India has fought many wars - with its own internal class , caste and religious divisions, with its enemies and tormentors and with our bordering countries. But the most cruel of all wars we fought was the 1962 India-Chinese war. This war doesnt get the patriotic surges like the ones with Pakistan although the Indian army was equally brave if not braver in this war. Because this was a war we waged with our own illusions - The illusion of Hindi-Chini - bhai bhai that brought our downfall. That empty talk without substance that Indians sometimes use as weaponry to get away with a preconceived notion that we were as strong a country as we were in 8th Century AD. This war was a rude jolt to India , where soldiers numb fingers due to lack of proper clothing could not fight a well equipped enemy despite their lionheartedness. Nehruvian loftiness and military realities didnt go hand in hand.
No movie captured this rude reality than the movie Haqeeqat. Haqeeqat made in 1964 is one of India's finest war movies , with brilliant performances by the ever dependable Balraj Sahni and not so Garam Dharam.
This scene from the movie Haqeeqat captures really well why India and China can never really trust each other. While Pakistan is a known devil, China is the unknown monster. Indians had a no fire until they fire policy in this war. Although we held the vantage points we were waiting for orders to protect our own territory. Watch this amazing stalemate play out with Balraj Sahni showing the frustration as a commander but still keeping his troops on guard.
For a movie made in 1964, the detailing of the war scene is good. You can see the enemy approaching in large numbers in a hilly dry terrain of Ladakh.
No movie captured this rude reality than the movie Haqeeqat. Haqeeqat made in 1964 is one of India's finest war movies , with brilliant performances by the ever dependable Balraj Sahni and not so Garam Dharam.
This scene from the movie Haqeeqat captures really well why India and China can never really trust each other. While Pakistan is a known devil, China is the unknown monster. Indians had a no fire until they fire policy in this war. Although we held the vantage points we were waiting for orders to protect our own territory. Watch this amazing stalemate play out with Balraj Sahni showing the frustration as a commander but still keeping his troops on guard.
For a movie made in 1964, the detailing of the war scene is good. You can see the enemy approaching in large numbers in a hilly dry terrain of Ladakh.
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