The exhibition will give the public a chance to view captured Pakistani Patton and Sherman tanks as well as the milestone reading “Lahore 13 km” that was brought back by the Indian Army, showcasing how deep the troops had entered into Pakistan.
At the opening ceremony, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said, “I feel that the 1965 war was the first major war that India won. Some people raise the question whether India won or was there a stalemate. Even as a nine-year-old kid, I was of the firm opinion that India won hands down.”
For finance minister, Arun Jaitley, it was a walk down memory lane. He said, “I remember as a young school boy, when our armed forces were defending our borders, the whole country used to be tuned into the radio, supporting the armed forces emotionally and materially.”
The six-day event will also see manoeuvre by fighter jets and stunts by para troopers.
Spread over 700 metres at Rajpath, 28 exhibition halls recreate the role of Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Media, Prasar Bharti, International Red Cross and others.
Mr Jaitley released a commemorative coin while Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad released three commemorative stamps.
Mr Prasad said that the soldiers had brought back the prestige of the country in 1965 after the loss in the 1962 war against China.
India had captured 1,920 kilometres of Pakistani land while Pakistan had taken control over 540 kilometres of Indian territory in the 1965 war. In total, 2,862 soldiers gave up their life protecting the motherland and 211 of them were given gallantry awards.
Among those martyrs was the celebrated Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, a soldier in the 4th Battalion of The Grenadiers of the Indian Army. He was the posthumous recipient of India’s highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra.
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