New Delhi: India and Pakistan went to war in August 1965, with Pakistan seemingly falsely assured of a clear victory and India still recovering from the shock of the 1962 war with China. Pakistan boasted the latest American Patton tanks, F-86 Sabre jets and artillery capable of overwhelming most Indian positions. India, by contrast, relied on a patchwork of World War II-era tanks, outdated equipment and a military still smarting from the 1962 conflict. Yet, when the smoke cleared, the outcome defied expectations.
India did not achieve a textbook victory, and Pakistan, confident in its technological edge, had badly misjudged its neighbour. The war today is remembered both as a redemption for India and a lesson in hubris for Pakistan.
ThePrint spoke to veterans who lived through it and their memories trace a common thread, sharp improvisation and an unbreakable camaraderie.
Major Sudarshan Singh (retd) of the 1st Dogra Battalion recalled the Battle of Asal Uttar, a confrontation that turned a swampy stretch of Punjab into a deadly trap for enemy armour.
“Our unit was divided into sub-units and attached to armoured formations,” he said, his voice measured but firm. “Intelligence reports had placed 14 enemy tanks at a specific location, resting for the night. It was a rare opportunity, but also a dangerous one, any misstep could have cost us dearly.”
He described the preparation: “We cut through a narrow water channel, diverting water and turning the ground into a slushy trap. The enemy tanks advanced without knowing what lay ahead and they sank into the flooded terrain, immobilised. That stretch of land became infamously known as ‘Patan (Patton) Kabristan’.”
Singh reflected on the stakes at the time, three years after the shock of 1962. “After 1962, the Army trained relentlessly. You see, equipment alone doesn’t win battles, it’s the men behind the machines, their willpower, that make the difference.”
Col Bansi Lal (retd) of the 1st Battalion, 9 Gorkha Rifles, who saw action at Khemkaran and Asal Uttar, recounted holding ground against an armoured enemy division. “Using RCL guns, our tanks destroyed five enemy tanks. Then came heavy artillery fire, followed by air strikes from enemy fighters,” he said.
Military service runs deep in the Lal family. Col Lal’s son Brigadier Vikas Lal, following in the footsteps of his father, is a serving officer with the Bombay Sappers. “In Asal Uttar, we destroyed 97 Pakistani Patton tanks, capturing 32 still operational. My father was there too, leading his men with precision,” he said.
“My grandfather (Lt Col Roshan Lal (retd)) had also fought in 1965 as the officiating commander of the 2nd Battalion, 9 Gorkha Rifles. His unit moved from Jammu to Srinagar and successfully neutralised Pakistani infiltrators. You can see that commitment to service continues through our family,” he added.
At Dograi near Lahore, where a battle took place, Col H.C. Sharma (retd) commanded his company under a hail of enemy fire. The Pakistanis, he told ThePrint, had concrete pillboxes (concrete dug-in guard-post, often camouflaged) and Indian infantry weapons were limited. Tanks were with them, but could only fire in daylight. For hours, his men were pinned down, advancing only when the tanks finally demolished the fortified positions of the Pakistanis. Twenty-nine soldiers were lost that day, yet Sharma recalled no hesitation.
“Well, modernisation had barely begun after 1962. What mattered then was the soldiers’ heroism and unity. That was the war, men before machines,” Sharma, who was awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry in the 1971 war, said.
Major R.S. Bedi (retd), who later served in the Research & Analysis Wing and was part of the Scinde Horse regiment, also fought at Dograi. He was only 22 and in the middle of a gunnery instructor course when the war broke out. “I wanted to serve on the frontlines, so I joined my regiment mid-conflict,” he recalled.
“You cannot be intimidated by the enemy’s hardware; you must fight with what you have. Tactics and teamwork often outweigh the quality of machines,” he said.
Reflecting on the lessons of 1965, he said that India’s armoured capability expanded significantly after the war, growing from 20-25 regiments to 75, all subsequently modernised and prepared for any future challenge.
Brigadier Arvinder Singh (retd) of 1 PARA unit, who commanded a company at Hajipir Pass, also spoke about the fierce intensity of the assault, a stark reminder of the cost of freedom.
“I led an attack on an enemy position. We suffered casualties, seven soldiers were killed and 23 wounded, myself included,” he said.
He also clarified India’s objective in the conflict. “Pakistan provoked the war. Our role was to respond effectively. Many wonder why we didn’t march on Lahore but capturing the city was never the mission, our goal was to defend the nation, and in that, we succeeded.”
“What carried us through,” he added, “was courage, determination and sheer grit; that was our real strength.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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