Random Memoir of 1971 Indo-Pak war & S.V.R.Surat

Coffin Carried by President Kosygin of U.S.S.R & President Ayub of Pakistan

The debacle of 1962 Indo-Chinese  was gradually consigned  as a very bad dream & daily news analysis & dissection of events were appearing as columns & articles in news paper aftermath of the war.  Every columnist of his mettle was asking why Indian Air Force was not allowed to take part in the war as IAF was superior to Chinese Air Force but the answer was coming had funny connotations . The U.S. ambassador John Galbraith advised Pt Nehru against the use of  Indian Air Force in the war but why & no plausible reason for this had been given in any of the news columns up till now . But this war was history now . One interesting news was in currency of that time was, Indian President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had bleary eyes & walking whole night in tension in the precinct of Rashtrapati Bhawan as he was not able to digest utter humiliation of Indian Republic & consulting constitutional experts whether he can usurp executive powers to rule India or not . Philosopher had nightmarish experience !

                                                  In 1964 Pt Nehru was no more & in 1965 again Indo-Pak war was fought for more then two weeks . This war regained some lost prestige to Indian arms forces , though it was not conclusive war . Both sides were trumpeting themselves as victors & other side vanquished . I was in utter glee for the story coming out in newspapers depicting valour of army battalions & of rugged 2nd world war fame army generals in which General J.N. Chaudhri was prominent but Indian premier Lalbahadur Shastri was darling of Indian people . His coined slogan जय जवान, जय किसान is still  anew & patina of time has not obscured it in anyway.

L.B. Shastry

The world media preferably English media was in glee & clapping by observing the oneupmanship of subcontinental propaganda machine . I was aghast to hear an I.I.T professor who had just come from England by ship . He was listening Pakistan's story of valour & chivalry till Arabian sea & listening very opposite story when his ship was in the docks of Bombay sea port. Up till now no country is ready to concede ,who was victor of Indo-Pak war of 1965. But our beloved prime minister L.B.Shastry lost his life in  distant Tashkent during negotiation  & we came in sombre mood after listening his sad demise.

              But, as I had been passionate reader of history delved deep into all important wars & battles which has great bearing on the fortuitous history of India . First it was invasion of Alexander the great against  king Porus on the bank of river Beas in dark & stormy night in 315 B.C. The Indian historians have given a very dignified account of the battle . The one cliche emanating from this battle which was very famous & during slight fracas  among the group of boys , haughtily this cliche was used .' वैसा ही जैसा , एक राजा दुसरे के साथ करता है' .

surrender of Porus to Alexander

  This very battle always depicted the dignity of Indian king Porus to Alexander the great & his magnanimity. A film song was  very popular on this very theme . सिकन्दर से पोरस कि हुई थी लराई , तो मैं क्या करूं. But such tit-bit  of this battle or other related historical facts never brought bad taste in mouth . King Porus was made vassal of his empire & Selucus Nicator was made regent of the empire by Alexander the great but was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya  & his daughter Cornelia was married to Chandragupta Maurya  & gradually Greek connection to India ended . I will not elaborate  further historiography of that period but it was golden period of Indian history .





But Indian history was replete with defeats in battles which only brought very bad taste in mouth . It was only of humiliation & disgust. When I was in school, I always thought over it . In the school library I got hold of the book ' Jai Somnath ' written by K. M. Munshi . The book was very famous & making waves as best read of the time during the decade of sixties . I devoured the whole book in one sitting . It was the book ,which  depicted the religious fervour of defenders & their

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massacre by Mahmud Gazni  in 1024 A.D.His brigand forces trampled mercilessly men & women defenders of the temple . Mahmud Gazni personally hammered gilded Linga 
to pieces ,desecrated the ' Garva Grih' & carted the loot to Afganistan . Mahmud Gazni was idol breaker & felt pride in destroying idols & temples .

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For the whole night my stomach churned & remained distressed for days . Mr K.M. Munshi is reputed name of intellectual idealogue of the country . He was editing 'Bhawan's Journal' & no body can bracket him with particular school of religiosity which is in surfeit form in the country .

                                                The most dreadful destruction of the country was performed in burning the Nalanda University in 1193 A.D. by Bakhtiyar Khilji.  During my school days I with the family made a trip to Rajgriha which has many Jain & Budhist monuments . I still remember , the 'guide' was showing us Buddhist monk student's  burnt hostels & I was marveled to see ,the same arrangement of hostel was in four layers The explanation given by the guide was ' this university existed for 800 years & layers visible is for after every 100 years new construction was made . But due to excavation of the site, all constructions are visible in layers' . It was beyond my perception ,how a university existed at the same place for 800 years. It means it had more life span compared to Oxford or Cambridge University of England . In the the museum by the side of excavated site ,there was burnt grain of rice kept in a glass bowl in glass case . Well, it was a material for conjuring imagination !

Nalanda University Internet Image

Sketch of Nalanda University by Huen-Sang

Buddhism derives its vitality from east Asian countries as Japan Korea, Thailand & of course from Tibbet . It fought for its existence in India but ultimately it was gobbled up by Hinduism & only few Buddhist monuments remain in India in its pristine form . For salvation in life Buddhims had three sects of Mahayan, Heenyan & ultimtely it resorted to Vajrayan. The meaning of 'Yan' is ship which carries the life to salvation . It was against resurgent Hiduism , Buddhim resorted to Vajrayan & practiced Tantra-Mantra . It is difficult to say where Vajrayanis were doing their research in Buddhist Philosophy but there were 10,000 students with their professors were residing in the precinct of Nalanda University . It was the  great seat of learning  in the whole world but faced the wrath of  resurgent Islam . For me the history of India was of destruction, defeat & despair .


Historian say , Panipat near Delhi had three fortuitous battles & the result of all three battles went against the fortune of India , otherwise course of history for India would have been different . In every battle inferiorly equipped army defeated superiorly equipped army. In the 1st battle of 1526 combatants were Ebrahim Lodi of Lodi empire throned at Dehi against Babur of Samarkand . Result is known to everybody .

The 2nd battle of Panipat in 1556 was between Akbar & Hemu a Hindu warrior as chief Minister of Adil Sah . He afterwards coronated himself as Hemu Vikramaditya. As combatant he was sitting in the howdah of his elephant & on the cusp of victory , a stray arrow pierced his right eye & he became senseless. His army thinking he is dead lost the heart of fighting & fled from the battle field . Hemu was captured & was beheaded by Bairam Khan ,guardian of Akbar & regent of Mughal dynasty .The course of history changed & battle of Panipat was not favoring the fortune of India .

Hemu Vikramaditya (Internet Image)

   











In the 3rd battle of Panipat in 1761 combatants were war veteran Marathas & Shaik Abdali of Afganistan .

Army of Shaik Abdali (Internet Image}

The battle raged for many days . Posturing of combatant armies went for longer period & were in search of weak points . But provisions of Maratha army fell short & farmers of adjacent area did not cooperate in procurement of provisions & as Maratha army were notorious for their foraging activity . There can be given umpteen reasons for defeat & once again lady luck did not smile over the fortune of India . 




Continued ..........