HAZI PIR PASS - 1965

WHY DID WE RETURN HAZI PIR PASS AFTER 1965 WAR

                               BY Maj Gen Pradyot Mallick

 

I     n last couple of days I found some articles on 65 war specially on why did we return Hazi Pir Pass.  One of these is available at : http://www.rediff.com/news/special/why-did-india-give-back-the-haji-pir-pass-to-pakistan/20150923.htm?sc_cid=fbshare

 

3.  In one of those Face Book pages where these were reproduced I wrote the following :

          "We need to read Military History in an objective manner. We are a mature democracy, mature army. If we had committed mistakes we should learn from it and vow not to repeat that again".

 

Pakis were aggressors. But the war started in distinct phases First at Runn of Kutch, then infiltration in Kashmir Valley, then Battle of Akhnoor and later in plains of Punjab. Ayub correctly assessed that India after 62 debacle was quickly regrouping, expanding, equipping, training, absorbing technology. The differential was in favour of India and rapidly improving. Delay in attacking India would give India much better chance.

 

Things were really bad in Akhnoor sector. There was nothing in between Pakis and Akhnoor bridge or the town. Why during the battle one of the most brilliant commanders of Pak Army GOC of 12 (?)Div was changed and Yahiya Khan was appointed during the peak of battle has never been adequately explained. In Chamb Jaurian sector on 3 Sep Jaurian fell on Paki hands. India utilised that crucial window of 24 to 48 hours to put as much troops as possible there to stabilise the situation. In desperation IAF help was sought. Why in broad day light slow moving Vampires were pressed into service to be shot by marauding F 86s when we had equally capable Hunters has nor been adequately explained by IAF. Remember war was raging from Kutch days you cannot say adequate time for preparation was not available. I recommend all to read Maj Gen Sukhwant Sings book on India's wars since Indepencence.

 

Both the armies fought well in defensive battles Pakis in Chiwanda against our 1 Corps offensive and we at Khemkaran against Pak armd thrust. Both performed poorly in offensive ops. In Lahore sector Pakis were caught pants down. There was nothing between us and Lahore. 3 JAT did brilliantly but our mindset and higher commanders failed.

 

Lot of myths have been generated. Our British Centurian tanks were damn good, training of crew excellent, see the performance of all the centurion regiments. If Pakis had a squadron of F104 star fighters we also had 60 years ago a squadron of MIG21 s. They used F104s, we did not. Our Hunters were by no means inferior to F86s, it was proved again and again.

 

Sukhwant writes : Territorial gains and losses at the time of the ceasefire effective at 0330 hours of 23 September were 740 square miles in Indian hands against 210 square miles with Pakistan. But such statistics had no meaning whatever so long as adverse possession did not affect the loser's political prestige, hurt its economy and jeopardized its military posture. A detailed examination revealed that India had captured some important Pakistani posts in the Kargil sector overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway and covering an area of 20 square miles. It was not so much the area captured as the tactical advantage gained which placed India in a better bargaining position. Similarly, in the Tithwal, Uri and Poonch sectors, the Indian forces had managed to straighten out the existing bulges, and by the capture of important gullies and passes, including Haji Pir Pass, they had blocked the infiltration routes leading to the valley. By capturing an additional 250 square miles India had improved its military posture along the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir. On the debit side it had lost the fertile tract of Chhamb and Jaurian covering an area of 190 square miles. Overall, approximately 140,000 people were displaced in Jammu division alone, and out of them 80,000 belonged to Chhamb. Many millions of rupees have been spent in running refugee camps and on rehabilitation projects for them.

In the Lahore and Sialkot sectors Pakistan lost about 320 square miles. India controlled a six-mile-deep belt along the border between the Teg and Deg streams in the Sialkot sector, while in the Lahore sector it held about 30 miles of the 45-mile long Ichhogil Canal on the eastern side. The salient in Pakistani territory varied from one mile at the narrowest to ten deep at Burki. In addition, India eliminated the Pakistani-held Dera Baba Nanak enclave and dominated the road and railway bridge there, but Pakistan had taken over the Indian complex of the Kassowal group of enclaves north of the Ravi. On the other hand, Pakistan controlled 20 square miles of fertile tract in the Khemkaran sector, including the town itself, in Punjab. All the towns and villages on either side were razed to the ground. Altogether some 74 villages and three hamlets were fully occupied in Punjab, while 38 villages were partially in Pakistani hands. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, Indian forces occupied a wedge ten to 12 miles deep in the general area of Gadra city while Pakistan took over the railhead of Munabao.

Read more at:

http://www.indiandefencereview.com/.../indias-losses.../0/

 

I also recommend reading Return of Haji Pir Pass in 1965 – Myth and the Reality By Maj Gen Sheru Thapliyal

Issue Net Edition | Date : 29 Aug , 2015

Read more at:

http://www.indiandefencereview.com/.../return-of-haji.../

 

Probably the decision makers that time could not visualise the type of infiltration that Pakis would do later years specially 90 onwards. The political pressure of fertile lands of Punjab and Jammu were also there. We should never forget Lalbahadur Shashtri vowed not to give away Hazi Pir Pass. But in international relations and diplomacy and economics you cannot go all alone specially when you were economically vulnerable. I think under extreme pressure from Russians he had to give away. But it was a bargain. In hind sight we can tell anything. Let us not make outrageous statements against the political leaders at that time.

 

I would like to know what was the recommendations of Army HQ, the MO Branch archive should tell us their stand. This should be available. After 60 years we must know the facts and truth.

 

India's Losses and Gains in Post-Independence Wars – I

 

INDIANDEFENCEREVIEW.COM

http://strategicstudyindia.blogspot.in   

http://indianstrategicknowledgeonline.com

https://www.facebook.com/pk.mullick

 

The Lord said :

Whatever happened in the past, it happened for the good; Whatever is happening, is happening for the good; Whatever shall happen in the future, shall happen for the good only. Do not weep for the past, do not worry for the future, concentrate on your present life.

What did you bring at the time of birth, that you have lost? What did you produce,  which is destroyed? You didn't bring anything when you were born. Whatever you have, you have received it from the God only while on this earth. Whatever you will give, you will give it to the God. Everyone came in this world empty handed and shall go the same way. Everything belongs to God only.

Whatever belongs to you today, belonged to someone else earlier and shall belong to some one else in future. Change is the law of the universe.

You are an indestructible Soul & not a body. Body is composed of five elements - Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Sky; one day body shall perish in these elements.

 

Maj Gen PK Mallick, VSM (Retd)