Rohit Agarwal - 1971 Indo-Pak War (Selected Stories)

1971

Indo-Pak War

Selected Stories

1971

Indo-Pak War

Selected Stories

Rohit Agarwal

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an independent think tank dealing with contemporary issues of national security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional and sub-conventional conflicts and terrorism. CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy-oriented in approach.

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CLAWS Army No. 33098

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Contents

Lt Col Gulab Singh

Brig MM Kumar, SM

Brig IJS Chugh

Lt Gen BT Pandit, PVSM, VrC

Col SP Sharma

Col Ashok Suri, SM

Brig MB Anand, VSM

Col RC Bhandari

Col RC Bhandari

Capt Anil Bhalla

Capt HS Sandhu

Lt Col Sunahra Singh, VrC

Col NN Bhatia

Maj Narain Singh

Lt Gen JBS Yadava, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM

Brig RK Gogna

Lt Gen RP Agarwal, PVSM, VSM

Naib Subedar Bhagwan Singh

Col NS Kaistha

Lt Col Hari Singh

Brig RS Solanki

Maj Gen VK Arjuna

Lt Gen Gorakh Nath, PVSM

Lt Gen BS Nagal

Mrs. Ameeta Mulla Wattal

War accounts and military history narratives are traditionally published in a set official format. First of these is the official history of a particular war or campaign, which is compiled by experts and scholars after consulting official records and interviewing concerned commanders, and published by the government. Their purpose is to provide an official, authenticated account of a particular war, and to derive pertinent strategic and tactical lessons for future wars. Then there are accounts published in regimental histories, which take a deeper dive on the specific role played by units of a particular regiment in different wars. These often serve to highlight individual and collective gallantry, especially of those who received gallantry awards.

Personal accounts are also written by commanders and other key decision makers in each war. These provide an insight into their minds, rationalizing their thought process while planning and executing the operations. They bring out factors that influenced their decision making at critical juncturesdecisions that may have been lauded or received criticism for in hindsight from other quarters. Because of this, some of these accounts can also be either too defensive or too self laudatory. There are also some neutral accounts written by scholars, journalists or enthusiasts, which provide an external perspective and analysis. The coverage of such books also invariably includes the background or causes, the build up and progress of operations, some accounts of individual and collective gallantry, and possibly lessons learnt or outcomes.

But any wareven a minor onecomprises of more than a few key battles and actions by a handful of gallant heroes. Thousands upon thousands of officers and men spend days, weeks and months preparing, fighting and recuperating from its effects. From frontline infantry soldiers to the gunners who provide them supporting fire to the drivers who drive the vehicles fetching them ammunition and food. Their stories, their experiences during a war are rarely combined. They remain as fireside tales to be recounted in their lifetimes, and, unfortunately, get buried with them when they pass away. Their contributions to the war effort remains unrecorded and unacknowledged.

It is with the idea of recording such individual, personal accounts by those who participated in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that this project has been undertaken by CLAWS. The first volume of these accounts was edited by Maj Gen Ian Cardozo, AVSM, SM (Retd) and was published in 2015.This is the second volume in this series. To my mind, no contribution to the overall war effort, however small, is anything less than extraordinary. And while the world gets ample insight into a few fleeting moments of the warsmoments in which certain gallant actions were foughtit remains largely oblivious to all else that goes into emerging victorious. The daily grind, the fears and hopes, the grief at losing a comrade or the joy of a small victory. We therefore owe it to our future generations to record these for their benefit.

This is not an official account, nor is its purpose drawing any lessons or highlighting any specific aspects or individuals. It is merely a collection of individual accounts by a multitude of people who fought the war. It is largely in their own words, and the editors have only made changes to make it more readable. So readers would be advised to treat it as anecdotal rather than an academic account of the war with any strategic or tactical lessons.

In the past 47 years since the massive victory of Indian Army in the 1971 Indo-Pak War, numerous books have been published covering every aspect of the war. Some senior commanders leading various formations during the war have published their accounts. Ministry of Defence has also brought out the official history of the war. The published body of work covers the course of the war, strategies formulated by the opposing commanders, blow-by-blow account of major battles and the lessons learned. Prominent instances of outstanding courage by individuals, meriting gallantry awards, have also received due attention.