Centre plans 'carnival' to mark 50 years of India-Pakistan War of 1965

[Shoonya]

Lal Bahadur Shastri

New Delhi: The Centre has ordered the armed forces to organise a "carnival" to mark 50 years of a war with Pakistan in 1965 and is also set to re-ignite a debate on whether India lost on the negotiating table what it won on the battlefield.




From September 1 to September 23 this year, on days coinciding with the duration of the war, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been directed to organise tableaux, exhibitions, processions, public lectures and film shows. The venues would be in the heart of the national capital, on Rajpath, Janpath and around India Gate.



The events are set to trigger public discourse on the legacy of the Congress government of the time headed by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri with Yashwant Rao Chavan as defence minister.



The government's objectives need not entirely be confined to pumping up national pride. There could be a political goal too.



Shastri has been identified with the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan - sections that are now perceived to be miffed with the Modi government because of the delay over one rank, one pension, farm distress and the land acquisition legislation. The government is unlikely to complain if the war carnival gives it an opportunity to ingratiate itself with farmers and soldiers.



A major portion of the events planned during the "carnival" are discussions on the post-war negotiations in Tashkent. Shastri died during the meetings in Tashkent.



An official account called The India-Pakistan War of 1965, a history (editor S.N. Prasad; general editor U.P. Thapliyal) issued by the ministry of defence's history division - parts of which are not yet public - may be reviewed.



Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is personally supervising preparations for the events to mark the war.



In the Indian Army, there are many who believe that Shastri had surrendered at the talks in Tashkent in January 1966 the strategic Haji Pir pass that the army had captured.



The pass links Uri and Poonch on the Indian side but is today in Pakistan. Sources in the army say the pass is even today used by the Pakistani establishment to "push terrorists into India".



In official records, India captured 1,920sqkm of Pakistani territory while Pakistan captured 550sqkm of Indian territory. Yet, Pakistan celebrates September 7 each year as "Victory Day". That reason lies in water, not on land.



It is of little surprise that the Indian Navy is barely involved in the planned carnival. On September 7, 1965, the Pakistan Navy, in its first assault, had bombed the Indian temple town of Dwarka on the Gujarat coast, about 200km from Karachi. The Indian Navy's fleet was in refit in Bombay and there was practically no response to Pakistan's "Operation Dwarka".



Indian sources record that Pakistan's naval bombing of Dwarka, chiefly targeted at a radar station, was to little effect.



Six years later, in the 1971 war, the Indian Navy's "Operation Trident" - the bombing of Karachi - is described in military academies as a classic manoeuvre.



An official history by the government, parts of which are not yet public, insinuates that Pakistan's President during the 1965 war, General Ayub Khan, perceived India to be weak after its defeat by China in 1962, three years earlier. He wanted to take advantage of that and forcibly acquire Kashmir.

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[Prajapati]

Maybe Modi govt. can finally tell us who killed Lal Bahadur Shastri in USSR ............... I guess not. Like Netaji Subash, and Homi Baba and Vikram Sarabhai , Indians are destined to be kept in secret regarding our own heroes.

 

[Optimos Prime IA]

Country's politicians are really insensitive towards jawans. This carnival must be used to send the message to all country men and political class that if our jawans decides not to loss his less these people and policy and and their families will be brutally rolled by invaders .

Time to get Jai Jawan Jai Kisan as national slogan !!!

 

[Ajai Ghale]

Returning of Hajipir pass was a mistake but we rectified the mistake in 1971 by replacing CFL line as LOC after capturing some strategic peaks.

 

[Kompromat]

India lost 1965 war despite having a 6-1 advantage. Twisting history won't change the facts. 65 was the only fair one on one fight which India lost. It may not be a clear victory for Pakistan either, however 65 broke the myth of Indian military prowess which grossly overestimated it's blitzkrieg capacity and even more so, underestimated the will of Pakistanis to fight.

 

[desimorty]

India lost 1965 war despite having a 6-1 advantage. Twisting history won't change the facts. 65 was the only fair one on one fight which India lost. It may not be a clear victory for Pakistan either, however 65 broke the myth of Indian military prowess which grossly overestimated it's blitzkrieg capacity and even more so, underestimated the will of Pakistanis to fight.

Rtard comment. Pakistan had superiority or was close in the air and ground with tanks, and new american jets thanks to Americas blessing and trained for war. And regardless of all this, Pakistan still lost to inferior force thanks to the Indian army opening up multiple fronts.

 

[Ajai Ghale]

India lost 1965 war despite having a 6-1 advantage. Twisting history won't change the facts. 65 was the only fair one on one fight which India lost. It may not be a clear victory for Pakistan either, however 65 broke the myth of Indian military prowess which grossly overestimated it's blitzkrieg capacity and even more so, underestimated the will of Pakistanis to fight.

The performance of the Army did not match that of the PAF (Pakistani Air Force) mainly because the leadership was not as professional. They had planned the ‘Operation Gibralter’ (infiltration into J&K) for self glory rather than in the national interest. It was a wrong war. And they misled the nation with a big lie that India rather than Pakistan had provoked the war and that we were the victim of Indian aggression.”

Air Marshal (Retd) Nur Khan

Rtard comment. Pakistan had superiority or was close in the air and ground with tanks, and new american jets thanks to Americas blessing and trained for war. And regardless of all this, Pakistan still lost to inferior force thanks to the Indian army opening up multiple fronts.

Pakistan joined CENTO and SEATO in 1955. Pakistan benefited greatly from joining the mutual defence treaties sponsored by US. In the period between 1954 to 1965, Pakistan received military aid worth $ 1.5 billion. The equipment included Patton tanks, Sabre jets, FI04 Star Fighter aircraft, MI rifles, Universal machine guns, mortars, recoilless rifles, guns and every other conceivable type of defence equipment.

 

[AMCA]

India lost 1965 war despite having a 6-1 advantage. Twisting history won't change the facts. 65 was the only fair one on one fight which India lost. It may not be a clear victory for Pakistan either, however 65 broke the myth of Indian military prowess which grossly overestimated it's blitzkrieg capacity and even more so, underestimated the will of Pakistanis to fight.

Lol.. You guys thought to take advantage of India's Loss with China, and was fought back with at most grace making Pakistani's run behind their own motives to get things straight. Get your facts correct Kid..

 

[Kompromat]

The performance of the Army did not match that of the PAF (Pakistani Air Force) mainly because the leadership was not as professional. They had planned the ‘Operation Gibralter’ (infiltration into J&K) for self glory rather than in the national interest. It was a wrong war. And they misled the nation with a big lie that India rather than Pakistan had provoked the war and that we were the victim of Indian aggression.”

Air Marshal (Retd) Nur Khan


Pakistan joined CENTO and SEATO in September 1955. Pakistan benefited greatly from joining the mutual defence treaties sponsored by US. In the period between 1954 to 1965, Pakistan received military aid worth $ 1.5 billion. The equipment included Patton tanks, Sabre jets, FI04 Star Fighter aircraft, MI rifles, Universal machine guns, mortars, recoilless rifles, guns and every other conceivable type of defence equipment.

Air Marshal is free to express his opinions. In war time the smaller nations always strike first, so Op Gibraltar was justified. Secondly, PAF knocked out IAF because it's scope of operations was much wider than the Army. Army's main job was to defend Lahore and Sialkot which it did rather well.

 

[Ajai Ghale]

Air Marshal is free to express his opinions. In war time the smaller nations always strike first, so Op Gibraltar was justified. Secondly, PAF knocked out IAF because it's scope of operations was much wider than the Army. Army's main job was to defend Lahore and Sialkot which it did rather well.

The objective was to capture Kashmir,Did you achieved it ?

And congrats you successfully defended Lahore by loosing more man and more tanks,At the time of T .Declaration Indian Army was inside Pakistan (fertile Plains) and already captured Strategic Hajipir Pass.

 

[Kompromat]

The objective was to capture Kashmir,Did you achieved it ?

And congrats you successfully defended Lahore by loosing more man and more tanks,At the time of T .Declaration Indian Army was inside Pakistan (fertile Plains) and already captured Strategic Hajipir Pass.

Indian claims were exaggerated. Your generals were aiming to have a drunken night in Lahore gymkhana. If you ever visit Lahore you'll see how close it is to the border. That will put Indian Army's myth making machine in perspective.

 

[Ajai Ghale]

Indian claims were exaggerated. Your generals were aiming to have a drunken night in Lahore gymkhana. If you ever visit Lahore you'll see how close it is to the border. That will put Indian Army's myth making machine in perspective.

But what was the objective of 1965 so as to consider oneself as a winner.

A.Kashmir

B.Drink wine in Lahore Gym khana

I think our Military was inferior than Pakistan ,but we consider ourselves winner as Kashmir is Still in India and Pakistanis consider themselves winner as they succeeded to stop Indian Gen to have a Drunken Night in Lahore.

 

[Areesh]

Pakistan has been celebrating 65 war since past 50 years. Apparently India has also decided to celebrate its lie of "65 victory". Good.

 

[JOEY TRIBIANI]

Strange no one mention operation dwarka :p

 

[Areesh]

Since Pakistan's inception in 1208, this was Pakistan's first victory. They deserve to celebrate after 7 centuries of gaandgulami. Any resident Mullah here who would corroborate my history piece?

We were actually waiting for cow urine to throw at our enemies and hence to commence celebrations. Hence they delay.