Longewala, Rajasthan, India
No, I have never seen the Hindi movie Border, nor even heard that the story was loosely based on the Battle of Longewala. I went there purely to stand where one of the important battles of the 1971 Indo - Pak war took place.
Remember, the 1971 war was all about East Pakistan. The Indian forces were largely there fighting the Pakistani forces in what is now Bangladesh. It was then that West Pakistan, as it was then, decided to attack India on the Western front . The front chosen was not Punjab, but Rajasthan and the border post of Longewala.
In those days, there was no border post at the actual border - there was just a marker that you see in the photo that was placed in the sand. Some 20 km inside Indian territory was the village of Longewala, where the Border Security Force and the Army had a presence. On the night of 4th of December 1971 the Pakistan Army advanced into Indian territory ,uprooting the marker and advanced up to Longewala where they replanted the marker. The Indian forces were outmanned - 120 to 2000, but they held out long enough for the Air Force to strike and for reinforcements to come from Jaisalmer. The battle ended in a decisive victory for the Indian forces and they then advanced far and deep into Pakistan, before withdrawing back to the ceasefire line.
A Pakistani tank and a truck stand even today as testimony to where the battle took place. There is a martyrs memorial for the Indians who laid down their life. And in an interesting touch, they have left the border marker precisely where the Pakistanis shifted it in 1971 - even though the real border is back to the original 20 kms away.
The is open desert and for a long time there really was no "border" - so rampant smuggling apparently used to take place. Now there are fences and a permanent presence of the Border Security Force at the actual border. Civilians are allowed only till Longewala. Beyond that the road runs out and the actual border is 20 kms away.
The jawans at the post were happy to chat with me and narrate war stories. So few visitors come this way.
I had mixed feelings in the place - glad that I came, respectful of the sacrifices made by the armed forces in the war , awe at the way men live today in extremely inhospitable terrain and also sadness at the absolute futility of war.
The Battle of Longewala
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Longewala, Rajasthan, India
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Comments
2025-05-22
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Vincy
2014-02-26
Thats a nice way of helping me Remember our forces who do their bit in such terrible conditions. We all are supposed to remember them even without such reminders, but do we - good question that you have asked.
Felt good to see that "fairly forlorn" and well battered pakistani truck and the picture taken during the victory :-) They deserve it. dont they?
And Ramesh, Thank you so much for your posts. Am kind of addicted to it now:-)
sriram
2014-02-26
War is hell, as Hemingway so pithily described in A Farewell to Arms.
Any battleground ought to bring to the front the emotions of sadness over the messed up humans that we are ... if only we knew better :(
I often wonder how the Subcontinent might have fared post-1947 had the country not been divided into India and Pakistan, and later the creation of Bangladesh. The lives lost, the lives uprooted, the damage to property ... war is hell!
Ravi Rajagopalan
2014-02-26
I have an aerial picture shot by the pilots of the Hawker Siddeley Hunters that carried out the aerial attack on Pakistani tanks - a mess of tracks like so much of pasta.
indigoite
2014-02-27
@Vincy - There cannot be a greater tribute to a blogger than one of the readers saying she is addicted. And that too a fellow blogger. And that too a charming nice lady :) I am totally floored :):)
@Sriram - War is hell indeed and many a time unnecessarily glorified. But if it has happened, justified or not, those who defended need a special place in or memories
@Ravi - Yes, I have seen that photo. The whole battle, from a military point of view, was nothing but a disaster for Pakistan
Asha
2014-02-27
Goosebumps as i am reading and seeing the photos. Thanks for sharing. share their stories too.
But no, i can't forget even if i want to. I am surrounded by these men in uniform from the air force, navy and army. Wherever i go, be it at the market, the bazaar, the park,the plant nursery, temple or at the school. I see the men in camouflage and the men in stars, men in olive green and men in blue.
The work they do at the battle ground deserves respect and needs to be remembered for if not for them we would'nt be having a sound sleep.
but i am also witness to the work they do off the ground. without any ego, some of the soldiers sweep the ground to keep the area clean. They are so kind and polite in their behaviour. My respect for them is manifold because of they way the treat women with respect. Only confident and bold men can do that. I have heard some of their war stories of 1971 and of the recent kargil. my heart a goes out not to just those men but also to their families with some of whom i live. Also , my daughter belongs to The NCC army wing,. So, i often see these men even last sat i visited their boot camp.
And yes seen these men in NDTV good times how they cook and eat and live and sing and try to be happy faraway with just the family photos in their pocket.
Proud to live among them and yes, i have seen 'BORDER' too,
MERA BHARAT MAHAAN!
indigoite
2014-02-28
Wonderful comment Asha. I hate war and the decisions that lead to it, but the soldiers who carry out orders are an admirable group. Yes, as you observe, they have humility, they are polite , they keep places spotlessly clean. I thing the values of discipline and dignity of work that is drilled into them by training serves hem well. If only all of us could imbibe the same thing.
Sandhya Sriram
2014-03-01
I just now feel, we gave so many lives in India many of them Hindus I guess to help support Bangladesh become what it is today and it is the same Hindus that are being ruined, tortured and killed in Bangladesh.
I don't like to talk religion and create an artificial divide but this is a very sad situation today
indigoite
2014-03-02
@Sandhya - Wherever religion has come out of the private domain and gone into the public domain, nothing but misery has come out. Religion is a very private matter. It should never be taken onto the streets or communities or, for that matter, government.
neeleshshanbhag
2014-03-03
Solute to all the Soldiers and Tribute from all of us.
Solute you, to have captured this so nicely.
indigoite
2014-03-06
@Neelesh - Salute to the soldiers indeed