'Valour, sacrifice of 1965 war etched in our memory’, says Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited 'Shauryanjali', a military exhibition to mark the golden jubilee of Indo-Pak War of 1965, and said that the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces during the war would remain etched in every Indian's memory.

"Spent time at Shauryanjali, a commemorative exhibition on Golden Jubilee of 1965 war. The valour & sacrifice of our armed forces during the 1965 war remains etched in the memory of every Indian. We are very proud of them," Modi tweeted.

Modi, who spent over two hours at the exhibition hosted on the sprawling India Gate lawns, took keen interest in the exhibits displayed including captured Pakistani Patton and Sherman tanks as well as the milestone reading "Lahore 13 km" that was brought back by the Indian Army, showcasing how deep the troops had entered into Pakistan.

The exhibition spread over 700 metres, recreates the battle scene in various sectors beginning from Rann of Kutch to the ceasefire and Tashkent Summit. The various types of battles are also on display at the exhibition.

(Photo: Twitter)

Accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and senior cabinet colleagues Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Oil Minister Dhamendra Pradhan, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati, Modi was given detailed briefing on various facets of the war by senior military officials.

Seated beside wife of Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, a soldier in the 4th Battalion, the Grenadiers of the Indian Army, who died in the Khem Karan sector during the 1965 War in the Battle of Asal Uttar, Modi began his tour by watching a short film on the war. Hamid was a posthumous recipient of India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra. The exhibition also displays the gun-mounted jeep that Hamid used to hunt down and destroy the Patton tanks of Pakistan.

Modi even got himself clicked holding the barrel of a Pakistani 'Patton' tank and also got inside vintage 'Pushpak' aircraft, used in the 1965 War for air observation. The Prime Minister also interacted with some of the veterans of the war who had come along with their families. The major battles recreated are Battle of Asal Uttar, Battle of Haji Pir, Battle of Burki, Battle for Dograi and Battle of Phillorah.

The exhibition will end on September 20 with carnival 'Indradhanush' being organised. It will see the Sukhoi 30 fighter jets, flying in "Missing Man" formation in action along with Mi-17 V5 helicopters. IAF skydiving team Akash Ganga will do a para-drop from the helicopters on India Gate lawns. Indian Army helicopters will also do a flypast.

It would be the first time that fighter jets would be flying over the Rajpath other than the Republic Day.