1965 Turning the Tide by Nitin A Gokhale

Author:Nitin A Gokhale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Catching Pakistan by Surprise

Threatening Lahore

T

hreatened with the loss of Akhnoor and following Pakistan’s dash through Chhamb and Jaurian, the Indian politicomilitary leadership was left with no alternative but to put into action a secret plan they had finalised in the aftermath of the Kutch episode in March–April 1965.

Named Operation Riddle, the plan was to counter any threatening move by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. A war game called Operation Ablaze was conducted in May–June 1965 in which Indian forces had discussed threadbare the plan to launch an offensive across the international border in Lahore and Sialkot sectors.

The main aim was to threaten Lahore, in many ways Pakistan’s pre-eminent city, drive a wedge between the Pakistani forces deployed in the Lahore and Sialkot sectors, and destroy their war potential. The offensive was to serve the dual purpose of ensuring the security of Punjab, by advancing the Indian defence line into Pakistani territory and gaining control of some Pakistani areas, so as to use the situation as a bargain chip in any eventual negotiation that would take place.

As the situation turned precarious on 3 September in the Chhamb–Jaurian sector, Army HQ in consultation with the Western Command decided to put into action the plan prepared on 9 August.

The Indian plan visualised a limited offensive intended to cover the area from Dera Baba Nanak in the north to the Sutlej in the south. It is important to understand the lay of the land and the terrain in this area before we proceed further.

The border in this area meandered from north to south across flat, fertile plain, thickly populated and well-served by roads, railways and canals. The Indo–Pakistan border was about 28 km from Amritsar with many roads connected to it. One of these roads running through Ramitirth and Kohali connected Amritsar with Ranian (in Pakistan). Another road running to the north-east by way of Ajnala led to Dera Baba Nanak on Ravi River. The Grand Trunk (GT) Road on which Lahore was situated was 24 km from the border.

Khem Karan, the Indian border town, was situated about 60 km south-west of Amritsar on the road that passed to Bhikhiwind. Cutting this road diagonally at Bhikhiwind, another highway ran from Harike on the Sutlej to Lahore by way of Khalra and Barki (in Pakistan). Harike was connected to Amritsar by a road that passed through Tarn Taran. This road went up to the Indo–Pakistan border. Another road between the border and Khem Karan passed through Patti and Valtoha. One more road running due east from Tarn Taran went up to the Indo–Pakistan border near Rajatal. A railway line linked Amritsar to Lahore. Dera Baba Nanak and Khem Karan were also linked by rail to Amritsar.

There were two strategic bridges on the river Beas, flowing 43 km east of Amritsar: one near a town named Beas and the other at Harike. The Hudiara drain ran from the north-east of Amritsar to the south-west, cut the GT Road 9 km east of the Indo–Pak border, and then entered Pakistan to the south of Rajatal.

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