Golden jubilee: 1965 war comes alive in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: On a humid evening on Saturday, a swelling crowd waited patiently at the India Gate lawns, their eyes glued to the sky. It was going to be the first time fighter jets would fly over Rajpath on a day other than Republic Day.

As Akash Ganga, the skydiving squad of Indian Air Force, did a para-drop from helicopters, the vicinity of India Gate reverberated with cries of Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

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It was the fifth day of Shauryanjali, an eight-day exhibition to commemorate the golden jubilee of the 1965 war. It is a one of a kind exhibition where the armed forces interact with the public by recreating war scenes and experiences of the soldiers, to honour the valour and sacrifices of the heroes of the war.





The exhibition that is spread across 28 pavilions showcases the role of the three services and CRPF in leading India to victory in the war that began after Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar under which around 30,000 Pakistani soldiers infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir.





Upon entering the Golden Jubilee Gate', visitors are briefed with the timeline of the war through a documentary. After the screening, directions are given to move to another hall where a signboard asks visitors to "brace" themselves for "a more than 2,800km journey, down the memory lane along the Indo-Pak border from Kutch to Kashmir". Sequences of the entire war are depicted through miniature sand models. There are pavilions dedicated to all the battles that took place in different regions along the border. The walls of the pavilions are adorned with pictures of the martyrs.





The exhibition also displays war trophies like pistols, rifles and captured accoutrements of Pakistani troops and a captured Patton tank. A milestone picked up from Barki indicating a distance of 15km to Lahore depicts how deep inside Pakistan Indian troops went.

Scenes from major battles like Asal Uttar, Haji Pir, Barki, Dograi and Phillora are also being recreated.

"This is the 31st time we are demonstrating the signal operations to the public since this morning. It gives us happiness to see the reactions of the crowd. They might have seen battle scenes in movies before but this is the first time they'll get to see a recreation by our jawans," said Anil Kumar, a jawan part of the enactment.

The exhibition also showcases the maritime situation at the time of the war. Officers guide the public through the naval operations carried out in 1965.

"This exhibition has bridged the gap between armed forces and civilians. The youth participation in the exhibition is enthralling. It will educate them about our glorious history," said a naval officer who was getting a selfie clicked with a young visitor.





Installations of fighter aircraft used in the war can be seen in various pavilions. Visitors can also climb up on the replicas of these aircraft to learn about the experiences of the pilots.





Not many knew about the role that CRPF played in the war by capturing the Sardar Post. A pavilion demonstrates how the paramilitary force seized the post and commemorates the personnel who died fighting.

"The pavilion was visited by war veterans and politicians who were surprised to know that our force was involved in the 1965 war. Public participation at such a massive scale is a good opportunity to demonstrate the realities of war," says a CRPF commandant at the kiosk.

Through books and photographs the exhibition acknowledges the crucial war coverage by newspapers and Prasar Bharti. The contribution of Red Cross Society, which donated 30,000 units of blood to the jawans, is also highlighted.