Deepavali, Battle of Longewala, HF – 24 (Marut) Fighter Aircraft and Nehru Science Centre - An interesting connect.

Deepavali, Battle of Longewala,  HF – 24 (Marut) Fighter Aircraft and Nehru Science Centre : An interesting connect. Part 1

Images : courtesy  Commons and Internet 

This post is an outcome of my ‘accidentally’ sharing on my Facebook page a link to the news coverage of our PM, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, spending this Deepavali with our reverential armed forces at the Longewala desert post. It was one of those news that I thought would be viewed apolitically, but then the polarised Indian polity does not seem to come together, even on matters that have a bearing on our armed forces. I earnestly hope and pray that millions of lights that were lit across the globe to celebrate the Deepavali festival, particularly  in India, will help in vanquishing all evils of darkness, such as Covid and such other darkness that are plaguing mankind, and lead us to that kindly light.  

Interestingly ever since Mr Modi ji assumed the office of the PM of India - in 2014, every year he has made it a point to spend his Deepavali with our defence forces, a leader like gesture, which definitively is bound to lift the morale of our armed forces who defend us from the enemy on all terrains, including some of the worst of climatic conditions that any one can imagine. This year, the PM has chosen the Longewala desert post. The battle of Longewala - fought on that sandy desert out post on our western boarder, is now a folklore story in India. Longewala witnessed a historic and epic battle that exemplifies one of the most heralded bravery of the Indian armed forces. The indefatigable spirit of Major Kuldip Chandpuri and his 120 valorous men of the Indian armed forces, with extraordinary support from their airforce brethren, flying HF 24 Marut and Hawker aircraft’s, took on a massive Pakistani paltan that majorly outweighed the Indians many times in men and armed materials, to script that folklore epic victory for us in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, which the Pakistanis had thrust on us. 

The Bangladesh liberation war was thrust on us due to the persecution and mistreatment of the Bengali speaking citizens in the erstwhile East Pakistan, by the Pakistani armed forces. The result was an unavoidable mass immigration of the Bengalis into the Indian side resulting in the conflict between India and Pakistan. When the clouds of war on the eastern front broke out and the war seemed imminent, Pakistan tried for a misadventure to capture Indian territory along our western border by planning for a preemptive strike - on December 3, 1971,  on the very first day of the war. This they hoped  would compensate for the weak position of its forces in East Pakistan. Their plan was to aim and capture Jaisalmer and eventually Jodhpur. But then for achieving this objective they had to endeavour their first target at the isolated border outpost of Longewala, located in the middle of the Thar desert. The Pakistani paltan, which had orders to capture Jaisalmer and Jodhpur after bulldozing over Longewala, boasted of some 2000 plus heavily armed infantry that was supported by some 50 odd ‘Type 59 tanks (Chinese copies of the Soviet T-54/55) and other armed vehicles and ammunitions. Courtesy the valour of our armed forces on the isolated Longewala sand post and their brethren  Indian Airforce fighters aided by their HF 24 Marut and other fighter aircraft’s, the Pakistani received one of their bloodiest nose right at the beginning of the war forcing them to hastily retreat to save their lives. One of the Indian fighter aircrafts which created ‘नाकमें दम’ for the Pakistani forces during the battle of Longewala was the HF24 - Marut aircraft, which was manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Nehru Science Centre is in proud possession of one of these HF 24 Marut aircraft’s from the Indian Airforce. 

The HF 24 Marut aircraft was gifted to our centre some time in 1978 and ever since millions of visitors have seen this aircraft in our centre. The rusty climatic conditions of Mumbai and the four plus decades of the age of aircraft and its display in the outdoor ambience of our centre had taken a heavy toll on this precious aircraft, which was severely damaged and needed an urgent restoration. The Covid lockdown provided us an opportunity to attempt for its restoration. Fortunately, courtesy the CMD of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mr Muthalick Desai and his staff from HAL office Nashik, we have managed to restore this severely damaged aircraft, to its near pristine beauty of yesteryear’s. The newly restored HF 24 Marut aircraft is now awaiting for the visitors in its new restored avatar. 

Courtesy J P Datta, the Battle of Longewala, including the role played by the HF 24 Marut, has been eternally etched on celluloid film ‘Border’, in which Sunny Deol plays the role of the protagonist- Major Kuldip Chandpuri, and is supported by equally popular cine artistes. This film, besides being a blockbuster movie, has captured the hearts and minds of the audience and the battle of Longewala will remain alive in all our collective memories. I am one of many Indians who has seen this film multiple times, more so since this film is usually featured every year either on Independence Day or Republic Day. The image of the Pakistani forces making a hasty retreat and running for cover and the destruction of the Pakistani tanks and other ammunition’s by the Indian airforce pilots is so very fresh in my memory. This memory gets the accentuated vitality whenever I see the HF 24 marut Aircraft displayed in our science centre. The valour of our 120 Indian soldiers, led by Major Chandpuri,  who stood their ground against 2000 plus men from the Pakistani army and their 50 plus tanks and other arsenal, reminds me of that infamous Crimean war, which we had learnt during our school days. Our school teachers often narrated war stories of valiant soldiers to motivate us to join the armed forces (National Defence Academy). One such story etched in my memory is a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson. This poem describes the valiant fight of 600 soldiers of the Light Brigade, who ‘rode in to the valley of death’ defending their country. The hair raising poem recounts an extraordinary assault by 600 soldiers (Brigade) of the British cavalry aptly described as ‘The charge of light Brigade’. It is regarded as one of the most heroic yet futile assaults in British military history, which took place at the Battle of Balaclava, during Britain’s war with Russia in Crimea in the mid 19th century. The Longewala battle and the bravery of our men has a parallel in the Crimean war.  120 soldiers of Major Chandpuri who faced a massive Pakistani army of 2000 plus men, heavily supported by nearly 50 tanks, is paralleled by the 600 men of the light brigade. The Indian soldiers and their commanding officer stood their ground - true to the undying traditions of the Indian armed forces, until the enemy were made to hastily retreat facing unprecedented loss of lives and machinery and armament.

Border film has ensured that the battle of Longewala has now become legendary and is a house hold name in India. The valour of the Indian armed forces who defend our nation at any cost -  including to the very peril of their life, which they are always ready, in service of their motherland -  is beautifully reflected in  Lata Mangeshkar’s song, “ ये मेरे वतन पे लोगों .....” in which the nightingale queen of India, appeals to the nation to remember the valour and sacrifice of our armed forces who, while we are celebrating Deepavali, are risking with their lives to protect us from our enemy. It is in this context that I salute the PM for  spending every Deepavali with our soldiers on our borders, ever since he assumed the office of the PM of India. One may profess any of their own political ideologies, but then in my opinion there cannot be any differences when it comes to supporting our armed forces in any which way. 

The HF 24 Marut aircraft in itself has an interesting history which I shall write in my next post. Until then I join our billion plus countrymen in saluting our armed forces who while we are celebrating Deepavali are endearing the enemy - the worst of climate, terrorists, the compulsive nay sayer Pakistani and the expansionist mindset Chinese army across our vast border. 

To be continued in part 2.

Jai Hind and Jai Hind ki Sena.