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{{short description|Retired Indian Air Force Officer}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]]
| name = Vijay Srinivas Karnik
| honorific_suffix =
| image =
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = Hindi
| birth_name =
| other_name =
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age |1939|11|06}}
| birth_place = [[Nagpur]]
| allegiance = {{flag|India|23px}}
| branch = {{air force|India|23px}}
| serviceyears = 1962-1986
| serviceyears_label = 
| rank = [[File:Wing Commander of IAF.png|32px]] [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]]
| rank_label =
| servicenumber =
| unit = 6 Squadron
| commands =
| battles = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], [[Sino-Indian War]]
| battles_label =
| awards =
| memorials =
| children = Paresh Karnik, Shalakaa Karnik
| relations =
| spouse = Usha Karnik (m.1965)
| laterwork =
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}}

'''Vijay Srinivas Karnik''' is a retired [[Wing commander|Wing Commander]] from the [[Indian Air Force]] who is known for his leadership during [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. During the war, he was in charge of the [[Bhuj Airport|Bhuj airbase]]. During the course of the war, the Bhuj airstrip was destroyed in air strikes in which Pakistani bombers dropped [[napalm]] bombs. The Bhuj airport attack has been compared to the Japanese [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]] by some.<ref>{{Cite web|title=भुज है भारत की पर्ल हार्बर, अजय देवगन के साथ काम करते दिखेंगे ये सितारे|url=https://www.aajtak.in/entertainment/story/sanjay-dutt-parineeti-chopra-sonakshi-sinha-join-ajay-devgn-on-bhuj-the-pride-of-india-tmov-647482-2019-03-20|access-date=2021-07-12|website=Aaj Tak|language=hi}}</ref> The airfield was raided 35 times in 14 days with attacks by 92 bombs and 22 rockets.<ref name="twinwar">{{cite book|last=Sagar |first=Krishna Chandra |title=The War of the Twins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XM5oZYYvEmYC&pg=PA212|year=1997|publisher=Northern Book Centre|isbn=978-81-7211-082-6|page=212}}</ref> Karnik rebuilt Bhuj Airport within 3 days with the help of 300 women from local areas.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-01|title=In 1971, 300 Bhuj Women Risked Their Lives to Revive a Bombed Airstrip in 3 Days|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/173795/iaf-indo-pak-war-bhuj-history-vijay-karnik/|access-date=2021-07-12|website=The Better India|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-22|title=5 Facts About The Heroic Deeds That Inspired Ajay Devgn's 'Bhuj: The Pride of India'|url=https://www.mensxp.com/entertainment/bollywood/76563-pakistans-air-attack-the-heroic-deeds-that-inspired-ajay-devgns-bhuj-the-pride-of-india.html|access-date=2021-07-12|website=www.mensxp.com|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-21|title=#ShauryaStories: Bhuj The Pride of India|url=https://zeenews.india.com/bollywood/shauryastories-bhuj-the-pride-of-india-2337064.html|access-date=2021-07-12|website=Zee News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=एयरफोर्स ऑफिसर विजय कार्णिक बनेंगे अजय देवगन, जिन्होंने 1971 की जंग में 300 महिलाओं के साथ मिलकर रचा था इतिहास|url=https://www.jagran.com/entertainment/bollywood-ajay-devgn-as-vijay-karnik-know-who-was-vijay-karnik-whowas-air-force-officer-on-1971-war-time-now-ajay-devgn-will-play-role-of-officer-in-bhuj-the-pride-of-india-19898559.html|access-date=2021-07-12|website=Dainik Jagran|language=hi}}</ref>

==Early life==
Karnik was born on 6 November 1939 in [[Nagpur]] to Srinivas Karnik and Tarabai Karnik.<ref name="ABP"/>

== Air Force Career ==
Karnik was commissioned to the [[Indian Air Force]] on 26 May 1962.<ref name="ABP">{{Cite web|last=टीम|first=एबीपी माझा वेब|date=2021-07-12|title=पाकिस्तानच्या बॉम्बिंगला न डगमगता भुज विमानतळाची धावपट्टी दुरुस्त करणारे विजय कर्णिक|url=https://marathi.abplive.com/news/india/contribution-squadron-leader-vijay-karnik-in-the-indo-pakistani-war-of-1971-994346|access-date=2021-07-12|website=marathi.abplive.com|language=mr}}</ref> In 1967, he was posted to [[Pune]] as a part of the 6 Squadron. During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], he was a [[Squadron leader|Squadron Leader]] posted to the [[Bhuj Airport|Bhuj Airstrip]].{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

On the 8th of December, 1971, Pakistan launched an aerial attack on the Bhuj airbase and damaged the airstrip by dropping 14 [[Napalm]] bombs from the 8 squadrons of [[North American F-86 Sabre|Sabre jets]]. The airstrip needed to be urgently rebuild due to the ongoing war. However, due to a lack of workers at Bhuj, Karnik convinced 300 women from a nearby village of [[Madhapar]] for help to rebuild the airstrip. Despite the ongoing bombings by the Pakistani jets, the women were able to complete the repair work in a record 72 hours and the airbase was able to resume its operations. At the end of the war, the then [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]], recognised and awarded the contribution of these women.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Karnik was promoted to [[Wing commander]] on 1 October 1985.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

On 14 October 1986, Karnik retired from service.

==Popular Culture==
[[Disney+ Hotstar]]'s [[Bhuj: The Pride of India]] film where [[Ajay Devgn]] played the role of Vijay Karnik and his work during [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jha|first=Lata|date=2021-07-10|title=Ajay Devgn’s ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’ to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 13 Aug|url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/ajay-devgn-s-bhuj-the-pride-of-india-to-premiere-on-disney-hotstar-on-13-aug-11625892841881.html|access-date=2021-07-12|website=mint|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhuj: The Pride Of India Motion Poster - Ajay Devgn Revives Memories Of "The Greatest Battle Ever Fought"|url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/bhuj-the-pride-of-india-motion-poster-ajay-devgn-revives-memories-of-the-greatest-battle-ever-fought-2480670|access-date=2021-07-12|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karnik, Vijay}}
[[Category:Indian aviators]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

{{India-mil-bio-stub}}

Vijay Karnik - Revision history

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