Indo-Pak Battles of Asal Uttar: Part 3
Recap- Histrionics revisited
On a muggy warm morning of the month of September 1965, the villagers of Asal-Uttar heard a distant rumbling, disturbing the tranquil green environs. The village of Asal Uttar lies on the upper bank of River Satluj– a settlement of the Jat Sikh families who migrated here in Patti region banished from their 400 years old Aasal-village; left behind in what was to be called Pakistan! Across the sugarcane fields, the canals and clay lanes of the small border village, Pakistan’s manic thrust into Punjab was underway as powerful American-supplied 80 Patton tanks strategized to enter India through the village and further reach the Grand Trunk road as this terrain was most suitable for them!!
Graveyard of Tanks
The Indian army prepared by first flooding the Sugarcane fields, laid out defense-boxes and later using a mix of Tanks, Artillery and Infantry anti-tank detachments; launched a bitter Battle! The Indian army lured the Pakistan Patton tanks into the water logged fields and after the historic aggressive Battle of Asal Uttar was fought with premeditated intelligence; all the tanks were apprehended and the area to this day is known as ‘Graveyard of Tanks’ !!
Subsequent to receiving this narrative from INTACH member Dr Baljit Kaur we had proceeded to the Mazaar of martyr Abdul Hamid who had blown up 3 Tanks in a row with his Recoilless Gun mounted on his Jeep!!
A true tribute- mazaar of Abdul Hamid
We had visited the Hamid gallery too –a huge tribute to his gallantry! We had also paid homage at the pink stone Individual War Memorials; dedicated to 8 Regiments who fought in this region besides a long stop-over at the plush gripping Archives & War Museum.
Khemkaran Battles & Patton Tanks
Relaxing against the Patton Tank captured by the brave Indian soldiers that once struck terror in the hearts and minds
Once outside, we enthusiastically climbed up the roadside display of the ‘advanced ferocious America’ supplied Patton Tank of the Indo-Pak War of 1965 that were considered to be ‘unmatched and unbeatable’ but faced crushing defeat from the Indian forces. Named after the famous US General George Patton the highly sophisticated Patton Tanks were introduced in the US Army in the year 1952. It is said that the Patton Tanks were the pride of the Pakistan army and Khemkaran sector witnessed the biggest Tank battle since the World War II!! On the other hand, Indian forces held much inferior equipment and Tanks while the Pakistanis were not proficient with the newly acquired tanks in 1961! The punch-line is the ‘it is not the machine but the man behind it that matters’ that led to the ‘Graveyard of Tanks!’
In the Battle of Asal Uttar a total of 97 tanks were destroyed out of which 72 were Patton Tanks that were later collected and brought to Bhikkiwind which was named as Patton nager! Standing besides this Tank at the Asal Uttar War Memorialone cannot help but think that it is indeed a true reminder of the heroic soldiers.
Asal Patton Tank Wreckers -1841
Writer at the 3rd Cavalry War Memorial near the previous one who hit 58 Tanks to acquire the Patton Wreckers
A short drive ahead we came across another memorial-Asal Uttar Patton Wreckers since 1841, housed in a simple single storey white building. Major General Balwinder Singh had mentioned previously that it is a War Memorial of the 3rdCavalier Regiment who participated in the 1965 War, too. Now it is combined with the main War Memorial we had visited earlier. I recalled reading that the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army is formed from the 5th & 8th Cavalry Regiments from the year 1922! Their valuable contributions have been right from the 1st and 2nd Afghan Wars in 1879 , the World War-I, World War-II , the Indo-Pakistan War 1965 and the Indo Pakistan War 1971!!
The 3rd Cavalry War Shrine & Museum in Asal Uttar- a silent witness to the gallantry of martrys
The Shrine Museum
I looked around for help on seeing the grill door shut when an old villager approached me and opened it. Soon my eyes got acclimatized to the dim interiors and I found myself facing a black granite, flower filled shrine with statues and photographs of soldiers on every wall around me; departed from their near & dear ones in the Battle of Asal Uttar of 1965!
An engrossing collage of real photographs of the Battles inside the Shrine
A while ago, I had entered the small Shrine passing under a Patton Tank perched above, little did I realise that soon I was to feel overwhelmed at the sight of so many young soldiers long gone! I read lines on the Shrine that are imprinted in my mind
Har Maidaan Fateh-The Shrine to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment
A Cavalier Is Never Dead
His Spirits, His Memories Are Immortal
Below the names of the 8 Martyrs were inscribed and further down the slogan
Har Maidan Fateh
I came across a Board titled Indo- Pak 1965 ke Veer Shaheedon ki Veergatha in Operation Riddle 1965 which is a heart-touching, poignant account of those 3 historic September days with the photographs of the 8 young Cavalry officers below! In between 2 large collages of black & white photographs of Army-men and Tanks: reliving the Battle of Asal Uttar 1965; is another empathetic narration of it commencing on the 8th of September. The 3rd Cavalry Regiment under the command of Lt Col Salim Caleb moved south of Bikkiwind towards Khemkaran, aiming to attack the Pakistan Army and block its advance into Khemkaran sector.
8th September 14:37 hours- 3rd Cavalry’s First Hit
It was the 8th of September, 14.37 hours when they got a first hit after a Patton Tank was sighted and ALD Charn Singh gunner of Major P S Belvalkar blew it up! In the Time machine one can re-experience the moments when ALD Charn Singh uttered a silent prayer and on that muggy afternoon fired the shot with sweaty hands!! Within minutes the second Tank was hit and between September 8th to 10th; 58 Patton Tanks were destroyed. It further added that on 11th September 1965 2/Lt PJS Mehta along-with men of 18 Dogra captured 20 POW’s-Prisoners of War!!
Once outside the Shrine room museum, the old villager informed that the captured Pakistani Patton Tank I saw balanced above me was presented to the brave 3rd Cavalry Regiment that further added to a Graveyard of Tanks! He supplemented that this area came to be known as Pattoon Nagar and was visited by the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and President Shree Venkataraman too as a salute to the valiant soldiers.
Au Revoir
The day had been full of soul stimulating & soul stirring experiences and as we left the Asal Uttar War Memorials we were reminded of the words we read earlier
May Every Step you take here remind you of
The Selfless Sacrifices,
Which have been made to Defend the Motherland
Footnote:
Whilst at the Asal Uttar War Memorial interactive section Mr Arvind Chopra shared his personal experiences of the 1971 war when he visited Shejra with his grandfather as a child. He was greatly excited to walk to Shejra on the path that had been cleared by the army as there were suspected mines on both of its sides, with small basic gift packets for the soldiers! His grandfather Lala Jagat Narain Chopra was an acclaimed freedom fighter & the founder of the Hind Samachar Group of newspapers- Punjab Kesari, Hind Samachar and Jagbani. Additionally, Lala Jagat Narain Chopra held ministries in Greater Panjab.
Gallery -Special Bond-Grandfather Jagat Narainji with grandson Arvind Chopra ,Director Punjab Kesari group
Furthermore, he recalled his father Shree Romesh Chandra Chopra – co founder of the Punjab Kesari Newspaper group’s visit to Pakistan after the 1965 War- the photograph was interestingly titled –
Indian Tea in Pakistan A Cup of Indian Tea is Sweeter in Pakistan
Tea-moments of relaxation in Pakistan with Doctors Mrs&Mr Pasricha
Next again in 1971 after the Indo-Pak war Romesh ji walked into the newly won area and stood next to a Board that read
You are Now in Pakistan No Passport Required
Romeshji on Pakistan visit after 1971 Indo-Pak war
Both the photographs were popular publications!