Memories of Indo -Pak War,1971 & Present Conflict ,2025: An Infantryman (1971) & Veteran (2025) Recalls

Editor's Note

This vivid recall ,by Brig Rajiv Williams ,of the 1971 Indo - Pak War and witnessing of the unfolding scenario of current ,2025 conflict between the two nations is a comparison of the feelings and perceptions of a soldier (1971) and a veteran (2025). Such comparisons, as narrated by the author, will surely give the readers a great insight into the 1971 war and the ongoing current conflict of 2025 . The stark differences, as narrated by the author, make interesting reading.

MVI invites veterans of past wars ,ie 1962,65,71 & 99 Kargil, to pen down their personal experiences and link them to current ongoing conflict . These will enable readers ,especially the new and younger generation, to know more about our post independence wars and, more importantly, the feelings, emotions, and perceptions of these soldiers, now veterans.

Editor ,MVI

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On 8 May 2025 ,as I watch TV reports on the escalation of war along the LC and IB in the comfort of my room, my heart reaches out to our brave soldiers who are fighting a real war-like situation before actual declaration of war (if at all) by the Government of India, which means by our PM.

The visuals on TV that I saw today take me back to my younger days, when as a 20 year old, I saw the Indo Pak war in the same sectors of Pathankot, Samba, Jammu, Akhnoor, Palanwala and so on along the IB. However, there is a difference in the two imageries - that of the imprint in my mind of 3 December 1971 and of the visuals being shown on TV today. Both have very common connect with lights visible in the sky – firing of anti aircraft guns with tracer bullets of 1971 and the counter-measures being undertaken by firing drones to destroy the incoming Pak missiles and projectiles of today.

It was around 1645 hours on 3rd December 1971, that five Pakistani Sabre jets flew past our positions near Gurdaspur, not far from the town of Shakargarh, near Sialkot in Pakistan and soon thereafter they bombed Pathankot airfield. The pattern emerging in the sky with our anti ac guns firing at the aircraft with tracer bullets making a distinct pattern in the sky, visible from as afar as 30 kms away. It was no more than seven minutes into such Diwali like firing that the same aircraft flew back toward Pakistan. Our fighter ac, chasing the enemy air craft again flew past our positions into Pakistan. We knew that this was war and sure enough, Smt Indira Gandhi, the PM of India, in her mid-night address to the Nation in the Parliament declared war on Pakistan.

Similar corollary of this evening TV shots being seen that of brightly lit flares accompanied by hoarse voices of the TV commentators claiming to be first to report. I pause here to reflect upon the two observations as mentioned above – the first being a real experience with the enemy fighters flying past our positions being actually seen and the second watching individual experiences shown over TV with no physical movement of enemy air craft and instead visuals of only technology driven munitions being fired from across.

The feeling of war-like situation is so different with an obvious urge for any infantryman to wish he was there to be a part of the action. Well, it is a reality, that with age, participation in combat gives way to merely a feel-good factor of having lived such an experience over 53 years earlier. It is in such confidence building measure that brings in so much of satisfaction and gratitude toward the Nation.

I am confident that the actions being taken by the protectors of our great country will be correct and righteous and what should be our role as countrymen is to watch and pray that without a clear end political objective of the present war like situation, beyond rhetorics, restraint should be exercised by both India and Pakistan.