We all know what happened in the Longewala area during the '71 war. And I'm not talking of the movie 'Border' here. My Battalion was close to where Brig KS Chandpuri (then Maj) was, and he and his men took the term 'holding the fort' to new heights. With sheer grit and determination, this company of Punjab Regt held on and being in the area, we knew it was no easy task.The controversy emerged after the release of 'Border' where Sunny Deol played the role of Chandpuri. Certain people started comparing reel with real life. Chandpuri never claimed the movie to be a true depiction of what actually happened, in fact if I remember correctly, the movie contained a disclaimer that it was inspired by the events at Laugewala and was not a true blow by blow account. Of course there had to be exaggeration of facts if the movie was to become a hit.
That we all know that in the movie the Army had a centre stage and this rankled certain Air Force and Air OP officers but the mudslinging campaign against the gallant men of 23 PUNJAB in Hindustan Times (by Rahul Singh of HT) and certain other media orgs recently was uncalled for. They in 2008 called the battle a 'fake' and claimed that not even a single round was fired in Longewala. Nothing could have been more untrue and they have done disservice to the lives lost in the area buckling down to the greed of sensationalism. Many men were lost in Longewala and here were people saying that there was no evidence of fire in the area ! The least they could have done was consult people who had served in the region during those times. I met Brig CHandpuri - he may not remember me, but I've never seen a war hero more humble in my life. The man is a grounded person and son of the soil and it pained me and the defence community a great deal to see his humiliation in the media whereas he maintained a dignified silence. It was also unfortunate that the Army did not come to his rescue by issuing any official media statement.
But now, when I opened my paper this morning, I felt very happy and relieved. The humble farmer- soldier has decided to fight a war again after 37 years. He has filed a case in a Chandigarh Court for redeeming his honour and you know how much he has sought as damages – Rupee 1/-. A great man and a great step. May the Lord be with him and the souls that were lost that night in Longewala.
Brig Chander Bhanot (Retd)
BATTLE OF LONGEWALA: BEST OF BRAVES
Battle of Longewala
I had stood watching ahead at the Lngewala post, it was some time in 1986. There was a burnt-out tank, obviously, a casualty of a R C L round, its gun pointing out straight at me. I could see rightin it's barrel: even in a burnt state the sight of the tank so near, was frightening. there was also a burnt out tank recovery vehicle just behind it. Unfortunately, fifteen years past there were no empties for me to count. My heart goes to those brave solders who stood ground and died there.
Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)
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