How Jodhpur Lived Through 1965 And 1971 Wars In 'L' And 'U' Trenches

News18

09-05-2025

Last Updated:
Veterans recall past India-Pakistan wars where civilian courage became a key defence, turning fear into resilience amid intense attacks and bombing raids
India on Thursday night neutralised Pakistan 's attempt to hit military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur and some other locations with missiles and drones as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider military conflict.
In Jodhpur, veterans and senior citizens, who lived through the thunder of war decades ago in 1965 and 1971, recall the intensity of past attacks and how civilian fortitude turned into a crucial line of defence.
Dalip Singh, who belongs to Jodhpur's erstwhile royal family and witnessed the 1965 war, recalls the night the city trembled. 'More than 200 bombs were dropped by the Pakistani Air Force. The first strike hit the Central Jail near the railway station where over 30 lives were lost," Singh told Local18. He described another targeted assault at the Sardar Club, where two heavy bombs were dropped in which one of them landed on the golf course and exploded.
Decades later, Deepak Singh Gehlot, an entrepreneur and eyewitness to the 1971 war, saw fear sweeping through Jodhpur. 'The city transformed overnight. Trenches, five feet deep and shaped like Ls and Us, were dug everywhere. People had their dinners early and kept emergency bags ready. The moment the air raid siren howled, it was total blackout," he said.
He also recalled the eerie silence as the civil defence jeeps prowled the streets, issuing warnings under cover of darkness. 'We used to sit by the radio, waiting to hear Prime Minister Indira Gandhi address the nation. Then, late into the night, Jodhpur's skies were lit by bombs once again," he added.
In the 1971 war, Pakistan's air strikes on Punjab cities were followed by attacks on Jodhpur. But India retaliated with unmatched precision. Ten Para Commandos, supported by tanks, advanced nearly 80 kilometres into Sindh's Tharparkar district and captured Chhachhar – later returned as part of the Shimla Agreement.
But beyond the battlegrounds, a quieter, yet equally determined resistance took shape across rural Rajasthan.
In villages, the chaupals (the traditional community gathering places) turned into wartime classrooms. 'Schools were shut, and teachers taught children that showing light could betray the soldiers," said a former teacher from Barmer. Folk songs took on a patriotic fervour, with verses like ' Andheri Raat Ri Kahay Reech, Dushman Jave Dekhe Na Dekhe ' by Rahat Indori, teaching villagers to embrace darkness as an act of defiance.
Women, too, played a powerful role. By night, with no lights to betray them, they knitted sweaters, socks, and jackets for soldiers on the front lines. One tale often retold in Jodhpur is of an elderly mother who, as she sent her son to war, said: 'You've extinguished the light of my courtyard; now return after lighting the flame of our nation."
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