Guns of Longewala

The dawn of 1971 saw a great human tragedy unfolding in what was then East Pakistan. The entire region rose up in revolt against the inhuman atrocities brought upon them by the Pakistani army. The crackdown of 25 March 1971 ordered by Gen Tikka Khan left thousands left, giving him the unenviable title of Butcher of Bangladesh. A million-plus refugees entered India as India’s top leadership tried to bring the attention of the world powers to the ongoing genocide. Pakistan, in order to counter India, opened the West front on 03 December and a retaliation by the Indian forces saw a full-scale war breaking out between the two nations. Among many battles fought during the war, one battle fought in and around Longewala stands out for the resilience of the Indian soldiers who outnumbered and outgunned in many respects, fought on. While a movie, Border, was made on that battle later, the vital role played by the gunners was, however, left out of the history pages. This book by someone who was there, who fought that battle and who provided crucial fire support during the battle, aims to correct the anomaly.