura, Kanpur, Kashmir, and Pune. He currently draws a monthly pension of Rs 41,000.
Back in his village, Mohanty remains active in public life. He was elected sarpanch of Barunadiha gram panchayat three times - first in 2007, then in 2012, and again in 2022. He could not contest in 2017 due to reservation of the seat for SC candidates.
Mohanty lives with his wife and extended family in Barunadiha. His eldest son, Amit, is also a former Indian Army soldier, while his younger son, Arjit, serves in Odisha Police.
