A Seminar On 1965 Operations being hosted by Vajra Corps.
Jalandhar, July 7, 2015: Vajra Corps organized a Seminar to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of 1965 Indo-Pak war on 07 July 15 at Jalandhar Cantt. The seminar was attended by a large gathering of veterans including Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd), Maj Gen K S Bajwa (Retd) & Col Gurdip Singh Gill (Retd), all of whom travelled all the way from Chandigarh to Jalandhar to attend the seminar, serving personnel, civil dignitaries, ladies, college & school students. The panel of eminent speakers for the seminar included the former Chief Of Army Staff, Gen V P Malik (Retd), Lt Gen S S Sangra (Retd), Lt Gen V G Patankar (Retd), Lt Gen A S Bahia (Retd) , Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali (Retd), Maj Gen R S Mehta (Retd) and Maj Gen B S Grewal (Retd). The seminar was also attended by Dr Kamal Kinger, Head of Department, Defence & Strategic Studies, Punjab University, Patiala, an acknowledged expert on defence matters. Messages of 1965 War veterans to include Lt Gen Deepinder Singh (Retd) & Brig Sant Singh (Retd), who could not attend the seminar due to their ill-health, was also read out.
1965 war holds a unique place in the annals of Vajra Corps. Though the 1965 war commenced in Jammu & Kashmir, most decisive battles of the war were fought in plains of Punjab in the Vajra Corps area of responsibility. Swift offensive action by the Vajra warriors decimated the enemy and took the formation upto the Ichhogil canal on the doorsteps of Lahore. In the biggest tank battle fought after the Second World War at Asal Uttar, Vajra Corps lived upto its name as ‘Defenders of Punjab’ by blunting the famed 1 Armoured Division of Pakistan, destroying 97 Pakistan Patton tanks in the process. It is in this battle that the Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid of 4th battalion of the Grenadier Regiment earned Param Vir Chakra (PVC) posthumously. In Jammu & Kashmir theatre of operations, the most spectacular success achieved by the Indian Army was the capture of Hajipir Pass in Uri sector by 1 PARA (SF). Located on Pir Panjal Ranges, Hajipir Pass provided the shortest all weather connectivity from Uri in Kashmir valley to Poonch in Jammu region.
The seminar concluded with the closing remarks by the General Officer Commanding Vajra Corps, Lt Gen NPS Hira, who paid rich tributes to the veterans who made this glorious victory in 1965 war possible. He thanked the distinguished panel of speakers for their educative talk, which held the audience especially the younger lot enthralled. He also thanked the audience for their active participation in the seminar. The seminar achieved its aim in refreshing the memoirs of the 1965 war and invoking the national spirit amongst the audience.
Date:
Tuesday, July 7, 2015