Tank gracing Dharamsala’s War Memorial has history every tourist, local should know

The tank standing in front of the War Memorial in Dharamsala has a history that every tourist coming to the city should be told about. Vijayanta, stationed at the War Memorial, was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army. At one time, it was called ‘Best Known Tank of the Third World’, says Brig (Retd) BS Mehta while talking to The Tribune, while getting nostalgic about his association with the tank.

Vijayanta tanks

• Brig (Retd) BS Mehta, who once commanded the Vijayanta tank Regiment, narrates the glory of the first indigenously produced tank of India. Vijayanta tanks were operated by the All India All Class unit of the Indian Army.
• The tank is an example of how indigenously produced military equipment was downrated and put out of use for weapons imported from other countries.

Brig Mehta, a resident of Dharamsala, had commanded a unit of Vijayanta tanks. He says that besides it being the first indigenously produced tank of the country, it was operated by the All India All Class unit of the Indian Army. He adds that the tank is an example of how indigenously produced military equipment was downrated and put out of use for weapons imported from other countries.

Brig Mehta says that the present Indian Government is pressing for indigenous weapons. However, at that time, the Vijayanta tanks made in India were not a welcome idea. The prototype of the Vijayanta tank was completed in 1963 and it was commissioner in service on December 29, 1965. The first 90 vehicles were built by Vickers in the UK. Their production continued at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi (near the then Madras) until 1983 and 2,200 tanks were built. The tank was decommissioned in 1985. It was subsequently used by defensive formation as pillboxes for bunker busting, he adds.

Brig Mehta says that the Vijayanta tank was inducted into the Army after the 1965 war when it went through a long range of upgrades to make it battle worthy. Among the last few regiments to be raised was 13 Armoured Regiment, which was equipped with Vijayanta tanks in 1984. The upgrades had improved the tank’s performance and reliability but the confidence level amongst the tank crews remained low.

The officers coined a new term: ‘Best known tank of the third world’. When Operation Brasstacks was initiated in early 1987 and the Army mobilised for a fresh crisis on the border, the Vijayanta tanks of 13 Armoured Regiment came out with flying colours, clocking over 600 km, which was comparable to the recently introduced T 72 tanks of the Russian origin. The production of Vijayanta tanks at Avadi had been discontinued closing with it the option of a fresh look at the first indigenous tank. “We have since developed Arjun and now Zorawar. Hopefully, some day we, too, will produce world-class tanks and not fall back on imports,” Brig Mehta wishes.

He says that the government’s policy of raising military units on “All India All Class” basis was suspended after the Operation Bluestar in 1984. 13 Armoured Regiment, which operated Vijayanta tanks, had the distinction of being the first in the annals of the Indian military that had Sikh, Rajput and South Indian Classes grouped together in one unit. The Regiment was equipped with indigenous Vijayanta tanks having a 105 mm gun.