Table of Contents
Background
• Indian defeat in 1962 Sino Indian war • Perceived weakness of Indian military by Pakistani military brass • Qualitative edge of Pakistan in military hardware and air power (Cold war!)
• Nehru’s death in 1964 • India’s weak economic scenario at the time • No progress in solving Kashmir dispute
• Gen.Ayub Khan Lal Bahadur Shastri
Kutch Skirmishes
• Disputed areas • Border posts firing In April 1965 India-Pak Decided to go to arbitration This emboldened Pakistani leadership
Objective of Pakistan in 1965
• Start unrest/armed struggle in Kashmir and turn people against India • Capture entire Kashmir “To defreeze the Kashmir problem, weaken Indian resolve, and bring India to the conference table without provoking general war”
Operation Gibraltar- August 1965
• Paratroopers/special forces in Kashmir valley + infiltration along CFL • To capture strategic points and start unrest • People of kashmir did not support –civilians caught many of these soldiers. • Objective failed completely Courtesy – Times Of India Archive
Operation Grand Slam
• September 1965
• Full blown attack to capture Akhnoor
• Pak. Air force starts bombing campaign in Kashmir
• Indian forces successfully repulsed the attack
Punjab Theatre
• To bring Pak army under pressure, India opened a new front in Punjab
• Armoured divisions entered Pakistan and reached till outskirts of Lahore
• Pakistan army attacked and captured Khem Karan. Fierce battle (Asal Uttar) to recapture it.
• Large scale tank battles for first time after WW2
• Patton tanks of Pakistan were superior but better strategy by Indian armoured div. led to heavy losses for Pak army
• The PAF had superior aircraft (US supplied) and inflicted huge damage initially.
The Ceasefire
• Soviet Union and USA mediated throughout September to stop the war • Finally a ceasefire was announced on 22 September 1965 . • Hostilities stopped next day
Who won?
• Both sides claimed victory
• Neutral assessment – India had upper hand . Pakistan would have serious depletion of resources if the war had lasted even 1 more month
• Tashkent declaration – No ‘war guilt’ clause Better war planning, quick deployment of forces during the war and better use of resources available at its disposal led to Indian Military success
Tashkent Declaration
10 January 1966 in Tashkent (USSR – Uzbekistan)
• Return to pre war International boundary
• Return to pre war CFL in Jammu & Kashmir
• Exchange of PoWs
• Restore diplomatic relations
• Further talks for Peace Lal Bahadur Shastri died the same night of a heart attack
War | Free PDF
By Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore
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