1965 War, The Great PM OF INDIA And An Incompetent  Army Head

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

Pakistani General Ayyub Khan said “ Hindu morale would not stand more than a couple of hard blows at the right time and place.”

After 1 month 2 weeks and 5 days of fighting , Pakistan’s dream of capturing Kashmir from India was crushed to dust.

From invading Kashmir , they were forced to defend Lahore and Sialkot with tail in between legs. And desperately was seeking USA’s intervention to pressurize India to stop the war.

And USA complied , asked USSR to use it’s good office with India for a CEASEFIRE.

India generously agreed to the ceasefire after repeated pleas from the major powers, at a time when it was crushing Pakistan. At that time Indian Army chief was General Jayanta Nath Chaudhuri—commonly known as MUCHCHU CHAUDHURI. The Kolkata-born general came from an affluent background and had become army chief purely on the back of family connections and pure luck. Predictably he lacked war fighting qualities and usually fell in to depression, in tight situations. Whenever Indian Army suffered a setback, he would run to the Defence minister’s office afraid and each time the minister had to revive the General with some   pep talks !!!.

However, it was a well-known fact that MUCHCHU CHAUDHURI used to GHOST WRITE  Défense columns for an English Daily.

On September 20, 1965-- Prime Minister asked General Chaudhuri whether India could expect to gain if the war continued for a few days more. Mr. Shastri was emphatical that he can hold pressure of USA, and RUSSIA for a few more days, if we can recover POK. General  informed the PM that the army was coming to an end of its ammunition holdings and could not sustain fighting for much longer. Muchchu Chaudhuri thus advised acceptance of the ceasefire proposal, and it was accepted.

A VERY BIG BLUNDER! We know what happened thereafter.

 It was later discovered in overall terms only  20% of the Indian Army’s ammunition stock had been used up. In contrast, Pakistan had expended 80% of its ammo. It had also lost 250 of its latest US-supplied PATTON tanks, and India’s air dominance was complete, after SARGODHA massacre tied down Pakistan’s Sabre Jets. At the moment of our greatest advantage the army chief’s non-comprehension of the intricacies of the long-range logistics deprived India of a more decisive victory, and may be the first chance to recover POK after 1948.

Another interesting fact about this General is that he is the one who ordered the Army Commander Har Baksh Singh to withdraw when Pakistan Army attacked Khem Kharan Sector in Punjab. The commander refused, and what followed was the Battle of Asal Uttar – the greatest tank battle since Battle of Kursk in 1943. The Indian counter attack on the night of September 10 was so ferocious that by the morning they had knocked out  70 Pakistani tanks. And those were Patton Tanks!

Funny coincidence is that Pervez Musharraf, later Pakistani Army Chief of Staff and President of Pakistan, participated in this battle as a lieutenant of artillery in the 16 (SP) Field Regiment, 1st Armoured Division Artillery. No wonder why he could never win any more wars in his life again. !!!

Some links are attached to the TEXT, for more information on the subject. However—the referred books are with more information.

References:-

1.0 India Pakistan War1965—G.D.BAKSHI

2.0 1965 War, the inside story—Y.B.Chavan