Commemoration of 1965 war is befitting tribute to gallantry, sacrifice of soldiers, says Hamid Ansari

Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said that the golden jubilee commemoration of the 1965 war between India and Pakistan is a befitting tribute to the gallantry and sacrifice of our country's soldiers.

Addressing the Tri-Services Seminar to commemorate the golden jubilee commemoration of the India-Pakistan War of 1965, the Vice-President said, "This is a befitting tribute to the gallantry and sacrifice of our soldiers and the resoluteness of our then political leadership in successfully defending India against invasion by a neighbour."

"It is also an occasion to introspect and to draw lessons from the experience undergone. The genesis of events which led to war lay in Pakistan's obduracy and the fallacious belief in its establishment that it could use force to alter the geography and political realities of the sub-continent," he added.

He said that even though Indian forces were taken by surprise by Pakistan's menacing move, they fought back strongly.

The Vice-President concluded that the war was a costly military and political misadventure for Pakistan.

"I once again salute the memory of those who participated in the war and wish the participants of this seminar success in their deliberations," he said.