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The Battle of Basantar or the Battle of Barapind (December 4th - 16th, 1971) was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector of India. Despite being outnumbered, the Indian troops won a hard fought battle due to individual brilliance that secured the vital area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. The result was that more than 350 square miles of Pakistan territory was occupied by Indian forces. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector.

Location of battle

Basantar river is a tributary of the Ravi River that flows in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. This battle took place in the Shakargarh Sector or the Shakargarh Bulge that includes Jarpal and surrounding areas. The bulge is a protrusion of Pakistan boundary into Indian territory. It was a strategic area for both sides as it comprised road links to Jammu from Punjab, which could be cut off by Pakistan if it wished to launch an offensive. It was also a economically vital for both sides as it straddled the fertile area of the Indus river belt.

Reasoning behind the battle

As the war began on the eastern front Pakistan decided to open up the western sector to divert Indian troops away and prolong the war. However Indian troops chose to attack right at the most offensive part of the Punjab sector in Shakargarh sector. This was despite taking into account that a main base of the Pakistan Army was at Sialkot, just a couple of hundred miles from the thick of the battle.

Battle plan

Both the opposing sides were led by I Corps. Pakistan's I Corp included three infantry divisions, one armoured division, an armoured brigade backed up by an unknown number of artillery and support units. Furthermore Pakistan had the advantage of bringing in the reserve troops stationed nearby. The Reserves totaled 5 divisions, commanded by none other than Lt. General Tikka Khan. The Indian I Corps had three infantry divisions, 2 Armoured Brigades, two independent artillery brigades and an engineer brigade. The aim of the Indian Army was to bridge the basantar river - the entry to which was fully land mined - and take control of the Shakargarh bulge. Such an offensive would also secure the Pathankot army base from any attacks from Pakistan it was reasoned.

The Battle

The offensive in this sector was launched a few days after war broke out between the two nations. The Indian I Corps moved with force into the sector to capture the key areas. The 54 Infantry Division and 16 Armoured Brigade moved towards the area. As they advanced they were met by enemy defences that fought back. Pakistan reserves were also thrown in. Meanwhile the Indian division was bogged down as they had not cleared all the mines or bridged the river. This resulted in a daring counter attack by the 17 Poona Horse 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal who led his 3 tanks headlong into the mined area. A fierce tank battle ensued where a Pakistan tank was taken down. Once again the defenders regrouped with their tanks. The 8th Armoured Brigade of Pakistan was thrust into the battle to neutralise the enemy. What followed was a story of courage and extreme valour. Lt. Arun Khetarpal with his 2 remaining tanks fought off and gunned down 10 tanks before he was killed in action. The counterattack proved to be a disaster for Pakistan's armoured brigade.

After days of fighting that saw both sides gaining and losing territory, the Indians slowly but surely gained a threatening superiority, despite being at a quantitative and qualitative disadvantage. Towards the tail end of the battle, Pakistani forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Akram Raja made a frantic attempt to counter attack the Indian stronghold by jumping into an old-style cavalry charge with his tanks. Launched in broad daylight in view of the Indian defensive positions which were well secured, the batallion was mowed down in minutes. As the Indians came threateningly close to the Pakistan Army base at Sialkot, the Pakistan Air Force was called in and the Indians retreated back. As Pakistan lost the war and surrendered, fighting stopped in the sector too. India had gained control of more than thousand square miles before finally settling down to 350 square miles of Pakistan territory that included approximately 500 villages.

Conclusion

The battle was supposed to showcase the might of Pakistan Army against a outnumbered Indian Army in that particular sector. However the ingenuity of a bold attack by the Indians surprised the enemy and the bravado of the Indians was always a factor that tilted the battle in India's way. Pakistan Army generally regards this as the most humbling defeat, next only to the Battle of Longewala despite numerical and qualitative superiority over the opposing force. In this battle alone India had destroyed close to 70 tanks losing only a few in the process. This and other battles put paid to any hopes of bargaining for territory lost in East Pakistan, by capturing Indian territory; infact Pakistan had lost sizeable portions of land on both sides of the border.

Awards

• Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honour was awarded to Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, 17th Poona Horse
• Param Vir Chakra for Major Hoshiar Singh, 3rd Battalion, Bombay Grenadiers
• It was probably the first time in the history of wars, that an enemy recommended a soldier for an award. Colonel Mohammed Akram Raja was awarded Hilal-e-Jurat by the Pakistan Government on the basis of a citation written by Lieutenant Colonel, Ved Airy, who was Commanding Officer, 3Grenediars, Indian Army

References

• . ISBN 8174362622. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)

See also

• Battle of Barapind-Jarpal
• Poona Horse account of the battle
• A newspaper format presentation of the battle

• 1971
• Battles of the Indo-Pakistan Wars