39 The Wars

39

Let me spend some time writing about the 3 Wars that I experienced, during my childhood and youth. The Chinese War of 1962, and the two conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 – I was staying in Bombay in the Reserve Bank Colony on Club Road in the Bombay Central area, during this period. Wars were alien to us children. When they erupted, I felt for the first time a sense of fear and foreboding along with anxiety for the future.

The Chinese aggression was very unexpected and India was totally unprepared – I remember earlier Chou En–Lai, the Chinese Premier had visited India. Wherever he went with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the streets resounded with the slogan of Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai! The war was a total rout for India and many of our soldiers were killed –pictures in the Times of India told of how our soldiers suffered due to lack of winter clothing and proper arms. The Chinese suddenly stopped their advance and unilaterally declared a cease fire: and with this the 30 day conflict ended abruptly!

I was 12 years old when the Chinese aggression happened, and I distinctly recall the tremendous support for our army jawans that was generated after the conflict was over. Funds were raised for their welfare. Many film stars joined in huge processions across Bombay collecting money for them. Within 3 years, there was another war, this time with Pakistan. Of course we were better prepared and we had a new Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri leading the nation in his own inspiring way!

The Indian Army punched their way through on the Western Front and rapidly crossed the Ichhogil Canal, racing to the outskirts of Lahore. For the first time, Bombay felt the war came to our doorstep as there was a total blackout declared across the city. We also heard the ack ack guns firing at the Pakistani planes – the Colaba Batteries opened up and there were ‘red onions’ flying over the skies from our anti-aircraft guns!

The heroes of the 1965 War were the Keelor Brothers, Trevor and Denzil – they were known as the ‘Sabre Killers’, for they were able to shoot down sophisticated Sabre fighter planes in dogfights. The Indian Armour was also were effective in knocking out the state-of-the-art Patton Tanks of the Pakistani Army. Later when the captured Patton Tanks were put together in one place, they named it Patton Nagar! No doubt Lal Bahadur Shastri was the hero of the 1971 conflict and just after signing the Peace Agreement in Tashkent; he suddenly died of a heart attack and the Nation was stunned!

The 1971 Indo-Pak War started just as I turned 20, and the war culminated in the liberation of East Pakistan into the present day Bangladesh. Again Bombay was under blackout, but this time most of the action was east of Calcutta. Mrs Indira Gandhi and General Sam Manekshaw (later Field Marshal) were undoubtedly the heroes of this conflict. The capture of Dacca was a historic event and the classic picture of General Niazi of East Pakistan signing the instruments of surrender, along with General Arora still remain fresh in my mind!