The Bangladesh liberation war was an unprecedented event of the 20th century as it was a "moral fight" against injustice, atrocities and oppression, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today.
In an address at a ceremony at the Bangladesh High Commission here, he said India's response to the events of 1971 was a reflection of "a civilisation more than a mere matter of state policy".
For India, ties with Bangladesh are always special and go beyond just a strategic partnership, Mr Singh said.
"The Bangladesh War of Liberation was an unprecedented event in the 20th-century history for many reasons. It was a moral fight against injustice, atrocities and oppression," he said at the event organised to mark the Armed Forces Day of Bangladesh.
Mr Singh said there is a need to keep the spirit of the Bangladesh liberation war alive in the minds of the younger generations, especially those who join the armed forces.
"It is all the more important, because the forces which brought untold atrocities and miseries on Bangladesh in 1971, and the forces against whom we spilled our blood together, are far from finished and gone," he said.
"They are lurking around us in different forms and excuses, but indistinguishable from their past in spewing hatred, intolerance and violence. Our tasks are no less formidable than they were in 1971," the Defence Minister added.