Hyderabad: While the rest of the country celebrates Diwali, defence personnel who are posted in remote border check posts or on high-altitude battlegrounds, miss out the revelries and togetherness. However, Prime Minister Narendra Mod has spend Diwali days with members of the armed forces without fail.
Here is a list of the military establishments Modi has visited on Diwali days.
The Longewala post is a strategic post on the western border where the first major battle of the 1971 war, known as the Battle of Longewala, was fought.
Battle of Longewala a brief history
The famous battle of Longewala in Rajasthan was held during the 1971 Indo-Pak war when 23 Punjab Regiment with just 120 men held off a full-fledged attack by Pakistani Patton tanks and 3,000 Soldiers.
The company of 23 Punjab under Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri was under command of the 30 Infantry Brigade commanded by Brigadier EN Ramadoss.
The Pakistanis 51 Infantry Brigade consisted of about 3,000 men and 22 Armoured Regiment.
The Pakistani forces' plan was to have breakfast at Longewala, lunch at Jaisalmer and dinner at Jodhpur.
The Pakistani indecision and staunch resistance put up by the 120 Indian warriors stalled the enemy's attack, giving a grand opportunity to the Indian Air Force (IAF) Hunters from Jaisalmer to destroy the vulnerable Pakistani forces which were sitting ducks in the vast open desert and without counter-offensive by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF).
The enemy suffered complete rout and the battle of Longewala became part of the Indian folklore about forcing Pakistani troops to retreat, leaving 20 tanks and over 100 other vehicles destroyed and abandoned.
According to Pakistani Major General Fazal Muqeem Khan in his book ‘Pakistan’s Crisis of Leadership’ has said that India’s 12 Division mercifully did not pursue very far other than capturing of Islamgarh on 4 Dec 1971.
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