Table of Contents Author’s Note ------------------------------- 3 This Man Changed Everything ----------- 5 Wars that Defined our borders ---------- 8 1. First Kashmir War 1947 ----------------- 10 2. Operation Polo ---------------------------- 13 3. Operation Vijay ---------------------------- 18 4. Operation Meghdoot -------------------- 21 Heroic Battles ------------------------------ 23 1. Operation Cactus ------------------------- 25 2. Operation Ashwamedah ---------------- 27 Humanitarian Missions ------------------- 28 1. Operation Sukoon ------------------------- 30 2. Operation Safe Homecoming ----------- 31 3. Operation Rahaat -------------------------- 32 4. Other Evacuations by India -------------- 34 Bonus ----------------------------------------- 35 Author’s Note A true patriot tries to instil patriotism in his fellow mates and keep himself dedicated to the nation. While we might never get a chance to give our lives for our country, but yes we can do a small contribution to the country --- Just support our army men and remember our martyrs in our prayers. This eBook speaks about wars our Indian Armed Forces fought to make our country a safe, secular and peaceful nation. Date: 7th January 2017 Dedicated to all the martyrs who died fighting to make our lives more secured This man changed everything First Lt General of India Image Source: - http://india-shinning.blogspot.in/2011/12/lt-general-nathu-singh-rathore-first-lt.html This man changed everything (Cont…) After gaining Independence, a meeting was organized to select the first General of the Indian Army. [1] Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru chaired that meeting. Leaders and Army officers were discussing to whom this responsibility should be given. In between the discussion Nehru said, “I think we should appoint a British officer as a General of Indian Army as we don’t have enough experience to lead the same.” Everybody supported Nehru because if the PM was suggesting something, how can they not agree? But one of the army officers abruptly said, “I have a point, sir.” Nehru said, “Yes, gentleman. You are free to speak.” He said, “You see, sir, we don’t have enough experience to lead a nation too, so shouldn’t we appoint a British person as first PM of India?” This man changed everything (Cont…) The meeting hall suddenly went quiet. Then, Nehru said, “Are you ready to be the first General of Indian Army?” He got a golden chance to accept the offer but he refused the same and said, “Sir, we have a very talented army officer, my senior, Lt Gen Cariappa, who is the most deserving among us.” That day we got the first Field Marshal of Independent India K M Cariappa[2] Image Source: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodandera_M._Cariappa#/media/File:Field_Marshal_KM_Cariappa.jpg Wars that defined our borders Wars that defined our borders The British controlled 565 princely states during 1947 in Indian subcontinent. While leaving India, they gave a choice to all princely states to either join India, Pakistan or stay Independent. Man Instrumental for India’s unification The Iron Man of India – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel In this series, We will list down four wars that resurrected India how it is today 1. First Kashmir War 1947 (Erstwhile J&K princely state) 2. Operation Polo (Hyderabad) 3. Operation Vijay (Goa) 4. Operation Meghdoot (Siachen Glacier) Image Source: - http://www.14gaam.com/history-of-sardar-vallabhbhai-patel.htm First Kashmir War -- 1947 Jammu and Kashmir was one of the largest princely states in India during Independence enjoyed a huge majority of Muslims in the region governed by a Hindu King. [3] While this state was independent under the British India, acted as a buffer to Central Asian invasion before Indian Independence. After British transferred power to the new Indian government, the Central government had a task to bring in 565 princely states under one secular nation – India. Hari Singh, the then Kashmir King wanted to stay independent or join India. The region of Gilgit was very important for both the new countries. Pakistan wanted to deploy troops into this region even if Kashmir joins India because of its strategic importance, but India wouldn’t accept any external forces into its territory. [4] First Kashmir War – 1947 (Cont…) Pakistan couldn’t digest the fact that a Muslim majority state like Kashmir is not a part of the new nation formed on religious lines. Poonch was a high taxation region in the valley. With Muslims in Poonch being heavily taxed with less economic prospects, Pakistan felt the region would support them in conquering Kashmir. Pakistani troops entered the valley and occupied Gilgit and so-called Azad Kashmir in their conquest. They instead of reaching Srinagar, went on to loot residents of Gilgit and Azad Kashmir. Hari Singh asked for help from India, which India did on one condition – Signing the Instrument of Accession to India, which officially means unification of Kashmir and India. Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India on 26th October 1947 – celebrated as Accession Day in India First Kashmir War – 1947 (Cont…) India immediately airlifted troops to the deployed them in Srinagar. The Indian border operations, codenamed under Operation Vijay, Operation Gulab and Eraze, Operation Bison and Operation Easy avoided the Pakistani forces from reaching Srinagar and stopped them at Uri. PM Jawaharlal Nehru then went to the United Nations against the occupation of Pakistan in Kashmir, making Kashmir a disputed territory. The UN declared a ceasefire in 1949 along the territorial occupancy of both the nations, which later became the Line of Control after the Simla Agreement in 1972. India was declared a winner as it controlled 2/3rd of the land in Kashmir valley. Image Source: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1947#/media/File:J%26K10low.jpg Operation Polo Operation Polo or Police Action was the name given to the unification of Hyderabad State into Indian Union.[5] The Nizams were independent rulers of the state of Hyderabad, a state with 85% Hindu population and arguably the largest princely state in British India. The Nizams had entered into an agreement with the British under the subsidiary alliance, when helped him maintain significant ruling autonomy in his kingdom, but external affairs were handled by the British for a fee. Operation Polo (Cont…) One of the richest states in India, the last Nizam ( Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan) was among the richest people in the world, has featured in the TIME also.[6] Image Source : - http://guruprasad.net/posts/sardar-patel-prevented-hyderabad-becoming-another-pakistan-operation-polo/ Operation Polo (Cont…) India got independence on 15th August 1947. Many princely states joined the Indian Union after a humble meeting with the Iron Man of India. But Hyderabad stayed reluctant. It wanted to remain Independent or join Pakistan. Joining Pakistan wasn’t an easy task, but in a landlocked region to stay independent, it needs ports and the Nizam was in no mood to have good relations with India. This brought suspicion to the Indian government. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel clearly stated that Hyderabad couldn’t remain independent as it didn’t make sense for the unification of the entire sub-continent as one country, thereby might provoke other princely states to fight to stay Independent. The Indian government signed a Standstill agreement with Hyderabad stating that it couldn’t join Pakistan but could stay independent. But due to violation of the agreement from both the sides, this agreement didn’t stand long. Operation Polo (Cont…) Nehru was reluctant for any military intervention in the unification of Hyderabad as advised by the Britishers, but Patel went his way. Nehru’s concern was justified as he felt Pakistan would attack on India, if it annexes Hyderabad, equally ignorant of the fact that Pakistan was in no mood to do so. On September 13, 1948, Patel started the attack on the erstwhile state of Hyderabad at Naldurg fort at the Solapur Highway. After being victorious, then the Indian Army attacked the state from Jalna, Surjapet and Adilabad. The army of Razakars of about 2,00,000 was defeated in a one-sided battle by the 35,000 Indian Army troops within 100 hours. In a high level meeting between the Home Minister of India and the last Nizam of Hyderabad, the state was handed over to the Indian Union, making the last Nizam Rajpramuk of the Hyderabad state and allowed him to keep all his wealth. Operation Polo (Cont…) The second major reason for the unification of Hyderabad was important for India was to save the majority population from the atrocities of a religious ruler. Despite enjoying an overwhelming majority in the state of Hyderabad, the Hindus were not given equal representation in the state politics, army, etc…. With increasing loot, murder and rape against a particular sect of people, it alarmed the Indian government to stop these atrocities at the earliest, prompting Patel to force military action on Hyderabad state. When the richest man in the world surrenders to the Iron Man of India --- The last Nizam was granted 5 million rupees by the Indian Government for allowing the unification. Image Source: - http://itsalexanderthegreat.blogspot.in/p/liberation-of-hyderabad-state-india.html Operation Vijay Portuguese settlements existed in India even before the British came to rule the entire sub-continent. While the British reduced their influence only to Goa and other enclaves in Dadra and Nagara Haveli; they refused to surrender their territory to the new Indian Union. The French surrendered their territory in 1954 without much fanfare, Portuguese territories were unified to the Indian Union by the Indian Armed Forces in 1961.[7] While before Operation Vijay, in 1954 the Indian forces took over all Portuguese enclaves like Dadra and Nagara Haveli. To access to the port, they needed to travel 20km through the Indian territory which was the major reason for unification into the Indian Union as a Union Territory.