Contents
Chapter 1. Indian Heroic Role in Israel Independence
Chapter 2. Cultural
Ties between India and Israel
Chapter 3. India’s Heroic Role in Israel’s Independence
Chapter 4.
Centenary Celebrations of
Haifa Day in 2018
Chapter
5. Speech by Israel Ambassador Alon Ushpiz on
Liberation of Haifa by
Indian Soldiers
Chapter 6. Fallen
in the cause of Other Nations
APPENDIX - 1: Mind Boggling Wars
fought by Israelis
APPENDIX - 2: HINDU EMPIRES OUTSIDE BHARAT
APPENDIX - 3: GREAT
WARS AGAINST FOREIGN INVADERS
Haifa
Day Celebrations on 23 September 2013 - Pictorial
Author’s Note
The history of India is largely written as the history of foreign dynasties entrenched in and around Delhi and many great people of India have been reduced to the footnotes. The history taught today is more about imperial and brutal campaigns of the Turks, Afghans, Mughals, Portuguese and British rather than the success stories and resistance movements by the our people against these oppressors. There is the bewildering absence of any history of the Northeast, Dalit and Tribal in our textbooks. The achievements of Indians in foreign lands have been totally ignored. The fact that Indian sacrifice was instrumental in the formation of a few countries is hardly narrated.
The sacrifice of our Jawans in giving birth to other countries should not disappear from the pages of history. Hence I have tried to highlight one such forgotten golden chapter of achievement of Indian soldiers. Indian lancers sent by Maharajas of Jodhpur and Mysore fought an unequal battle on 22 and 23 September 1918 against formidable, well-fortified and well-equipped armies of Turks, Germans and Austrians after the British army sensing heavy loss had withdrawn. The valor, courage and sacrifice of Indian senas from Jodhpur and Mysore paved the way for the independence of a distant land, Israel. Their graves and Memorials have been well maintained by the present Israel government. I was fortunate to visit their graves in the port city of Haifa, Israel in 2013. Although many in Indian army have heard the Haifa Battle, they do not know the significance of that battle in the birth of Israel and hence this book will be useful to them as well.
Chapter – 1:
Indian Heroic Role in Israel Independence
A Brief Account
Battle of Haifa 22-23 September 1918 – One of the Greatest Wars of Human History
A large number of Indian soldiers sent by Jodhpur
Maharaja and Mysore Maharaja sacrificed their lives in Israel
(West Asia) during First World War. In the process, they defeated the combined
forces of Turks, Germans and Austrians and liberated the Israeli port city of
Haifa in September 1918. Israel then known as Philistine, was ruled for 402
years by Turkey’s
Ottoman Empire since 1516 CE.
After this battle, Indian soldiers together with British,
Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought a few more battles to liberate
entire Israel. More than 900 courageous Indian soldiers died in different
battles in Israel. Their graves are preserved and looked after as a mark of
respect by the present government of Israel. Their names, bravery and sacrifice
are remembered every year on 23 September and included in their school textbooks.
Major Dalpat Singh Shekhawat of Jodhpur, who led
the Indian assault on the combined armies of Turks, Germans and Austrians, is known
as the Hero of Haifa. Even though he died in the battle, his soldiers
exhibited exemplary courage and fought bravely to win everlasting fame for
Bharat.
This
battle is remembered as one of the greatest battles in human history because of
certain remarkable facts. The enemies consisting of Turks, Germans and Austrian
soldiers were well secured in their territory and were armed with the most
modern weapons like cannons, guns and rifles. On the other hand, the Indian
soldiers sent by Jodhpur and Mysore Maharajas were cavaliers on horsebacks and
foot soldiers. They were equipped only with swords and lances. This is perhaps
the only battle in which soldiers with spears and swords defeated an army
equipped with modern weapons.
It
is also the last incidence in history wherein horse and foot soldiers with spears
and swords fought any major battle.
The
Battle of Haifa therefore, remains as one of the greatest wars of human history.
It is a golden chapter in Indian history, which can inspire every Indian child
and youth.
The
Nizam of Hyderabad also sent a cavalry unit to help the British army. Its role
was to take care of the captured prisoners of war.
Brief History of the Jewish Diaspora
Israel is an ancient country in West Asia. Its people are called
the Jews and the language they speak is called ‘Hebrew’.
Israel was attacked and captured by Assyrians in the 8th
century BCE (740 – 722 BCE) and by Babylonians in 6th
century BCE (587 BCE). The Jews were once again dispersed by Roman Empire in 72
CE to many parts of Europe and Africa.
Throughout much of Jewish history, most Jews lived in the
Diaspora- in exile facing slavery, massacres and mass murders by way of inhuman
torture, inquisition, incarceration, gas chambers and concentration camps. They
were also subjected to racial and religious discriminations. Their plight and
torture can be compared only with 20 million Indians called Roma or Sintis.
They were dispersed from North West India (mainly Rajasthan, Punjab and Sind) by
the invading Arabs, from 712 AD onwards to slave markets in West Asia from
where they escaped to Europe.
Whenever the Jews, the
people of Israel, were expelled from their country by the invaders, many of them
took refuge in Bharat mainly in Cochin (Kerala) and Alibag (Maharashtra). They
lived in Bharat for more than 2500 years and left for their homeland Israel,
after it was formed in 1948. It is only in Bharat that the Jews
lived for those 2,500 years with dignity, honor and pride and without fear of
any discrimination. Hindu kings built temples
(Synagogues) and residential houses for them. Hindus, often at the risk of
their own lives, protected the Jews from the persecution and proselytizing
efforts of the Portuguese invaders from 16th century onwards and the forces of
Tippu Sultan in 18th century. The hospitality, sacrifice and noble acts of
Indians are unheard of in the rest of the Jewish Diaspora.
Israel Under Ottoman Muslim Rule
Different
foreign rulers governed Israel for almost 2,000 years. In the medieval period
Israel had come under the Turkish Ottoman Muslim rule for 400 years since 1516
CE. During this long period, the Jews were ill-treated and subjected to inhuman
hardships. They were transported as slaves
to different parts of Europe. They therefore, yearned to see their fatherland
liberated and settle there to lead a life of dignity.
Significance of Liberation of
Haifa by Indian Soldiers
For the Jews who lived outside their fatherland, the liberation
of Haifa from the Ottoman Turks by the
Indian soldiers on 23 September 1918 had a great significance.
When
the Jews in Europe and elsewhere learnt of the liberation of Haifa, they were
overwhelmed with joy and started arriving in Haifa from 1919 onwards. They settled
down in Israel, although World War-I was still in progress in West Asia. The Jews
number swelled and eventually they could establish the modern state of Israel
in 1948.
Valor of Indian Soldiers
Remembered
Every year
on September 23, the Mayor and the people of Haifa, along with the Indian
embassy in Israel, gather to pay respects to the brave Indian soldiers who made
their supreme sacrifice. In India too every year on September 23, the
Indian Army commemorates "Haifa Day".
Indo Israel Friendship Forum
(IIFF, Delhi) and Vishwa
Adhyayan Kendra (VAK, Mumbai) have been
celebrating Haifa Day since 2012 in South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong and over
100 places in India. This includes Haifa Day celebrations in the Jewish
synagogues of Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thane. The celebrations are also held at Teen
Murti Chowk, Delhi and several schools in Rajasthan and Karnataka.
Indian Lancers in the Battle of
Haifa
Chapter – 2:
Cultural Ties between India and Israel
History of Jews in India
Judaism is one of the first foreign
religions to arrive in India. The Jews arrived as asylum-seekers during the Assyrian attack,
the Babylonian attack and after the destruction of the their Temple in 72 C.E. Unlike many parts of the world, Jews
have historically lived in India without any instances of anti-Semitism from
the local majority populace, the Hindus.
“… while most of the others (Jews)
came to Israel driven by persecution, discrimination, murder and other attempts
at total genocide, the Jews of India came because of their desire to
participate in the building of the Third Jewish Commonwealth…….. Throughout
their long sojourn in India, nowhere at no time were they subjected to
intolerance, discrimination or persecution”. Indian Jews in Israel,
edited and published by Reuven Dafai, Consul, on behalf of the Consulate of
Israel, 50 Pedder Road, Cumballa Hill, Bombay. India.
Jew’s
Contributions in India
The Jewish Community has contributed
significantly to India’s development. Bank of India, Bombay University Library,
Mumbai Sassoon Dock, Gateway of India, Mumbai zoo called Rani Baug, Mumbai Albert
Museum, Sassoon High School, the School for Deaf and Sassoon Hospital in Pune
are a few of their lasting contributions. Numerous synagogues built by Jews in
several parts of India are noted for their architectural beauty.
Lt Gen JFR Jacob, Vice-admiral
Benjamin Samson Killekar,
philanthropists David Sassoon and
his son Sir Albert Sassoon, Internationally
acclaimed sculptor Padma Bhushan Anish Kapoor, poet and writer Padmashri Nissim
Ezekiel, Bharata Natyam exponent and Sanskrit scholar Padmashri Leela Samson,
Sahitya Akademy Award winner Esther David and film actors Sulochana, Nadira and
David Cheulkar have excelled in different fields.
Indian Jews in Israel
There are about 80,000 Indian Jews in
Israel. They migrated after the modern state of Israel was formed in 1948. The
Indian Jews went to Israel mainly because of their religious affiliation and hopes
for a better economic life and not because they faced any form of
discrimination in India.
The Indian migrants essentially belong to
four groups -- The Bene-Israel of Maharashtra, the Cochin Jews, the Baghdadi
Jews and the Bnei Menashe of Mizoram. Initially the Indian Jews faced much
racial discrimination in Israel from the white European Jews. Some were even
deported back to India. Others were placed in peripheral towns and not in Tel
Aviv or Jerusalem. They lacked economic and social support system. They had to
struggle in the small development towns and agricultural settlements to
establish themselves in Israel. The Cochin Jews were put into agricultural
settlements in the deserts of Israel. They, by their hard work, have become
very successful and wealthy. The Maharashtrian Bene-Israel was on the margins
of society for quite sometime. This was not the case in India, where they
played a prominent part - Nissim Ezekiel was awarded the Padma Shri and Benjamin
Samson Killekar (PVSM) rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral in Indian Navy.
Dimona, A Little India
within Israel
The Israeli city of Dimona, is home to
7,500-strong Indian Jewish community. Also known as “mini-India”, Dimona lies
in the Negev desert, some 35 kilometres west of the Dead Sea, in the southern
District of Israel.
In Dimona, the Indians work in industrial
workplaces like chemical plants, high-tech companies and textile shops. Women
in typical Maharashtrian attire, shops selling Indian spices, vegetables, video
cassettes, Hindi film magazines, and mannequins wearing salwaar kameez suits,
are usual sights on the streets of Dimona today.
Marathi can be heard everywhere, and even
the younger generation is familiar with words like ‘Sonpapdi’, ‘Gulab Jamun’,
‘papri chaat’ and ‘bhelpuri’, with several shops selling these very Indians
delicacies.
In efforts to keep the new generation
connected with their Indian heritage, community leaders have even created a
special section in the central municipal library in Dimona, and the stocks have
been rapidly growing with community members contributing books following their
trips to India. Also prominently visible is the cricket ground at the entrance
of the city where a lot of youngsters attend regular coaching classes. The
Cultural Center in Dimona often organizes plays based on Hindi films
Cultural Ties
A senior RSS member, Shri Narayan Hari
Palkar’s book “Chhala-kadun Bala-kade” “छळा कडून बळा कडे" (From slavery to Strength) has
been well received and read, both by Indians and Indian Jews. When Bene Israel from
Maharashtra went to Israel, they formed a street in Palkar’s name in their makeshift
residential area.
Indo Israel Relations in Modern Times
It can be safely said that most Indians admire
Israel and India is the most pro-Israel
country in the world. During Indo-Pak Kargil conflict in 1999 USA and
International community pressurized Israel not to help India with war material.
Yet Israel proved to be an important and reliable partner during the conflict
by quickly providing India with necessary mortar ammunition and apparently also
with laser-guided missiles for its fighter jets.
Today, India is the second-largest Asian
economic partner of Israel. India is also the largest customer of Israeli
military equipment and Israel is the second-largest military partner of India
after the Russian Federation. Military and strategic ties between the two
nations extend to joint military training and space technology. Israel did not
condemn India's 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests. Israel's President Ezer Weizman
in 1997 and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2003 visited India. Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi met his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in New
York in 2014.
Tourism
More than 40,000 Israelis, mostly youth,
after finishing their military service, visit India annually. Many Israelis
visit the Himalayas, Old Manali and the villages surrounding Dharamsala. Many
shops, restaurants and public transport vehicles in the Kullu Valley sport
Hebrew signs. Likewise the number of tourists from India visiting Israel is
also steadily on the rise and has crossed 20,000.
INDO ISRAEL FRIENDSHIP
FORUM (IIFF), Delhi, Activities
Haifa Day Celebrations
& other Interactions
IIFF has been celebrating Haifa day since
2012. In 2015 Haifa Day was celebrated in more than hundred places around the
world. IIFF and Sewa International have been interacting with Israeli youth
volunteers visiting India. These volunteers have contributed towards the
betterment of education, health and sports of rural Indian children in
Maharashtra.
Visits to Israel: Shri
Ravi Kumar, International Joint
Coordinator of Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh and a member of IIFF, visited Israel
in June 2013. He met many professors and students in the universities of Tel
Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. He also paid visits to the graves and Memorials of
Indian soldiers. He met many Indian Jews. Shri Paresh Pathak, another member of
IIFF, has visited Israel several times for strengthening the ties between the
two nations. IIFF plans to lead a team of prominent Indians to visit Israel
during the ensuing Centenary Celebrations of Haifa Day in 2018.
Indian Jews in Israel / in
Mumbai
Chapter – 3:
India’s
Heroic Role in Israel’s Independence
The Larger Story
Battle of Haifa 22-23 September 1918 – one of the greatest wars in human history
Haifa is an important port city of
Israel (West Asia). Israel, nee Philistine was ruled by Turkish Ottoman Empire
for 400 years from 1516 CE. During the First World War (July 1914 – Nov 1918) several
Indian soldiers were sent by Jodhpur Maharaja, Mysore Maharaja and the Nizam of Hyderabad to
assist the British army to liberate Israel.
The 15th Imperial Service
Cavalry Brigade
was a special unit formed by the regiments of
Lancers from the princely states of Mysore and Jodhpur. Many of them
sacrificed their lives during the battle. The
unit sent by the Nizam of Hyderabad was given the task of managing the
Prisoners of War.
The
enemy positions were well fortified and they
fought with the most modern weapons including cannons and guns. Indian soldiers,
however, fought merely with swords and lances on horsebacks. Yet
it is to the credit of Indian valor that our horse
and foot soldiers (Ashva and Pada Sainiks) could defeat the enemies in their
own territory. The Battle of Haifa therefore, remains as one of the greatest wars of human
history. It is a golden chapter in Indian history that can
inspire every Indian child and youth.
The
15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade liberated the port city of Haifa on 23
September 1918 following dashing cavalry action. This was the last great
cavalry campaign in the world history. The Indian troops exhibited exemplary
skills and bravery in a successful cavalry charge. Thus ended Israel’s
402 years of oppression under the Ottoman rule. This
remains the only known incident in military history when a cavalry on the
gallop captured a fortified town.
Jewish Diaspora
The people
of Israel are called the Jews. They were expelled from their fatherland Israel,
first by the Assyrians in 733 BCE and then by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. Later,
the Romans captured Israel in the First Century CE. They destroyed the Jewish
Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. They then forcefully dispersed the Jews all
over the Roman Empire in Europe and Africa in 72 CE.
Throughout
much of Jewish history, most Jews lived in the Diaspora in exile, facing
slavery, massacres and mass murders by way of inhuman torture, inquisition,
incarceration, gas chambers and concentration camps. They also faced racial and
religious discriminations. Their plight, torture and genocide can be compared
with the sufferings of a section of 20 million Indians who were dispersed from
North West India long ago. These Indians called Roma or Sintis, hailing mainly
from Rajasthan, Punjab and Sind, were enslaved by the invading Arabs, Turks and
Afghans from 712 AD onwards. They were sold in the slave markets of Baghdad and
Cairo in West Asia, from where they later fled to Europe.
India the only Paradise for Jews
Beginning
from 7th century BCE, many Jews took refuge in Cochin, Kerala and
Alibag, Maharashtra on the western coast of India. The Jews lived in India safely
and peacefully for more than 2,000 years and left for their homeland only after
Israel was formed in 1948 CE.
It
is only in Bharat (India) that the Jews lived for over 2,500 years with
dignity, honor and pride and without any fear of discrimination.
Many Hindu kings built Synagogues (Jewish temples) and residential houses for
them. Hindus, often at the risk of their own lives, protected the Jews from the
persecution and proselytizing efforts of the Portuguese invaders from 16th
century onwards and the forces of Tippu Sultan in 18th century. The
hospitality, sacrifice and noble acts of Indians are unheard of in the rest of
the Jewish Diaspora.
Zionism &
Balfour Declaration
Since the
past 2,000 years Jews have been dreaming of returning to their fatherland and
reconstruct their temple.
The possibility of a Jewish homeland in
Palestine had been a goal of Zionist organization since the late 19th century. In 1896, Theodor
Herzl, a Jewish journalist living in Austria-Hungary, published Der Judenstaat (The State of the Jews). He
asserted that the only solution to the "Jewish Question" in Europe,
including growing anti-Semitism, was through the establishment of a state for
the Jews. A year later, Herzl founded the Zionist Organization (ZO). The ZO at its first congress, called
for the establishment of a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured
under public law through -
·
promotion of Jewish settlement there,
·
the organization of Jews in the Diaspora,
·
the strengthening of Jewish feeling and consciousness,
and
·
preparatory steps to attain necessary
governmental grants.
Balfour Declaration – November 1917
During
the first meeting between Chaim Weizmann, a prominent British Jew and British Foreign Secretary
Arthur Balfour in 1906, Balfour asked what Weizmann's objections were to
the idea of a Jewish homeland in
Uganda rather than in Palestine. According to Weizmann's memoir, the
conversation went as follows:
"Mr.
Balfour, supposing I was to offer you Paris instead of London, would you take
it?" He sat up, looked at me, and answered: "But Dr. Weizmann, we
have London." "That is true," I said, "but we had Jerusalem
when London was a marsh." He said two things, which I remember vividly.
The first was: "Are there many Jews who think like you?" I answered:
"I believe I speak the minds of millions
of Jews whom you will never see and who cannot speak for
themselves." To this he said: "If that is so, you will one day be
a force."
Later the
British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour stated in the Balfour Declaration
of November 1917: “His Majesty's government view with favor the
establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will
use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object…..”
Indian
Soldiers in World War I and II
The
Indian army fought in every major sphere of operation in Europe, Africa and
Asia during World War I and II. According to the records of the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission, 13,02,394 (more than 13 lacs or 1.3 million) Indian
soldiers fought in World War I. As many as 1,21,598 Indian soldiers were the
casualties of the war, including 53,486 dead, 64,350 wounded and 3,762 missing
or imprisoned as on Dec 31, 1919. The campaigns in World War-II cost the lives
of 36,000 Indian servicemen, while another 34,354 were wounded and 67,340
became prisoners of war.
During
World War I, a force of nearly 150,000 Indians saw action in what is modern-day
Egypt and Israel. They played a major part in the Palestine campaign
resulting in the fall of the Ottoman forces. To liberate Israel, the Indian
soldiers fought in the Third Battle of
Gaza, the Battle of Mughar Ridge
of Jerusalem and the Battle of Megiddo.
The Jodhpur
Lancers and the Mysore Lancers, which were Imperial Service Troops
during World War I, fought as a part of the Allied forces during the Palestine
campaign of the war. They played a key role in the liberation of Haifa, the
port city of Israel.
Over 900 Indian soldiers died while
liberating Israel from the Ottoman Turks who were supported actively by German
and Austrian troops. Cemeteries and War Memorials of Indian soldiers are well
maintained in Israel at Haifa, Jerusalem, Ramleh and Khayat Beach. Several
Indian soldiers also died in the fighting that erupted across Israel during
World War II.
Field-Marshal
Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from 1942,
asserted that the British "couldn't have come through both wars [World War
I and II] if they hadn't had the Indian
Army”.
Importance of Capturing Haifa
Haifa
is a port city of Israel, then known as Palestine. The Turk Ottomans occupied
it for 402 years since 1516 CE and used the harbor for movement of all their
supplies.
In
order to keep his forces moving, it was vital to British Gen. Allenby's
'Megiddo' plan that he acquire Haifa with its harbor and railhead. Without
Haifa and lack of viable roads meant that it would be impossible for him to
keep his army re-supplied. Therefore Gen. Allenby felt that the town
should be occupied without delay, so that the harbour could be swept for mines
and the landing of stores could be taken in hand.
Battle on September 21 and 22,
1918
A force of
700 Turks from the garrison of Haifa attempted to get to Tiberias, but at 01:30
hrs on the midnight of 21/ 22 September1918 it reached the outposts of the 13th
Cavalry Brigade and was attacked in moonlight by the 18th Lancers of the
British army. A large number of the
Turks were killed, and 311 were captured together with 4 machine guns.
The next
air reconnaissance of Haifa seemed to indicate that the town was evacuated. At
13:30 hrs on 22nd Sept, a detachment of Light Armoured Cars under
Brig Gen A. D'A. King advanced along the Nazareth road to occupy Haifa. Before
the town was reached, however, they found that the road was barricaded. At this
point they were shelled by the Turks from the slopes of Mount Carmel and
subjected to machine gun fire. The column withdrew with slight casualties.
Reaction of the Indian
Soldiers
The two cavalry units sent by the Maharajas of Jodhpur and Mysore were
not happy with the withdrawal of the troops. Major Dalpat Singh Shekhawat,
the leader of the cavalry units had a vision in which Devi Mata reprimanded him
for his cowardly act of withdrawal. She reminded him that the Indian Maharajas
and the people of India would feel ashamed to hear that their soldiers withdrew
from the battlefield. He shared the dream with his fellow troops and they too
agreed that as true Indian soldiers, they would like to die on the battlefront
rather than to return to India carrying the scar of withdrawal. They conveyed
this to the British officers. The British officers tried to explain that the
enemies were too strong and well fortified. But seeing the determination of the
Maharajas’ forces gave them permission to attack the
Turks.
Battle of Haifa on 23 September 1918
Indian
Heroism in the Liberation of Israel in 1918
The Cavalry Brigade of
Indian horsemen, sent by Jodhpur and Mysore Maharajas and armed with only
spears and swords, commenced their march to Haifa at 05:00 hours on 23rd
September. Their route was along the foot of the Mount Carmel range and
confined to a strip by the boggy ground along the River Kishon and its
tributary streams. This left little room for the cavalry to manoeuvre. As the
15th Cavalry Brigade approached Haifa at 10:15 hours, they came under fire from
77mm guns on Mount Carmel. The city of Haifa was well fortified with artillery
guns on Mount Carmel by the Turks supported by the German and Austrian forces.
A
squadron of the Mysore Lancers (supported by a squadron of Sherwood
Rangers) had climbed over Mount Carmel from the south. They captured two naval
guns on the ridge of the Carmel after taking the enemies by surprise. They also
made a gallant charge against the fire of the enemy's machine guns.
At
14:00 hours the Jodhpur Lancers supported by 'B' Battery H.A.C.,
attacked Haifa. Despite encountering strong resistance, the lancers made a
brilliant charge in the face of the enemy's machine guns.
By 15:00 hours the Indian horsemen captured Haifa
from the Ottomans after overrunning their positions.
The action of the Indian troops has been vividly recorded in the
Official History of the War - Military operation Egypt and Palestine (volume
2): "No more
remarkable cavalry action of its scale was fought in the whole course of the
campaign. Machine gun bullets over and over again failed to stop
the galloping horses even though many of them succumbed afterwards to their
injuries". This remains the only known
incident in military history when cavalry on the gallop captured a fortified
town.
For the Jews who lived outside
their fatherland for over 2,000 years, the liberation of Haifa from the stronghold
of Ottoman Turks by the Indian soldiers has a great significance.
The Jews in Europe and elsewhere welcomed
the news with great joy amid revelries, celebrations and festivities.
They began arriving in Haifa in large numbers from 1919 onwards. They started
settling down in Israel, even though the World War was in progress. The Jews number swelled and eventually paved the
way for the modern state of Israel in 1948.
Link
between Bahai Faith and Indian Lancers at Haifa
One of the residents of Haifa in 1918 was
'Abdu'l-Baha, the son of the Founder of the Baha'i Faith and designated by Him
as His successor. The commander of the Turkish forces in Syria and Palestine,
Jamal Pasha, had threatened to crucify 'Abdu'l-Baha and destroy the Baha'i holy
places in Haifa and nearby city, Acre. With the liberation of Haifa by the Indian soldiers, the
threat to 'Abdu'l-Baha's life was lifted.
This link between the Indian Lancers and the
life of 'Abdu'l-Baha first came to light in February 2000 when the architect of
the Baha'i House of Worship in Delhi, Fariborz Sahba, met with the then Union
Minister for External Affairs, the Honorable Jaswant Singh. Mr. Singh's father
was a member of the Jodhpur Lancers and fought under General Allenby.
Tribute to Major Thakur Dalpat Singh, the Hero of Haifa
The Jodhpur Lancers and the Mysore
Lancers, which were Indian Imperial Service Troops during World War I,
fought as a part of the Allied forces during the Palestine campaign. Their role
in the liberation of Haifa is an inspiration for all, for ages to come.
Marwar in Rajasthan, the land of
sand dunes, has always been the cradle of heroes where numerous chivalrous
persons were nursed. Thus this land became the nursery of brave and gallant
people. One paladin nursed in this cradle was a military hero— late
Major Dalpat
Singh Shekhawat,
known in the annals of history as Haifa Hero.
Maj Dalpat Singh Shekhawat was born and brought up in
Jodhpur. His
father, Col Hari
Singh Shekhawat was a famous polo player. Under his guidance,
Dalpat Singh grew and became an Army officer. He received his `King Commission'
in 1912. During World War I, Haifa (port city of Israel) was a stronghold of
the Turks. Major Shekhawat was given the task of capturing Haifa from the
enemies. By showing his military skill, tactics and leadership in the battle,
he succeeded in his mission and won Haifa. However, he became a martyr while
completing his task. Haifa victory was a great achievement of Major Dalpat
Singh and the British Government honored him with 'Military Cross' in the battlefield, which at that
time was the highest military award bestowed on Indian soldiers (equivalent to
Paramveer Chakra of today).
Col Harvey, a British Army officer
lamented on the death of such a heroic personality. In his words, "His death is a loss not only to all Jodhpuris,
but to India and the whole of the `British Empire'. The British Government eulogized
his heroic deed and adored him as Hero of Haifa”.
The Government of Marwar built `Dalpat
Memorial Hall'
in the premises of Pratap School in his memory. Maharaja Shri Umed Singh got
his silver replica prepared, which is now a piece of glory for 61 Cavalry at
Jaipur.
Major Dalpat Singh's valor has
been depicted in the
literature of Rajasthan. A great poet of Marwar, Shri Kishore Daan Baarath has written many poems in his
memory named `Veer
Vilas'
and ‘Dalpat Raso’ in Rajasthani language. The British
Government appreciated the supreme sacrifice of Major Dalpat Singh. It got made
his statue with two other First World War heroes' statues by an architect of
London, Leonard Jennings in 1922. These statues were placed side by side on a monolith
pillar in New Delhi.
This place is called Teen Murty Chowk.
Indo-Israel Friendship Forum
(IIFF) demands that this chowk be
renamed Teen
Murty Haifa Chowk.
The 83rd death anniversary of late
Major Dalpat Singh Shekhawat was celebrated at his native place, Jodhpur. At a
meeting held on this occasion the senior officers, of Indian Army and civil
administration recalled the supreme sacrifice of this Haifa Hero.
Other Brave men of Haifa War
Captain
Anop Singh
and 2nd Lt Sagat Singh were also awarded the Military
Cross (MC).
Captain Bahadur Aman Singh Jodha and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit (IOM) in recognition of their bravery
in this battle. Military Cross was the highest gallantry award of that time, which an Indian soldier could
receive at the hands of the British crown. This award is equivalent to today's Param Vir Chakra awarded by the
President of India.
Lt General
Sir Pratap Singh had
accompanied his Jodhpur Lancers on their 70 mile ride to Nazareth during the
night and day journey. Just short of 73 years
old, the faithful warrior was, in Field Marshal Allenby's words "quite
knocked up." He also had a fever. Allenby ordered him to rest for a few
days. Otherwise the old war-horse would
no doubt have joined his lancers in their action at Haifa. This has been
described by an anonymous author of the book ‘Through Palestine with the 20th Machine Gun Squadron’.
Captain Bir Singh Rathore (as
told by his Grandson): He
was the eldest brother of Shri Mool Singhji I.A.S, He was a dynamic and handsome
personality with 7 ft. height. He was Captain in former Jodhpur Lancers
(Jodhpur Sardar Risala). He fought many famous battles
during World War I. He
was one of the main warriors of the famous 1918 Haifa war.
His bravery and perfect command over
machine gun force contributed
significantly to the
victory of Haifa war. He fought daringly and killed many enemy soldiers. He was
awarded for this war. This victory is so famous and important that Haifa war
day is celebrated every year with honor by Indian army at 61st cavalry head quarter in Jaipur.
During one such celebration, the Chief
of Indian Army was the Guest of Honor. Upon knowing that Capt. Bir Singh the
famous warrior of Haifa war was still alive, he invited him in the celebration and accorded him full military honor and salute. Capt Bir Singh gave a speech
on Haifa which was broadcast by All India Radio and BBC London. He was also
decorated by the President of India.
In another battle in Afghanistan,
Capt. Bir Singh ji was in command of one artillery unit. He defeated the enemies,
captured prominent posts and forced the enemies to run away. His army unit celebrated their
victory by drinking and dancing. Capt. Bir Singh ji being a strict vegetarian & teetotaler
(non-drinker), he went alone to a nearby hilltop. The retreating enemy army got
wind of the Indian army’s celebration. So they returned
with additional forces to recapture this important post. Capt Bir Singh ji
noticed the movement of the enemy army in the bushes. He called out to his
soldiers but they could not hear him. Capt.
Bir Singh therefore, took off his turban from his head, tied a stone to it and
began rotating it above his head. Some of his army men, noticing this unusual
act, got alerted. They positioned their guns in readiness for a fight. Capt.
Bir Singh ji also joined them. The enemy was caught unaware
totally and suffered heavy loss. The Indians won a very big victory mainly due
to Capt. Bir Singh ji’s alertness. He was awarded for
this battle. Indian Army gave full military honor to Capt. Bir Singh ji upon
his death.
Indian
Republic’s 61st Cavalry Regiment
India and her army have not forgotten their heroes
of the Great War. The three cavalries belonging to the princely states of
Jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad, which liberated Haifa, have been combined to
form one single Indian Republic's 61st Cavalry Regiment. This Cavalry Regiment
commemorates 23rd September as Haifa Day every year. [see Tributes
to 'Haifa Hero' and http://news.bahai.org/story/69]
Indian soldiers lauded in Israeli
textbooks for freeing Haifa city
While remaining unknown in their own
country, some Indian soldiers are slated to become household names in Haifa in
northern Israel. Their contribution in liberating this city in 1918, would
figure in the history textbooks taught at schools in Israel. The municipality
of Haifa has gone ahead with its decision to immortalize the sacrifices made by
Indian soldiers. The stories of the valiant efforts of Indian soldiers would be
included in the school curricula as part of the history textbooks. "The
move is a part of Haifa municipality’s efforts to preserve the city's
history and heritage," Hedva Almog, deputy Mayor of Haifa, told the
people who had gathered to pay their respects to the Indian martyred soldiers.
Haifa Historical Society has
done extensive research on the role of the Indian army. As per its findings, a
large number of Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives in this region during
World War I and nearly 900 are cremated or buried in cemeteries across Israel.
Other Tributes
Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, in
October 2009, visited the memorial of fallen Indian soldiers in Israel and paid
tributes by laying a wreath. He was joined at the ceremony by his Israeli
counterpart Eliezer Marom.
On September 23, 2010, Colonel M S Jodha of the Indian
Army journeyed to Haifa in Israel, to lay a wreath at the special war memorial
that honours his grandfather, Captain Bahadur Aman Singh Jodha, his regiment
and other co-regiments.
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/28/slide-show-1-special-india-honours-world-war-one-heroes.htm
A task force of the Indian Navy comprising of
four ships paid a goodwill visit to Haifa Port in August 2012. During the visit, the Fleet Commander paid
respects at the Memorial in Haifa for the Indian soldiers.
Vishwa Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai
celebrated Haifa Day on 23 Sept 2012 by arranging a joint Hindu Jew Dialogue
session at Synagogue in Thane, Mumbai.
Residents of the Israeli city also
celebrate Haifa Day the same day, with a series of cultural programs during the
week.
Embassy of India, Tel Aviv, Israel, has brought out a book “Memorials of Indian Soldiers in Israel”. The book
has a foreword by Navtej Sarna, Ambassador of India in Israel. The Battle of Haifa is vividly described in
this book.
Indian
Embassy in Israel celebrated India Memorial Day at Haifa on 1 Oct 2013. Haifa
Day was also celebrated in Thane, Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Durban, New York, Sydney,
Israel (Haifa, Jerusalem, Ramleh and Tel Aviv) around 23 Sept 2013
Chapter -4:
Centenary Celebrations of Haifa Day in 2018
Year 2018 will mark the centenary of the liberation of Haifa, which
paved the way for the subsequent independence of the modern state of Israel.
Speaking on the occasion of Haifa Day celebrations in September 2012, Hedva
Almog, deputy Mayor of
Haifa, stated that the municipality is planning big centenary celebrations to
commemorate the event in 2018. She called upon India to join hands in making
the celebrations a success. Charge de Affaires at the Indian Mission in Tel
Aviv, Madam Vani Rao, reacted positively to the request.
80,000
Jews from India migrated to Israel after Israel’s
Independence in 1948. They are today very successful in every field as
engineers, professionals, agriculturists etc.
Many of them still speak Indian languages Marathi, Malayalam and
Gujarati. They value their Indian heritage highly. They proudly say: “Israel
is our Fatherland and India is our Motherland” and “Israel
is in our blood but India is in our Heart.”
Indian
Jews in Israel, USA and around the world in cooperation with Indo Israel
Friendship Forum (IIFF), Vishwa Adhyayan Kendra (VAK), Mumbai and International
Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), USA are planning to commemorate the
Centenary of Haifa Day in a grand fitting manner. Many prominent personalities
including Minister Gen VK Singh, Members of Parliament and Bene Israel have
shown keen interest in participating in this historic event.
Haifa Day Celebrations on 23 September 2013 at New Delhi
 |
| Delhi Address by Retd. Lt Gen Jacob |
 |
| Also seen HE Ambassador of Israel |
Chapter – 5:
Speech by Israel Ambassador Alon Ushpiz on
Liberation of Haifa by Indian Soldiers
Israel Ambassador in
New Delhi, India,
Alon Ushpiz's Speech on Haifa Day Celebrations on 23rd
September 2013 at Judah Hyam Synagogue, Delhi.
http://embassies.gov.il/delhi/NewsAndEvents/Pages/Ambassador%20Alon%20Ushpiz's%20Speech%20on%20%20Haifa%20Day%2023rd%20September.aspx
Mr. Rajesh Gogna, Secretary
General of HRDI, Mr. Jaswant
Singh, General Jacob,
Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests,
A hidden link connects two places,
thousands of miles from each other. One is in the downtown of the city in which
I was born, in the northern part of Israel - Haifa.
The other one, a few minutes’ drive from where we are assembled
today - The Teen Murti Memorial, just outside of the Teen Murti Bhavan (in
Delhi).
Many do not know the full story of
the brave soldiers who had freed the city of Haifa and later the Middle East
from the rule of the Ottoman Empire on this day, 95 years ago.
Along Jaffa Street in the downtown of Haifa
(Israel), not far away from the beach in which you can hear nowadays the voices
of playing children, lie two cemeteries for the soldiers who fought bravely for
the liberation of the city from 400 years of Ottoman control. The Haifa Indian
Cemetery and the Haifa War Cemetery pay homage to the many lives of Indian,
British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers that died in the First World War
in battles against the Ottomans and especially in the battle of Haifa - 354
brave men including 47 Indians.
The heroism, tenacity and cavalry
skills of the Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers that took control of the City from the
Turks on the 23rd of September 1918, proved to be a decisive factor in the
victory over the Ottoman Empire. The historical battle of Haifa paved the way
to the victory of the British Army and 30 years later - to the creation of the
State of Israel.
Close to 900 Indian soldiers are
buried in 7 cemeteries in Israel, from Jerusalem to Ramleh to Haifa,
demonstrating the major sacrifice that was made, and act as an immortal
testimonial for their heroism.
The connection, ladies and
gentlemen, between the Teen Murti Memorial and the cemetery in Haifa goes way
beyond honoring those who
gave their lives to ensure ours. It is also an expression of a bond between two
independent nations that were born thousands of years before gaining their
political independence and that truly cherish the same values that our free and
open societies treasure.
The Great War happened three
decades prior to the independence of both India and Israel. Yet, both people
were able to have even before that a strong bondage. A bondage, ladies and
gentlemen, which was also reflected in the rich and active lives of the
flourishing Jewish community in India, a community whose son and leader, General
Jacob, we are fortunate to have with us today.
Haifa, located on the green slopes
of Mount Carmel lowering into the blue water of the Mediterranean, shares
similarities with India in many ways. It is home to many people with various
faiths and religions, living together side by side. Haifa, probably one of the
most culturally diverse cities in Israel, is home to Jews, Christians, Muslim,
Druze and Baha’i that live together in a blend of
language, culture, food and religion.
And this Israeli salad bowl, the
equivalent of the Indian Thali, is what makes us special and strong.
In the cemetery for those fallen
soldiers of the British forces, one can find Christian soldiers, Hindus, Sikhs,
Muslim and Jewish soldiers. The sense of shared destiny and friendship among
people with different backgrounds, as well as their bravery, is a legacy they
left for the residents and people of Haifa and all of Israel today.
A while back, the municipality of
Haifa had decided to include in its school curriculum stories of the valiant
efforts of the Indian soldiers in liberating the city. For, it is our duty to
preserve, but even more than that, to share with our sons and daughters this
heritage and this memory of those who sacrificed their lives.
Next week we will host a delegation
of the Indian Lok Sabha members in Israel. Together with Ambassador Jaideep
Sarkar, they will participate for the third time in a ceremony in the Haifa
Indian Cemetery honoring the Indian fallen soldiers.
Dear friends, as the Ambassador of
Israel and as a proud son of the city of Haifa, I am grateful that you granted
me the opportunity to commemorate today those who had liberated my hometown and
to pay my respect to those who have lost their lives doing so. Haifa Day is for
us a day of memory and honor for those brave soldiers.
May their souls rest in peace.
Haifa Day celebrations at Delhi on 23
Sept 2013.
Seen in
pictures are Israel Ambassador Alon Ushpiz, Lt Gen JFR Jacob,
Advocate Rajesh Gogna, and Sushil Pandit
Advocate Rajesh Gogna, and Sushil Pandit
Chapter – 6:
Fallen
in the cause of Other Nations
Indian soldiers fought, played key roles and died in the
liberation and Independence of a few countries like Israel, Bangladesh,
Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar. But their martyrdom and sacrifice are not well
documented. Proper memorials have not been erected in those countries, nor are
their feats included in the school texts in India and those countries. At least
a few streets in those countries should be named after them.
1942 - 1945: Freedom of Singapore, Malaysia and Burma
The Indian National Army
(INA; Azad Hind Fauj), an armed force was formed by Indian nationalists in 1942
in Southeast Asia during World War II. This army comprised of Indian prisoners
of war captured by Japan from British forces in Malaya, Singapore and Hong
Kong. It also included volunteers from the Indian expatriate population in
Singapore, Malaya and Burma. In 1945 INA had 40,000 soldiers including 18,000
Indian civilians from these countries. Several thousand Indians died in the ‘Death
Rail’ while laying rail track from Thailand to Burma under the Japanese regime.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
formally announced the establishment of the Provisional Government of Free
India in October 1943. He was the Head of the State, The Prime Minister and the
Minister for War and Foreign Affairs. Captain Doctor Lakshmi Swaminathan (later
married as Lakshmi Sehgal) was the Minister in Charge of Women's Organization.
She held this position over and above her command of the Rani Jhansi Regiment,
a brigade of women soldiers fighting for the Indian National Army.
INA fought along with the
Imperial Japanese Army against the British and Commonwealth forces in the
campaigns in Burma, Imphal and Kohima. INA aroused patriotic fervour and love
for freedom among the people of Singapore, Malaysia, Burma and India and paved
the way for the independence of these countries. Many Indians and expatriate
Indians died in the INA wars against the British regime.
Colonel
Shaukat Malik of the Indian National Army, (INA) hoisted the Tricolour for the
first time on Indian soil on 14 April 1944, in Moirang in Manipur with the help of Manipuris like Shri
Mairembam Koireng Singh and others.
(Shri Koireng Singh even arranged for food grains from his father's
granary. Feeding thousands of the Azad Hind Fauz soldiers for 3 months was the
contribution made by Koireng and his colleagues during the war for
independence. Shri Koireng was the first elected Chief Minister of Manipur. He
was elected as Chief Minister of Manipur thrice.)
The INA Museum at Moirang
displays some wartime relics and photographs. INA also governed Andaman and
Nicobar Islands from February 1944 to October 1945.
The INA Monument was established in 1995
by the National Heritage Board of Singapore at Esplanade Park. The Indian
community in Singapore contributed the required finance. The monument is now
officially one of the Historical sites in Singapore.
Liberation
of Bangladesh in 1971
Indo-Pakistani
war of 1971: It was one of the shortest (merely 13
days) wars in history. It was also the most decisive victory with the
liberation and formation of a new populous country Bangladesh and capture of
93,000 Pakistani soldiers.
‘India won a glorious victory against Pakistan
in the 1971 war. It was the first decisive victory in a major war in centuries.
And it was won singlehandedly, in the face of opposition and threats from a
majority of the UN member-States, including a superpower. Every Indian patriot
felt proud of this glittering chapter in the nation's history.'
-- Dr S N Prasad in his
introduction to the Indian government's 'restricted' Official History of the
1971 War.
Nearly 8,000 Indian soldiers
laid down their lives in liberating East Pakistan (later known as Bangladesh)
from the genocidal attack of West Pakistan.
The Bangladesh Liberation
War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence is known in Bengali as
Muktijuddho.
Pakistani military junta
based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of
East Pakistan in March 1971. It pursued the systematic elimination of
nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia, Bengali Hindus and
Buddhists and armed personnel. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting
militias like the Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams engaged in mass murder,
deportation and genocidal rape. Bangladesh government figures state that
Pakistani forces aided by collaborators killed three million Bengali people,
raped 200,000 women and displaced millions of others.
An estimated 10 million East Pakistan Bengali
refugees fled to neighbouring India. Taxes were levied on entire Indian
population to meet the economic burden of feeding and taking care of the
millions of Bengali refugees.
India joined the war on 3 December 1971,
after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on North India. USA, Europe and
China supported Pakistan. US supported Pakistan by supplying them Patton Tanks,
Sabre Jets, one sophisticated submarine USS Diablo (SS-479) and Surveillance
system for airports. Dispatch of the much-dreaded aircraft carrier USS
Enterprise (Seventh Fleet) to the Bay of Bengal to intimidate the Indian
government was the height of US desperations.
(India
tactically used INS Vikrant and Indian Airbase at Andaman & Nikobar Islands
to deter USS Enterprise. Indian navy also sank US sophisticated submarine USS
Diablo (SS-479) also known as PNS Gazi off Vishakhapatnam harbor. These forced
the Americans to move away from the Indian Ocean and a major confrontation was
averted.)
The subsequent Indo-Pakistani War
witnessed engagements on two war fronts, east and west. With Indian air
supremacy achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied
Forces of Bangladesh and India, Pakistan surrendered in Dacca on 16 December
1971. 93,000 Pakistanis including 81,000
uniformed personnel of Pakistan Armed Forces under Gen. Niazi, were taken as Prisoners of War by the
Indian Army.
The war changed the geopolitical
landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the seventh-most
populous country in the world. Due to complex regional alliances, the War was a
major episode in Cold War tensions involving the United States, the Soviet
Union and the People's Republic of China.
Conclusion
World is yearning for peace. Peace can be
achieved only through spiritualism. Peace and Spiritualism are contained only
in the messages of Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayan, Gita and Sant-vanis.
When will the world listen to these
eternal messages? !!
Only when Bharat becomes strong
militarily and economically, world will listen to the eternal message of
spirituality and peace contained in our books and history. Unless Bharat
becomes strong, peace in the world will be an illusion. For Bharat to become
strong, youth and children must be educated on the achievements of our
ancestors. This book is a small effort towards instilling in them a sense of
patriotism.
Unless Bharat becomes strong, peace in
the world will be an illusion. For Bharat to become strong, youth and children
must be educated on the achievements of our ancestors. This book is a small
effort towards instilling in them a sense of patriotism.
Only when Bharat becomes strong
militarily and economically, world will listen to the eternal message of
spirituality and peace contained in the Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayan, Gita and
Sant-vanis. Unless Bharat becomes strong, peace in the world will be an
illusion. For Bharat to become strong, youth and children must be educated on the
achievements of our ancestors. This book is a small effort towards instilling
in them a sense of patriotism.
References
Chapter -1: Indian
Heroic Role in Israel Independence - A Brief Account
REFERENCES
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/28/slide-show-1-special-india-honours-world-war-one-heroes.htm
Chapter
-2: Cultural Ties between India and Israel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sassoon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Israel_relations
Chapter -3: India’s
Heroic Role in Israel’s Independence - The Larger Story
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/28/slide-show-1-special-india-honours-world-war-one-heroes.htm
http://news.bahai.org/story/69
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/28/slide-show-1-special-india-honours-world-war-one-heroes.htm
Chapter -4: Centenary Celebrations of Haifa Day in 2018
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-soldiers-lauded-in-israeli-textbooks-haifa-city/1/221842.html
Chapter
-5: Speech
by Israel Ambassador Alon Ushpiz on Liberation of Haifa by Indian Soldiers
http://embassies.gov.il/delhi/NewsAndEvents/Pages/Ambassador%20Alon%20Ushpiz's%20Speech%20on%20%20Haifa%20Day%2023rd%20September.aspx
Chapter
-6: Fallen in the cause of Other Nations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairembam_Koireng_Singh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azad_Hind
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh_Liberation_War
http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/dec/26claude.htm
APPENDIX:
Mind Boggling Wars fought by Israelis and Indians
Mind Boggling Wars fought by Israelis and Indians
Both India and
Israel are surrounded by enemies who constantly engage them in wars. Both
Indians and Jews are known for bravery in war. Their courage has won a few mind-blowing
battles in the 20th century.
APPENDIX - 1: Mind Boggling Wars fought by Israelis
1967: The
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War also known as the June War, 1967
Arab–Israeli War, or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10,
1967 by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Relations between Israel and
its neighbours had never fully normalised following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
In the period leading up to June 1967, tensions became dangerously heightened.
In reaction to the mobilisation of Egyptian forces along the Israeli border in
the Sinai Peninsula, Israel launched a series of preemptive airstrikes against
Egyptian airfields. The Egyptians were caught by surprise, and nearly the
entire Egyptian air force was destroyed with few Israeli losses, giving the
Israelis air superiority. Simultaneously, the Israelis launched a ground
offensive into the Gaza Strip and the Sinai, which again caught the Egyptians
by surprise. After some initial resistance, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser
ordered the evacuation of the Sinai. Israeli forces rushed westward in pursuit
of the Egyptians, inflicted heavy losses, and conquered the Sinai.
Nasser induced Syria and
Jordan to begin attacks on Israel by using the initially confused situation to
claim that Egypt had defeated the Israeli air strike. Israeli counterattacks
resulted in the seizure of East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank from the
Jordanians, while Israel's retaliation against Syria resulted in its occupation
of the Golan Heights.
On June 11, a ceasefire was
signed. Arab casualties were far heavier than those of Israel: fewer than a
thousand Israelis had been killed compared to over 20,000 from the Arab forces.
Israel's military success was attributed to the element of surprise, an
innovative and well-executed battle plan, and the poor quality and leadership of
the Arab forces.
Israel
seized control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West
Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.
Israeli morale and
international prestige was greatly increased by the outcome of the war and the area under Israeli control tripled.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
4 July 1976: Operation Entebbe at Entebbe Airport in Uganda
In June of 1976, an Air
France plane, carrying 248 passengers and 12 crew, from France to Israel was
hijacked and flown to Entebbe Airport in Uganda, home of dictator Idi Amin. The
pro-Palestinian hijackers threatened to kill the hostages if demands for the
release of their prisoners in Israel were not met. The hijackers released all
the non-Jewish hostages and would have released the plane's crew, but the crew
insisted the safety of passengers were their responsibility and stayed behind.
In total, 105 hostages remained behind, 2,500 miles (4,000 km) away from Israel
holed up in Uganda's principal airport, surrounded by an openly pro-hijacker
military of Uganda.
None of this was a deterrent
for Israeli Special Forces. They knew that a situation like that is all about
full preparation. So, they rounded up all the contractors who had worked in
Uganda, as well as some of the released hostages, and constructed a huge
mock-up of the terminal at Entebbe where the Israeli special task force
soldiers practiced.
Once they were ready, the team of 200
Israeli Defense Forces units flew in four cargo planes, skimming along the
treetops at a height no higher than 99 feet. They skimmed over various
countries that hated them.
Amin was known to drive
luxury vehicles, and to drive at high speeds. The rescue plan was to land at
the airport and quickly dispatch some luxury Mercedes and Land Rovers to the
hostage holding area in an attempt to fool the guards into thinking Amin
himself was arriving.
The Israelis landed at 11
p.m. on 3rd July 1976. While one team rescued the hostages, another
group secured the perimeter and set about refueling the planes. Refueling a
huge plane takes an hour; all the while surrounded, in a hostile airport.
But they did it. 102 out of
105 hostages were rescued. Five Israeli commandos were wounded and one, the
unit commander, Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed. All the hijackers,
three hostages and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed, and thirty (some say 11)
Soviet-built MiG-17s and MiG-21s of Uganda's air force were destroyed. Kenyan
sources supported Israel, and in the aftermath of the operation several hundred
Kenyans present in Uganda were slaughtered by the orders of Idi Amin of Uganda.
Operation Entebbe, which had the military
codename Operation Thunderbolt, is sometimes referred to retroactively as Operation
Jonathan in memory of the unit's leader, Yonatan Netanyahu. He was the older
brother of Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel.
Mind-Boggling Wars fought by Indians
Most Indians do not know that the Indus Valley
Civilisation had more than 1000 urban
locations, or that the people of that era sailed 3500 kms by sea to Babylonia (now Arabia) for trade, or that
they had invented what we proudly call Western
Flush Toilets today or they had covered
drainage system or they used the decimal
system in weights and measurements. But most of us do know that the
Egyptian and Roman civilisations were the greatest of their time, and that
Greeks and Romans invented everything which modern science has in its
foundation (another suspicious claim !!). Many Indians would not accept that
various discoveries attributed to European scientists like Copernicus, Newton
and Galileo were already known a thousand years before to Indian scientists
like Aryabhatt, Brahma Gupta and Bhaskaracharya.
Similarly
our youth and students admire foreign war heroes like Alexander, Julius Caesar
and Napolean but they hardly know that our own Pallavas, Cholas, Shailendras,
Bappa Raval and Lalitaditya had successfully conquered South East Asia, Iran,
Central Asia and Tibet. Unfortunately their names and achievements have not
received the credit they deserve. The stunning victories of Maharaja Suhaldev
of Uttar Pradesh, the Marathas led by Rani Tarabai and Rani Velu Nachiyar of
Tamilnadu against formidable Afghans, Mughals and the British forces, have been
relegated to the dustbins of history.
APPENDIX -1: HINDU EMPIRES OUTSIDE BHARAT
INDIAN
EMPIRES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, IRAN, CENTRAL ASIA AND TIBET
It
is generally perceived that Hindus of ancient India never invaded other countries.
This is not fully true. Great kings and warriors in India believed in the term
Chakravartin. This is an ancient Indian term used to refer to an ideal
universal ruler who rules ethically and benevolently over the entire world.
Historically, Pallavas and Cholas of Tamilnadu, Shailendras, Kambu and
Kaundinya of Orissa established great empires in South East Asia. Similarly
Bappa Rawal of Rajasthan and Lalitaditya of Kashmir not only defeated the Arab
invaders, but chased them deep back into their own countries and established
their regime over Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. Rajendra Chola in 11th
century CE conquered many parts of South East Asia and sailed upto China. He
performed Ashvamedha Yajna to stamp his authority over many countries.
Even though Indians ruled over large landscapes,
they never enslaved the inhabitants of that country, nor showed any racial or
religious discrimination, a feat that is unheard of in most chapters of world
history.
1st
Century BCE: Pallavas of Tamilnadu
and Shailendras of Odisha establish Hinduised States of South East Asia
(Hindu Cultural Empire
in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam)
The
seafaring kingdoms of Pallavas, Pandyas and the Cholas of Tamilnadu and the
Kalingas of Odisha from first century Before Common Era (BCE), established
Hinduised States in Indonesia and Indochina. This part of the world in local
language is known as Swarnabhumi and
many historians also refer to it as ‘Farther
India’ or ‘Greater India’. Greater India is characterized today by deep
traces of Hinduisation that occurred centuries before: the importance of the
Sanskrit element in the vocabulary of the languages spoken there; the Indian
origin of the alphabets with which those languages have been or still are
written; the influence of Indian law or administrative organization; the
persistence of certain Hindu traditions in the countries converted to Islam as
well as those converted to Singhalese Buddhism; and the presence of ancient monuments
which in architecture and sculpture, are associated with the arts of India and
bear inscriptions in Sanskrit.
The expansion of Hindu civilization to distant
countries and islands in the East like Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam is one of the outstanding events in the history of the world, one
which has determined the destiny of a great percentage of mankind. The
Hinduised states prevented the expansion efforts of Chinese civilization in
these areas for nearly fifteen hundred years. There is absolutely no trace of
Indian kings ever having practiced slavery, levying economic sanctions,
abducting women, slaughtering innocent people, ransacking their kingdoms,
burning and destroying their places of worship and libraries or forcibly
converting the population. Preah Vihear, a ninth century temple for Lord Shiva
has been the subject of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, as both claim
their ownership. Every country in South East Asia has its own version of Ramayana.
Garuda Airlines is the national carrier of Indonesia. All the ministers
including Prime Minister in Malaysia take oath of office in the name of Lord
Rama’s Paduka (sandal) and the President who is from one of the nine Sultans,
takes oath in the name of Dhuli (sacred dust) of Lord Rama’s Paduka.
Kambu Swayambhu, the founder of Khmer Empire in Cambodia, South East Asia.
Legend says that Kambu Swayambhu was a learned
Indian king. He had ventured into Cambodia and entered an area having jungles.
Defeating their king, Kambu married the princess, Mer, and developed the land
into a fertile and flourishing country. The combination of Kambu and Mer names
is said to have given rise to the name Khmer (Kambu + Mer =Khmer) according to
George Coedes. George Coedes (1886 –1969) was a 20th-century French scholar of
Southeast Asian archaeology and history. Khmers are the ethnic people of
Cambodia. All the princes of Kambodia expressly state themselves as descendants
of Kambu.
Kaundinya,
the founder of Funan (Cambodia) Empire
According to reports by two Chinese envoys, Kang
Tai and Chu Ying, the state of Funan was
established by an Indian Brahmin named Kaundinya. In the 1st century CE.
Kaundinya (chinese: Hun Tien) was given instruction in a dream to take a magic
bow from a temple and defeat a princess named Soma (Chinese: Liu Ye, “Willow
Leaf”), the daughter of the king of the Naga. He later married the princess and
their lineage became the royal dynasty of Funan. Kaundinya later built a
capital, and changed the name of the country to 'Kambuja'. In reality, the myth
has Indian origins: the Pallavas of South India had adopted this genealogy to
explain their dynastic origins, for the first Pallava ruler of Kanchipuram was
supposed to be the son of a Chola king and a naga princess. The legend somehow
reached Cambodia, where it was adopted by the Funan kings to explain their
dynastic origins, and a legendary first King Kaundinya came into being.
Bappa
Rawal (713-810 CE), founder of the Mewar Dynasty expanded his territory to
Afghanistan and Iran.
The
wrong need resistance and the right need assistance.
Bappa Rawal was
the eighth ruler of the Gahlot dynasty and founder of the Mewar Dynasty (r.
734-753 CE) in present-day Rajasthan, India. He played an important role in the
Battle of Rajasthan. This was a series of wars fought in the 8th century CE.
between the Rajput rulers of North-Western India and the Arabs of Sindh, in
which the regional Indian rulers inflicted a resounding defeat on the invading
Arabs.
In the 8th century Arabs started attacking India,
which was basically an extension of invasion of Persia. Bin Qasim was able to
defeat Dahirsen in Sindh but was stopped by Bappa Rawal. Bappa Rawal defeated
and pursued Bin Qasim through Saurashtra and back to the western banks of the
Sindhu (i.e. current day Baluchistan). Bappa Rawal then marched on to Ghazni
and defeated the local ruler Salim. Bappa Rawal and his armies invaded various
kingdoms including Kandahar
(Afghanistan) and Iranian cities of Khorasan, Turan and Ispahan and made
them vassals of his kingdom. Thus he not only defended India's frontiers but
for a brief period was able to expand them.
Lalitaditya Muktapiḍa
Lalitaditya Muktapiḍa
(reign: 724 – 760 CE) Ruler
from Kashmir ruled Afghanistan, Central Asia and Tibet.
Lalitaditya is one more unsung hero of Indian
history. He was the most powerful ruler of Kashmir region. This dynasty
exercised influence in northwestern India from 625 CE until 1003. Historian
Kalhana's Rajatarangini credits Lalitaditya with extensive conquests and leading aggressive military campaigns
in Northern India and Central Asia. Hermann Goetz (1898-1976), a pioneer of
Museum movement in India confirms the description of Kalhana as actual fact. Some
recently acquired evidence also supports the incidents and conquests mentioned
in Rajatarangini. Besides Kalhana, the Chinese, Turkish and Tibetan legends
also refer to him as a great conqueror.
Sind was conquered
by Muhammad bin Qasim in 715 CE. A Turk Junaid in 730 CE succeeded him. But his
army had to face the onslaught of the combined strength of Lalitaditya as well
as Yashovarman. Turk armies were soundly defeated by the Hindu alliance.
Lalitaditya is said to have ordered the Turks to shave off half of their heads
as a symbol of their submission. The numerous conquests of Lalitaditya are also
mentioned by the brilliant Iranian Muslim scholar traveller Al-biruni (973 -
1048 CE). Al-biruni, for example, informs that a festival was held on the
second day of Chaitra (March) every year for centuries to celebrate the victory
of King Lalitaditya over the Turks.
Lalitaditya was keen on teaching Arabs a
lesson by pushing back the defeated Arabs. He therefore conquered Dardistan or
Darad-Desha (northern Pakistan, and Kashmir in India and parts of north-eastern
Afghanistan) and portion of Central Asia corresponding approximately with
modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and southwest
Kazakhstan. When Tibet invaded Kashmir, Lalitadidtya defeated the Tibetans.
Lalitaditya transformed Kashmir in to one
of the most powerful state in the South and Central Asia. During the time of
Lalitaditya, it’s boundaries covered an area from Tibet in the east to Iran in
the west and from Turkestan in the north. Lalitaditya
was not only the greatest king of Kashmir but also one of the greatest kings of
India.
Rajendra Chola I (Reign:
1014 – 1044 CE) conquered South East Asia.
Rajendra Chola
was a Chola emperor who is considered one of the greatest rulers and military
generals of India. He succeeded his father Rajaraja Chola I in 1014 CE. He
defeated Mahipala, the king of Bengal and Bihar. During his reign, he extended
the influence of the Chola empire to the banks of the river Ganga in North
India and across the Indian ocean to the West, making the Chola Empire as one
of the most powerful empires of India. Rajendra’s conquests included the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, Maldives and South East Asia including Malaysia,
Southern Thailand and Indonesia. He sailed through many countries in South East
and Far East countries including South China. He exacted tribute from Thailand
and the Khmer kingdom of Cambodia. Some tribes in Sumetra, Indonesia bear the
title Chola.
His Southeast Asia campaign intensified several
interactions between India and Southeast Asia. The campaign also led to the
establishment of diplomatic ties with China. The first Indian embassy to the
court of the Song Emperor was sent by Raja Raja Chola I in 1015. This was
followed by a second embassy by his son, Rajendra Chola I, in 1033 and a third
by Kulothunga Chola I in 1077.
Traders from the Tamil country firmly
established themselves over various parts of South-East Asia. A merchant guild
was set up in Burma and another in Sumatra in 1088. Indian historian V. R.
Ramachandra Dikshitar suggests that Tamil traders of the Chola period might
have had some knowledge of Australia and Polynesia.
APPENDIX - 3: GREAT WARS AGAINST FOREIGN INVADERS
Some of the wars that India fought against foreign invaders
rank among the greatest wars in human history.
1033
CE: Battle of Bahraich 13-14 June 1033
100,000
Afghan invaders defeated and put to the sword by a Dalit King Raja Suhaldev.
Not a single invader was spared.
An enemy saved in a battle is an evil that can burn a person
even without fire. Chanakya
Salar Masud (1015
- 1032 CE) was the nephew of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. He was 11 years old (in
1026 CE) when he took part in the invasion of Somnath with his uncle. Salar
Masud wanted to Islamize India. He therefore, entered India with an army of
more than 100,000 men with 50,000 horses in May 1031. His onward march into
Bharat was challenged by an Indian Dalit
king Raja Suheldev of Sravasti, who
forged an alliance with 17 kshatriya rulers of Northern India. Indians under
Raja Suhaldev defeated and put to death Afghan invader Salar Masud and his
100,000 soldiers in a span of 2 days on 13 and 14 June 1033. As agreed, not one
invading soldier was pardoned or taken as prisoner of war but was put to the
sword including Salar Masud. The legend of Suhaldev and Salar Masud is found in
the Persian language Mirat-i-Masudi.
17th Century CE: SHIVAJI MAHARAJ INSPIRES LIBERATION
OF VIETNAM
Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj (1627- 1680) defeated
many strong generals of Mogul empire in the north and Bhamini Sultans in the
south of India, and established an a Hindu
empire under the guidance of his mentor Saint Samarth Ramdas. He is famous the
world over for his ingenuity of guerilla warfare by which method he could
defeat armies very much larger than his own.
North Vietnam was
engaged in a war from 1955 to 1975 against the wealthiest and most powerful of
all nations – America. In the end North Vietnam succeeded in defeating America
in that war of 20 years and united the country. During the long and difficult
war period, Vietcong leaders could inspire and instill confidence among
Vietcong soldiers by recollecting and narrating the heroic saga of Shivaji
Maharaj and of his military generals. This finally led the Vietnamese to
victory. Latin American military leaders like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara too
used Shivaji’s guerilla war techniques in their freedom struggle in Cuba.
Shivaji, true to his Hindu spirit, attacked only the enemy soldiers and never assaulted
innocent men, women or children, which most coward terrorists today resort to!!
1700 – 1707 CE: Tarabai’s
Battles against Moghul Emperor Aurangazeb
The years 1700-1707, when the mighty
Mughal army under Aurangazeb was fighting the Marathas. Famous historian, Jadunath Sarkar has opined
about this period as: "During this period, the supreme guiding force in
Maharashtra was not any minister but the dowager queen Tara Bai Mohite. Her
administrative genius and strength of character saved the nation in that awful
crisis."
Tarabai Bhonsle (1675
–1761) was a royal from the Maratha Empire of India. She was the queen of
Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsle, son of the empire's founder Shivaji. She is
acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal
occupation of Maratha territories after the death of her husband in 1700.
Tarabai was the daughter of the famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite. On
Rajaram's death in 1700, she proclaimed her infant son, Shivaji II as Rajaram's
successor and herself as the regent. As the regent she took charge of the war
against Aurangzeb's forces. Tarabai was skilled in cavalry movement, and made
strategic movements herself during wars. She personally led the war and
continued the insurgency against the Mughals. By 1705, Marathas had crossed the
Narmada and made incursions in Malwa.
Aurangazeb’s Deccan invasion: In 1681, a year after Shivaji’s death,
Mughal emperor Aurangazeb personally led an army of 500,000 (with 30,000
elephants and 50,000 camels) into the Deccan to kill the relatively young and
less formidable Maratha Empire. It was a disproportionate war in all senses. The
Marathas fought bravely for 26 years, sometimes without a leader and many a
times without regular wages; but inspired by nationalism, they reduced the vast
Mughal empire to within the walls of Delhi. The Maratha resistance was led
initially by Sambhaji (1681-89), then by Rajaram (1689-1700) and finally from
1700 onwards by Rani Tarabai. Rani
Tarabai, the Queen of Maratha Empire was a spirited lady who did not waste time
or tears on her husband’s death or on the fall of the new capital Satara. She
infused vigor in her people and organized a tough opposition to Aurangzeb.
Under the leadership of Rani Tarabai, the
Maratha power grew stronger and stronger with the result that Aurangzeb was
compelled to be on the defensive. She moved constantly from fort to fort in
order to direct operations and encourage her men. The success of Maratha war of
independence was in no small measure due to the indomitable personality of the
Maratha Queen. The Marathas under her ravaged Burhanpur, Surat, Bharuch and
other rich towns of the western coast that belonged to Mughals and Portuguese.
Marathas also established their rule over Southern Karnatak.
The Indologist Stanley Wolpert, American emeritus
professor, says that:
The conquest of the Deccan, to which,
Aurangzeb devoted the last 26 years of his life, was in many ways a Pyrrhic
victory, costing an estimated hundred thousand lives a year during its last decade
of futile chess game warfare. The expense in gold and rupees can hardly be
accurately estimated. Aurangzeb's encampment was like a moving capital – a city
of tents 30 miles in circumference, with some 250 bazaars, with a 1⁄2 million
camp followers, 50,000 camels and 30,000 elephants ... Even Aurangzeb, had
ceased to understand the purpose of it all by the time he was nearing 90 ...
"I came alone and I go as a stranger. I do not know who I am, nor what I
have been doing," the dying old man confessed to his son, Azam, a few days
before his death in 1707.
‘I have sinned terribly, and I do not
know what punishment awaits me’ lamented the Mughal emperor.
In 1691 Aurangazeb’s Mughal Empire
extended as far as Tanjore and Trichinapally in the south. It was the biggest
empire in Indian history till then. But brave Rani Tarabai and the determined
Marathas made a mockery of it and systematically cut it to size. After the
death of Aurangzeb, within a decade, the Mughals were confined to Delhi itself.
By 1758, the Marathas had reached Delhi, Multan and Peshawar. When the British
arrived, they were fighting not the Mughals but Marathas all over Bharat.
Rani Tarabai remains one of the most celebrated women in
Indian History.
1780 CE: Battle
of Sivagangai when Rani Velu Nachiyar defeated the British army with an all
women army.
Rani Veera Mangai Velu Nachiyar
(born 3 January 1730; died 25 December 1796)
(born 3 January 1730; died 25 December 1796)
Veera Mangai Velu
Nachiyar was the
princess of Ramanathapuram, Tamilnadu and the only child of Raja Chellamuthu
Sethupathy (चेल्लमुत्थु
सेतुपति) of Ramnad Kingdom. She was trained in
war tactics, weapons usage, martial arts including Silambam (fighting using
stick), horse riding and archery. She was a scholar in many languages and she
had proficiency in languages such as French, English and Urdu. She married the
king of Sivagangai, from whom she had a daughter.
Her husband, Muthuvaduganathaperiya
Udaiyathevar was killed in a battle by British soldiers and the son of the
Nawab of Arcot. She was then drawn into the battle. She escaped with her
daughter and lived under the protection of Palayakaarar Gopaala Naayakkar at Virupachi near
Dindigul for eight years. During this period she formed armies both of men and
women. Her woman's army was named “Udaiyaal” in honour of her adopted daughter
— Udaiyaal, who died detonating a British arsenal.
She sought an alliance
with Gopala Nayaker with the aim of attacking the British. In 1780, she confronted the
British with her all women army. Her
men soldiers and the army of Gopala Nayakar were sent to engage and stop Nawab
of Arcot, who came to the help of the British. Velu Nachiyar successfully
fought the British. When she found the place where the British stored their
ammunition, she arranged a suicide attack: a faithful follower, Kuyili, doused herself in oil, set
herself alight and walked into the storehouse. This act of sacrifice changed
the course of the battle and Velu Nachiyar regained her territory.
Maharani Nachiar
was one of the very few rulers who regained their kingdom from the British and
ruled for more than ten years. Veera Mangai Velu Nachiyar was the first queen
to fight for freedom from the British in India. She is perhaps the only queen in the world to defeat any western power with an
all women army. On 31 December 2008, Indian government released a
commemorative postage stamp in her honor.
1897 CE: Battle
of Saragarhi on 12 September 1897
If any one tells he is never afraid of death, he is a liar
or he is a Jawan in the Indian army.
21 Sikh Indian
soldiers accounted for 800 enemies when attacked by 10,000-armed Afghans.
Battle of Saragarhi on 12 September 1897
is a encounter in which 21 Sikh soldiers of British India, given an option to
run away or fight, faced an attack of 10,000 Pashtun Afghan tribes. The Sikhs
chose to fight to death than to run away. Though all the Sikhs died they had
accounted for 800 enemy lives at Tirah, North-West Frontier Province, in modern
day Pakistan. The Sikh contigent was led by Havildar Ishar Singh.
When the gallantry
of Saragarhi was recounted to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the
recitation drew a standing ovation from the members. All the 21 Sikh soldiers
were posthumously awarded the Indian
Order of Merit, the highest
gallantry award of that time, which an Indian soldier could receive at the
hands of the British crown, the corresponding gallantry award being Victoria
Cross. This award is equivalent to today's Param
Vir Chakra awarded by the President of India. The battle has become iconic
of Indian military tradition, eastern military civilization, British empire
military history and Sikh history.
1918 SEPTEMBER 23: BATTLE
OF HAIFA
Battle of Haifa 22-23 September 1918 – One of the Greatest Wars of Human History
A large number of Indian soldiers sent by the Maharajas
of Jodhpur and Mysore sacrificed their lives in Israel
(West Asia) during First World War in 1918. In the battle of Haifa, the Indian
soldiers were equipped only with swords and lances and they were fighting
against the formidable enemies who were well fortified in their own territories
and armed with modern guns, tanks and
cannons. In spite of this rank disparity, the Indians displaying enormous
courage defeated the combined forces of Turks, Germans and Austrians and
liberated the Israeli port city of Haifa in September 1918.
Their graves are preserved and looked after as a mark of
respect by the present government of Israel. Their names, bravery and sacrifice
are remembered every year on 23 September and included in their school
textbooks.
The
Battle of Haifa therefore, remains as one of the greatest wars of human history.
It is a golden chapter in Indian history, which can inspire every Indian child
and youth.
1962 CE: Indo-China
War: Battle at Rezang-La Pass
A battle in which 109
out of 123 Indian officers and jawans laid down their lives defending Indian
territory while inflicting over 1200 (some say 1700) casualties on Chinese
soldiers. This inspired Kavi Pradeep to pen the immortal song, ‘AI MERE WATAN KE LOGON ……’
During the Sino-Indian
War in 1962, the Battle of
Rezang-la pass in Chushul valley in Ladhak on 18 November was a saga of
unprecedented courage, valour and supreme sacrifice. The battle was fought at
an altitude of 16,000 feet where the air was thin, bereft of enough oxygen. The icy winds howling
through Rezang La were biting and benumbing. More than the thin air and cold
winds, the location of Rezang La had a more serious drawback. It was crested to
Indian artillery because of an intervening feature, which meant that the
Indians had to make without the protective comfort of the big guns. The Chinese
advanced with rifles and light machine guns in the dim light of the morning.
109 out of 123
officers and jawans laid down their lives
before accounting for at least 1200
(some say 1700) Chinese soldiers. Such was their act of bravery that three days
later, the Chinese announced a unilateral ceasefire on November 21, 1962. The all-Yadav company of
the 13th Kumaon battalion was led by Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who won a
posthumous Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award for conspicuous bravery
or self-sacrifice in the face of enemy attack. Kavi Pradeep wrote the immortal
song “AI MERE WATAN KE LOGON ….” on this episode.
1965
CE: Battle of Asal Uttar, September
1965
During tha Battle of
Asal Uttar from 8 to 10 September 1965, Pakistan lost more than 99 tanks in the
3 days war. It was a decisive victory for India. It is described as one
of the greatest tank battles since the Battle of Kursk in the Second World War.
While India lost 10 tanks, Pakistanis lost more than 99 tanks mostly Pattons,
and a few Shermans and Chaffees. The battle also witnessed the personal bravery
of an Indian soldier, Abdul Hamid,
who was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military award, for
knocking out seven enemy tanks with a recoilless gun. This battle led to the
creation of Patton Nagar (or
"Patton City") at the site of the battle. This is because a large
number of Patton tanks fielded by the Pakistani forces were either captured or
destroyed at the scene.
1971 CE: 13 Day
War: Liberation
of Bangladesh
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (3 to 16 December 1971)
Lasting just 13 days, the Indo-Pak war of
1971 is one of the shortest wars in
history. Indian victory is glorious for the fact that United States supported
Pakistan both politically and materially. 93,000 Pakistanis
including 81,000 uniformed personnel of Pakistan Armed Forces, were taken as Prisoners of War by the
Indian Army and liberated Bangladesh a
country with an area of 147,570 km2.
The war effectively came to an end after
the Eastern Commander of the Pakistani Armed Forces signed the Instrument of Surrender, on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka,
marking the liberation of the new nation of Bangladesh.
For
Pakistan it was a complete and humiliating defeat, a psychological setback that came from
a defeat at the hands of intense rival India. Pakistan lost half its population
and a significant portion of its economy and suffered setbacks to its
geo-political role in South Asia. There is no parallel in contemporary history
to the catastrophe that engulfed Pakistan.
Lt Gen Niazi
signing the Instrument of Surrender under the gaze of Lt Gen Aurora . Standing
immediately behind from L to R: Vice Admiral Krishnan, Air Marshal Dewan, Lt
Gen Sagat Singh, Maj Gen JFR Jacob (with Flt Lt Krishnamurthy peering over his
shoulder). Veteran newscaster, Surojit Sen of All India Radio, is seen holding
a microphone on the right.
Magnanimity of General Manekshaw
(When the Indian
Prime minister asked General Manekshaw to go to Dhaka and accept the surrender
of Pakistani forces, he declined, magnanimously saying that the honour should
go to his army commander in the East, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Arora.)
“If
you know yourself and the enemy, you need not fear the result of hundred
battles,
If
you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also
suffer defeat,
If
you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”.
-Sun
Tzu (Chinese military Strategist, philosopher 544 BCE)
1971 Indo-Pak war
Battle of Longewala (4-7 Dec 1971)
While India lost 2
soldiers, Pakistan lost 200 soldiers even though Pakistan came fully prepared
and equipped and took India by surprise. Pakistan also lost 34 tanks and 500
vehicles and India lost one vehicle.
120 Indian soldiers with 4 Hawk Hunters,
1 HAL Krishak and 1 jeep mounted M40 recoilless rifle were suddenly attacked on
4th December 1971 by 2,000 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan also had
superior firepower. They were supported by 1 mobile infantry brigade and 45
American Patton tanks. Yet the battle was over in 4 days on 7th
December with a decisive morale boosting victory for the Indians.
Indian casualties
in the battle were two soldiers along with one of their jeep mounted
recoil-less rifles knocked out. Pakistani losses were 200 soldiers killed. The Pakistanis also suffered the loss of 34
tanks destroyed or abandoned, and lost 500 additional vehicles. Capturing or
destroying 34 tanks remains one of the
largest disproportionate tank casualties for one side in a single battle after
World War II.
The Battle of Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one of the first major engagements in the Western Sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought between assaulting Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Longewala, in the Thar Desert of the Rajasthan state in India.
Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chanduri was awarded Mahavir Chakra, India’s second higherst
gallantry award. Pakistan tried their Major General Mustafa for negligence.
References
Appendix -1: Mind Boggling Wars fought by Israel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Entebbe
http://www.cracked.com/article_19281_the-6-most-amazing-military-raids-all-time.html
Appendix -2 & 3: Mind Boggling Wars fought by Indians
APPENDIX -
2: HINDU EMPIRES OUTSIDE BHARAT
Ref: The Hinduised
States of Indochina and Indonesia (Les états hindouisés d'Indochine et
d'Indonésie) by George Coedes
Ancient history of
Hinduised States of Far East (Histoire ancienne des États hindouisés
d'Extrême-Orient) by George Coedes
https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/out/images/1221834995_manthan_1_500.gif
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kambu_Swayambhuva
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Soma
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bappa_Rawal
http://www.ariseindiaforum.org/unsung-heroes-3-lalitaditya-muktapida/
APPENDIX - 3: GREAT WARS BY INDIANS AGAINST
FOREIGN INVADERS
http://indiafacts.org/indian-history-textbooks-are-needed-to-be-rewritten-now/
https://www.facebook.com/notes/indian-air-force-fans/unforgettable-battle-of-1962-13-kumaon-at-rezang-la-by-col-n-n-bhatia-retd-court/595886010448427/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaitan_Singh
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/Pattonb.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asal_Uttar
http://img.topyaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Air-power.jpg
http://img.topyaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Aftermath.jpg
Haifa Day Celebrations
on 23 September 2013 - New Delhi
 |
| Delhi Address by Retd. Lt Gen Jacob |
 |
| Also seen HE Ambassador of Israel |
 |
Delhi Address by Tarun Vijay, Member Parliament
|
 |
| Delhi Invitation |
Other books by the author (Ravi Kumar)
1.
Glimpses of Hindu
Genius: (English) The book describes the achievements of Indians and
overseas Indians in modern times as well as ancient times.
2.
Hindu Pratibha Darshan: (Hindi) This is the Hindi version of the
book, ‘Glimpses of Hindu Genius’. It is also available in Tamil and Telugu.
3.
Ramayana Around the
World – a Living Legend: This book describes the impact of Ramayana in today’s life and
civilization in Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Korea, Japan,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Iran.
4.
Hindu Resurgence in
South East Asia: This is the amazing story of Hindu cultural
imprints in South East Asia.
5.
YOGA: Bharat’s
Invaluable Gift to the World: This Book describes the popularity of Yoga across the globe and how
many Heads of States, VIPs, Hollywood Celebrities, Sports and Music Icons in different countries have taken to Yoga.
6.
YOGA: Bharat ki Vishwa Ko Anmol Bhet: This is the
Hindi version of the book on Yoga in English.
7.
HAIFA – Indian Heroism
in Israel: The book describes
the inspiring story of how Jodhpur and Mysore cavaliers
fought (a war when the British retreated fearing heavy loss), and liberated
Haifa, a sea port in Israel, in 1918 during World War –I, thus paving the way
for the modern state of Israel. This
book is also available in Hindi.
Books in writing (to be published later)
1. India’s
Resurgence in 21st Century: Book describes how
India and Overseas Indians are entering the centre stage of world business,
politics and culture.
2. Great Indian Muslims – Role Models for Indian Youth: The book describes the
illustrious lives of great Muslim saints, scholars, social workers, musicians,
freedom fighters, patriots and administrators who served our Motherland and
humanity.
3. Vedic Mathematics & India’s Contribution in
Mathematics & Science: The book describes contribution of Indians in Mathematics from Vedic Rishi
Bodhayan to Ramanujam & Dr Manjul Bhargav.
4. India Israel Together for Two Thousand Years: The book describes the interactions between the two races
from 500 BCE to this day. The book explains similarities
between Judaism and Hinduism, Hindus helping Jew refugees and contribution of
Jews to India.
About the Author
Ravi
Kumar did engineering from
Chennai in 1970. During his college days he was All India General Secretary of
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (1969-70). ABVP is considered as the largest
student organisation in the world. He served as Project Engineer for five years
and left his job with M/S Larsen & Toubro in 1975 to serve the society as
an RSS Pracharak. He worked among the youth of Gujarat and tribal areas of
Maharashtra.
He was transferred to Hong Kong in 1982. Since then
he has been travelling to over 40 countries organising the Hindu society and
inspiring them to serve. He has conducted more than 300 Yoga camps in 40
countries. He has also conducted over 500 workshops on Vedic Mathematics
in many universities, socio-cultural institutions in 40 countries and also at
the Royal Society of New Zealand. He has conducted three large scale
Lord Buddha Exhibitions in Thailand. Over 50,000 students appear for Indian
Science Talent Tests every year in different countries. Indian Traditional
Games Festival and Blood Donation Drives are held in some countries every year.
He is the Intl Joint Coordinator of Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh, Advisor of Vishwa
Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai and Chennai Center for Global Studies. He is a powerful
speaker in English, Hindi and Tamil on Yoga, Gita, Vedas, India’s economy,
Science, Technology, Development, history, Tradition, Culture, Literature and has
addressed many International seminars and conferences. He has authored many
books on different topics and these have been translated in different Indian
languages. His book “YOGA, Bharat’s Invaluable Gift to the World” was released
on 21 June 2015, the First Intl Day of Yoga at New York by Smt Sushma Swaraj,
the Foreign Minister of India. Later the book was released for Hong Kong
readers by Shri Lal Krishna Advani ji and in Dubai by legendary singer Yesudas.
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