‘Op Trident & Longewala battle were counter blows to Pak’s 1971 offensive’

Captain Jagdish Verma (retd), Chairman of the United Front of Ex-Servicemen (JCOs and OR), Himachal Pradesh, yesterday said, “December 4 holds a place of significance in India’s military history, marking decisive victories during the 1971 war with Pakistan. Though the conflict officially began on December 3, 1971, when the Pakistani Air Force launched strikes on several Indian military installations, it was on December 4 that India delivered two historic counter blows — Operation Trident by the Indian Navy and the commencement of the battle of Longewala by the Indian Army.

He said, “In a swift and powerful response to Pakistan’s aggression, the Indian Navy launched the Operation Trident on the night of December 4. Missile boats of the Western Naval Command executed a daring assault on the Karachi harbour, destroying Pakistan’s naval vessels and setting vital oil installations ablaze. The operation proved a resounding success and became a decisive factor in the eventual outcome of the war, significantly contributing to the collapse of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. In honour of this historic naval victory, December 4 was declared Navy Day in 1972, commemorating both triumph and martyrs of the 1971 war.”

Capt Verma (retd), who actively served during the 1971 war in the Barmer sector, shared these reflections on the importance of Navy Day. He said, “Adding to its historical weight, December 4 also marks the beginning of the legendary battle of Longewala, one of the earliest and most celebrated engagements on the western front during the 1971 war. The battle, fought between December 4 and December 7, saw a small Indian company of just 120 soldiers from 23rd Battalion of Punjab Regiment, supported by a few Hawker Hunter aircraft, defended the Longewala post in the Thar desert. Led by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, the vastly outnumbered Indian troops halted and defeated a massive Pakistani assault, earning the battle a place among the greatest military victories in the Indian Army’s history.”

He added, “As the nation observes Navy Day, December 4 continues to stand as a symbol of courage, strategy and indomitable spirit displayed by the Indian armed forces in 1971.”