The Wars that India had fought with it's neighbors since Independence

We as Indians had fought more than 100 wars before Independence, back from the 14th Century BCE, the difference is from timelines we have either fought for some ruler, dictator or for someone else. Is it after independence only our brave soldiers have been fighting a war for our motherland - "INDIA"

Our Army did prove on every occasion that they are capable of giving tough answers to those who messed with our motherland, including nations & terrorist organizations.

Here is a list of wars that India has fought with its Neighbor since Independence:

India has fought over 5 battles with her neighboring countries ( 4 with Pakistan and 1 with China) since her independence. Hereby referring to wars, I mean a direct conventional war. If we talk about proxy wars, then each day India faces a ceasefire violation from the Pakistani side over the Kashmir issue and sometimes from the Chinese side over the Arunachal issue. I will try to elaborate on the details of the war along with its consequences.

                               Indo-Pakistan Conflict - 1947-48

The first war between India and Pakistan began in October 1947 and ended in December 1948. The origins of the first war between India and Pakistan can be traced to the final status of Kashmir following the establishment of an independent India and Pakistan on August 15, 1947. British policy held that the various princely states would have to accede to either Pakistan or India based on geographic location and on demographics. While the final status of many of the states was easily concluded, Kashmir and two other states presented special problems.

Kashmir was strategically located between India and Pakistan and though it was led by a Hindu Maharaja, Muslims made up the majority of the population. Sikhs and Hindus made up the other major ethnicities though they were a minority compared to the Muslim population. Though required to choose between India and Pakistan the Maharaja was unable to decide which state to join.

Tensions between Pakistan and the government of Kashmir grew as the Maharaja's indecision frustrated Pakistan and pro-Pakistani factions within Kashmir. Hostilities began in early October 1947 when a tribal rebellion broke out in Poonch in southwest Kashmir. By October 20th the Pakistani Army entered the conflict in support of the tribal forces in a multi-pronged effort designed to capture Uri, Jhangar, Rajuara, and Naushera in the opening days of the campaign. Pakistan's timetable was to capture the capital of Kashmir, Srinagar, within a week.

He wanted help from the Indian side for military assistance and the help was offered, but it was subjected to his signing of an instrument of accession to India. Facing the assault and a Muslim revolution in the western borders of the state, the ruler of the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu, who was a Hindu, signed an Instrument of Accession to the Indian Republic. The Indian side did not take much time in deploying the armed forces to Srinagar and then to the different parts of Kashmir (thanks to the first Prime Minister and Sardar Patel). Muhammad Ali Jinnah finally accepted that the tribal militia was none other than the regular Pakistani troops after facing international pressure and thus, both Indian and Pakistani forces were face to face. At 23:59 on the night of January 1, 1949, a formal ceasefire was declared which is still in force today.

Now coming to the casualties and deaths due to the war, Pakistan had suffered huge losses as about 6000 Pakistani army men were reported dead and around 14,000 were wounded severely. Indian forces also suffered losses as around 1500 brave men were martyred and close to 3,500 were wounded.

General Cariappa was the man behind the Indian success. He planned all the things and ensured that the Indian side will remain victorious in this battle. The Indian Government announced the recipients of Param Vir Chakra for all those who fought bravely for the protection of Kashmir and India.

                                       Sino-Indian war-1962

     

                                  

The Indo-China war, which began on 20 October 1962, saw a month-long standoff between approximately 10,000-20,000 Indian troops and 80,000 Chinese troops. The war ended on 21 November, 54 years ago, after China declared a ceasefire.

The Timeline of the WAR is as follows:

• On October 20, 1962, China's People's Liberation Army invaded India in Ladakh, and across the McMahon Line in the then North-East Frontier Agency

• Till the start of the war, the Indian side was confident that war would not be started and made little preparations. Thinking this, India deployed only two divisions of troops in the region of the conflict, while the Chinese troops had three regiments positioned

• The Chinese also cut Indian telephone lines, preventing the defenders from making contact with their headquarters

• On the first day, the Chinese infantry also launched an attack from the rear. The continued losses forced the Indian troops to escape to Bhutan

• On October 22, the Chinese lighted a bush which caused a lot of confusion among the Indians. Some 400 Chinese troops attacked the Indian position. The initial Chinese assault was stopped by accurate Indian mortar fire

• When the Indian army discovered that a Chinese force gathered in a pass, it opened fire with mortars and machine guns and killed about 200 Chinese soldiers

• On October 26, a patrol from the 4th Sikhs was encircled, and after they were unable to break the encirclement, an Indian unit sneaked in and attacked the Chinese army and freed the Sikhs

• According to China's official military history, the war achieved China's policy objectives of securing borders in its western sector.

The casualties from the Indian sides were heavy as around 1,383 were martyred, 1,047 were wounded, 1,696 were missing and 3,968 were captured by the Chinese Side. While the casualties from the Chinese side remained clearly low as only 722 were killed 1,697 were wounded. Different reports, though suggest different claims over the numbers.

                                       Indo-Pak war-1965

The 1965 war between India and Pakistan was the second conflict between the two countries over the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The clash did not resolve this dispute, but it did engage the United States and the Soviet Union in ways that would have important implications for subsequent superpower involvement in the region.

When the British colony of India gained its independence in 1947, it was partitioned into two separate entities: the secular nation of India and the predominantly Muslim nation of Pakistan. Pakistan was composed of two noncontiguous regions, East Pakistan and West Pakistan, separated by Indian territory. The state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had a predominantly Muslim population but a Hindu leader, shared borders with both India and West Pakistan. The argument over which nation would incorporate the state led to the first India-Pakistan War in 1947–48 and ended with UN mediation. Jammu and Kashmir, also known as “Indian Kashmir” or just “Kashmir,” joined the Republic of India, but the Pakistani government continued to believe that the majority Muslim state rightfully belonged to Pakistan.

Conflict resumed again in early 1965 when Pakistani and Indian forces clashed over disputed territory along the border between the two nations. Hostilities intensified that August when the Pakistani Army attempted to take Kashmir by force. The attempt to seize the state was unsuccessful, and the second India-Pakistan War reached a stalemate. This time, the international politics of the Cold War affected the nature of the conflict.

After Pakistani troops invaded Kashmir, India moved quickly to internationalize the regional dispute. It asked the United Nations to reprise its role in the First India-Pakistan War and end the current conflict. The Security Council passed Resolution 211 on September 20 calling for an end to the fighting and negotiations on the settlement of the Kashmir problem, and the United States and the United Kingdom supported the UN decision by cutting off arms supplies to both belligerents. This ban affected both belligerents, but Pakistan felt the effects more keenly since it had a much weaker military in comparison to India. The UN resolution and the halting of arms sales had an immediate impact. India accepted the ceasefire on September 21 and Pakistan on September 22.

The ceasefire alone did not resolve the status of Kashmir, and both sides accepted the Soviet Union as a third-party mediator. Negotiations in Tashkent concluded in January 1966, with both sides giving up territorial claims, withdrawing their armies from the disputed territory. Nevertheless, although the Tashkent agreement achieved its short-term aims, conflict in South Asia would reignite a few years later.

The Casualties was severed from both the sides, India lost almost 40–50 aircraft while Pakistan lost around 18–23 Aircraft. Around 3000 and 3800 men died during the battle respectively and severely were injured and wounded. India lost around 540 sq km of land primarily in Rann of Kutch while Pakistan lost around 1800 sq km.

                                      Indo-Sino war of 1967

  

                                  

In 1967, India fought a battle against China to restore its self-respect and protect its land and won. The 1967 battles of Nathu La and Cho La pass changed the Indo-China political dynamics forever.

The Sino-Indian War of 1967, also known as the Nathu La and Cho La incidents, (1 – 10 October 1967) was a series of military clashes between India and China in the Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim, then an Indian protectorate.

Relations between India and China were already tense in 1967 but matters came to a head in August 1967. Irked by India’s decision to erect iron pickets along the border from Nathu La to Sebu La, the Chinese began to heckle Indian soldiers. What followed soon was a full-blown clash with the Chinese attempting to wrest control over the Nathu La pass from India. A daring decision by the commanding officer, Lt General Sagat Singh stopped their plans from succeeding.

In October 1967, another clash at Cho La ended similarly as the one in Nathu La. Gorkhas and Grenadier troops of the Indian Army demolished Chinese PLA forces in these battles. At least 88 Indian soldiers and over 340 Chinese troops lost their lives in the battles and over a thousand were injured.

The end of the conflicts saw a Chinese military withdrawal from Sikkim after being defeated by Indian forces after which it became an Indian state in 1975, which was not recognized by China. In 2003, China recognized Sikkim as an Indian state, on condition that India accepts the fact that Tibet was a part of China, even though India had already done so back in 1953.

                                  Indo-Pakistan war-1971

• December 16,1971 is a significant day for India and it neighbors Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 1971, India won the war against Pakistan that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).
• On this day 47 years ago, Pakistan lost half its country, its forces in the East, and had to publicly surrender to India. It was also the largest military surrender after World War II.
• The war started when Pakistan launched airstrikes on 11 Indian airbases. It was perhaps the first time in which India's all three forces fought in unison.
• India quickly responded to Pakistan Army's movements in the west and captured around 15,010 kilometers of Pakistan territory.
• The war ended after the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini.
• General A A K Niazi signed the Instrument of Surrender on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan also lost half of its territory with the birth of Bangladesh.
• The war lasted for just 13 days and is one of the shortest wars in history.
• The military confrontation between India and Pakistan occurred from 3 December 1971 to the fall of Dacca (Dhaka) on 16 December 1971.
• The Indian Army brought the Pakistani army to its knees, took 93,000 Pakistani prisoners, and gave 75 million people of Bangladesh their independence.
• Over 3,800 soldiers of India and Pakistan lost their lives in this war to end the genocide Pakistan had been conducting against the Bengali population of East Pakistan.

The conflict was a result of the Bangladesh Liberation war when Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was fighting to seek freedom from (West) Pakistan. In 1971, the Pakistani Army began to commit the barbaric genocide on innocent Bengali populations, particularly the minority Hindu population in East Pakistan.

As Pakistan’s atrocities increased, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to take action against Pakistan at the same time give refuge to civilians from the other side of the border.

She ordered Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw to launch an offensive against Pakistan following which India launched a full-scale war against its neighbor.

It is estimated that between 300,000 and 3,000,000 civilians were killed in Bangladesh. Rape, torture, killings and conflicts followed due to which eight to ten million people fled the country to seek refuge in India.

                                          Kargil War - 1999

      

The Kargil war was one of the fiercest conflicts between India and Pakistan.

The Indian Army named the mission ‘Operation Vijay’ while the Air Force called it ‘Operation Safed Sagar’.It is observed in the remembrance of recapturing the towering hills in Kargil district in Ladakh division subsequent the occupancy of Pakistani troops.

Timelines as follows:

• The war took place between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district
• Kargil was the part of Baltistan district of Ladakh before the partition of India 1947 and was separated by the LOC after the First Kashmir War (1947-1948)
• The conflict is believed to have been orchestrated by the then Pakistan army chief General Pervez Musharraf without the knowledge of the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
• The conflict began with the infiltration of both Pakistani troops and terrorists into Indian territory
• Pakistan's main objective was to cut the connections between Ladakh and Kashmir and to create tensions at the Indian border. The Pakistan Army had sent its soldiers in the name of intruders in the winters to take over the area
• The Kargil ‘war’, as it is called, was not a conventional war
• The territory intrusion by Pakistan did not result in a full-fledged war but was limited to a specific area with limited army involvement
• Pakistan’s major agenda was to bring the Kashmir issue on the international level and leverage their positions in Kashmir to get what they want. They failed on both fronts as the majority of the community condemned their actions and called for a retraction. China too did not support Pak but adopted a neutral stand
• Based on information from local shepherds, the Indian Army was able to ascertain the points of incursion and launch "Operation Vijay"
• Vijay Diwas: The Indian Army declared the mission successful on July 26, 1999, and since then every year it has been celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas
• Casualties: The victory for India came at a very high price. The official death toll for India was 527 and for Pakistan, it was between 357 and 453.

Conclusion: Don't mess with us, we will trash you like ever before ;)

#Hail Indian Army 

#Hail INDIA

Jai Hind !!!

Oil and the Middle East

                                           

                                                   "Oil" 

Probably one of the valuable and lifesaver things for human beings is OIL, It is one of the most important raw materials we have. Every day we use hundreds of things that are made from oil. Oil is even considered one of the most valuable assets of the 21st Century.

Oil also provides important jobs to the people. Tens of thousands of people work in the oil industry. Each week Britain & the USA produce nearly two million tonnes of oil. This is worth about a 37million pounds a day to the people of both countries.

Origination of Oil:

Much of the world is covered by the sea, the sea contains many tiny animals and plants called "Plankton" they get their energy to live from the sunlight when they die they sink at the bottom of the sea.

Those who died millions of years ago are the source of today's Oil.

How to get the Oil from Beneath:

Oil can get trapped in pockets underground in between the porous rocks(rocks with gaps between the grains), with the certain pressure they can move upwards from the source rock when they met the Cap Rock(a rock with no spaces in between) then the Oil gets trapped.

To meet the above requirement, a well is drilled so that the oil and the other liquids travel up the borehole. The liquids found beneath the sea are a complicated mixture of water, crude oil, and gas. The oil and other fluids need to be separated before they can transport safely.

The above process is very complicated and expensive, it costs millions of pounds to drill a well and only a few are very successful.

Transportation:

Oil is often found far away under the sea, they need to transport to the oil refinery through the pipeline or in a tanker. The crude oil is found in remote places such as deserts, jungles, or the Arctic. 

Transportation of crude oil to the oil refinery is sometimes very complicated.

Final Step:

In the oil refinery itself through chemical work, crude oil is turned into hundreds of useful products. Thousands of people are employed to make sure all these useful products get to the millions of people who want to buy them.

                                              Middle East

Before starting with the correlation between Oil and the Middle east. Let's First understand the Area and the Region that the middle east consists of in our globe.

Middle east is the transcontinental(between more than one continent) region that falls between the Asia and European continent. but also in the parts of  Northern Africa & Southeastern Europe. The Western border of the Middle East is defined by the Medittairaen sea, where Israel, Lebanon, and Syria rest opposite from Greece and Italy in Europe.

The Middle East consists of a total of 18 countries stretching from Israel to UAE. where 13 out of 18 are Arab Nations. The most populous countries in the region are Egypt, Iran & Turkey, where Saudi Arabia is the largest middle eastern country by area.

The RELATION:

The Middle East has half of the world's oil reserves & remains at the center of gravity in the global oil market. The Middle East represents 70% of world oil reserves. Saudi Arabia is by far the region's largest oil producer. & exporter accounting for approximately 42% of production from the middle east followed by the Iran-19%, UAE-11%, Iraq-6%, Kuwait-11%, Qatar-4%, Oman-5% & Syria-2%.

Currently, 60-65% of exports from the Middle East are destined for Asian Markets. The Middle East region supplied about 32% of the 3.4 Billion Barrels of crude oil to the United States alone.

Why So much oil in the Middle East:

1. The Favourable position of the region during Mid Global Warming coupled with sea-level rise & Plankton Abundance.
2. Marine source rocks containing oil-prone kerogen types
3. An Enormous thickness of sediments provided the necessary storage for the huge amounts of generated oil
4. The Presence of effective regional seals, both marine shales & evaporites at the bottom. 
5. Relatively slow motion of Arabian Plate beneath the ground.

                                          

                                   Fig: Qatif Plant, Saudi Arabia.

Thus the Middle East becomes the King of Oil & holds large proximity in the global world. The Middle East oil will help shape our destiny through this second half of the 21st century.

Facts about Oil & Middle East: 

1. Arab countries hold more proven oil reserves than any other region (713.6 billion barrels), comprising more than 43% of the world’s total proven reserves.
2. With an average output of 26.3 million barrels per day in 2011, the Arab world produces nearly a third of world oil supply.
3. Saudi Arabia holds more than 265 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, 16% of global total reserves. Four of the world’s ten largest producers of oil are Arab oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq.
4. Oil covers 52.9% of the Arab world’s energy needs, natural gas 45.4%, with the remainder provided by alternative energy sources.
5. Aggregate Arab oil consumption amounted to 6.98 million b/d in 2010, about 8% of world demand for oil, but with the world’s fastest regional average annual growth rate of 3.9% over the past decade.