The verdicts of the warfare in the deserts' sand
And the sun sets beyond the brim of the Thar Desert, the Longewala War Memorial seems to come out of the shifting sands like a sentry paying homage to those who fought and sacrificed their lives in this empty battlefield. The Longewala War Memorial is therefore the most important monument which is dedicated to the courage and the spirit of selflessness of the soldiers who fought in this desert. The memorial is located in the folds of the Jaisalmer landscape of Rajasthan which is a symbol of Indian military heritage and that of the courage of its soldiers which never dies.
The battle of Longewala
The tale of the Longewala War Memorial is deeply entrenched with the occurrences of December 1971, during the Indo-Pakistani war. In the late evening of the battle, a huge column of Pakistani tanks and infantry, numbering in the hundreds, crept across the border and advanced towards the Indian outpost at Longewala. They were determined to capture territory and disrupt the communication lines of India. Not even the guys in the trench knew that a group of Indian soldiers, headed by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, were about to stand guard their post against the horde of adversaries.
The rising sun brought life to the desert grounds and ushered the Battle of Longewala into the heat of a fierce battle involving gunfire and cannons. However, Indians were numerically and technically inferior to their enemies and were always retreating, but the Indian soldiers showed an incredible amount of courage, bravery and determination that caused the enemy to lose a lot of men and made them abandon their attack. In the midst of a battle where the whole country pitied, they were the epitome of courage and resourcefulness and held their ground until reinforcements arrived, winning the war for India.
