1965 Turning the Tide

Book excerpt: Fifty years in a nation's life is a small period of time. However, it is quite likely that collective memory will have faded about several events...and so it is with the 1965 war that India was dragged into by Pakistan's chronic insecurities and territorial ambitions. This time in the form of a forcible attempt to annex Kashmir. Today, the details of the war that came between the tragedy of 1962 and the triumph of 1971 are hazy in the memory of the country. But it is a story that needs to be retold. Caught by surprise at the Pakistani offensive, India, then struggling as a nation, responded with extraordinary zeal and turned the tide in a war Pakistan thought it would win because of its superior weapons and tactics. But as the outcome of the 1965 war tells us, Pakistan not only failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives but had to suffer a massive setback, thanks to a combination of resolute political leadership, the brave Indian soldiers and determined citizens. This then is the account of the war that India has largely forgotten. In this meticulously researched and fast paced book, journalist and national security analyst Nitin A. Gokhale, has produced a formidable and comprehensive evaluation of the events and aftermath of the ferocious Indo-Pak war of 1965.