Academics
Fifty years in a nation's life is a small period of time. However, it is quite likely that collective memory will have faded about several events…and so it is with the 1965 war that India was dragged into by Pakistan's chronic insecurities and territorial ambitions. This time in the form of a forcible attempt to annex Kashmir. Today, the details of the war that came between the tragedy of 1962 and the triumph of 1971 are hazy in the memory of the country.\n\nBut it is a story that needs to be retold. Caught by surprise at the Pakistani offensive, India, then struggling as a nation, responded with extraordinary zeal and turned the tide in a war Pakistan thought it would win because of its superior weapons and tactics.\nBut as the outcome of the 1965 war tells us, Pakistan not only failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives but had to suffer a massive setback, thanks to a combination of resolute political leadership, the brave Indian soldiers and determined citizens. This then is the account of the war that India has largely forgotten. In this meticulously researched and fast paced book, journalist and national security analyst Nitin A. Gokhale, has produced a formidable and comprehensive evaluation of the events and aftermath of the ferocious Indo-Pak war of 1965.
The ancient Greek poet Pindar once wrote, ?Unsung, the noblest deed will die.? Brave Men of War? from the heights of Kargil to the plains of Punjab?sets out to record acts of valour and tell the stories of the brave men, some of whom unflinchingly paid theprice of victory with the ultimate sacrifice of their lives during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. Pakistan?s defeat in the war, marked the coming of age of the Indian army. There are stories of countless young men who lost their lives, fighting until they ?d drawn their last breath but all too often their stories were either forgotten or reduced to footnotes in the larger volumes of history. This book recounts the heroic and fearless acts of bravery demonstrated by our men in Olive. The list includes Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, the military leader who planned, directed and commanded the operations and actions, Lt Col Desmond Hayde, the hero of Dograi, Lt Col AB Tarapore and Lt Col MMS Bakshi and many others. Without glamorising war, this is an attempt to preserve the stories of heroism and sacrifice of some fearless men, so that they may become role models for the youth of India and never be forgotten.
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