Military Literature Festival: Capture of Zoji La was crucial to saving Ladakh, says Lt Gen NS Brar

Chandigarh, December 3

The capture of Zoji La was the most crucial operation of the 1947-48 war and had the pass that lies on the Srinagar-Leh highway not been then captured by Indian forces, Kargil, Dras, Leh and Siachen would have been lost. Two previous attempts were unsuccessful and the pass was taken in the winters of 1948 with operations in adverse weather and trying conditions.

Stating this today at a session on ‘Opening the gateway to Ladakh — The victory at Zoji La in the autumn of 1948’ — at the Military Literature Festival, Lieutenant General NS Brar, former General Officer Commanding 10 Corps, highlighted the outstanding contribution of the IAF, which, at that time, had just one transport squadron with only three serviceable Dakotas in airlifting men and equipment to Kashmir.

He said the task of moving tanks from Jammu to Srinagar, the first time in the history that tanks were employed at that altitude, was a huge issue as the bridges enroute could not take their weight. The tanks were dismantled and then assembled again at the base of Zoji La, with the mule track leading to the pass being widened to accommodate these.

Historians and authors Col Ajay Singh and Sagat Shaunik gave out tactical details of the operations and focused on the officers and men whose leadership and performance in the battlefield was exemplary.

The pass, which marks the end of the conifer-clad mountains of the Kashmir Valley, had been captured just a day before the ceasefire came into effect, enabling India to hold territory that otherwise would have fallen into Pakistani hands.

Taken over a day before ’48 war ceasefire

The pass had been captured just a day before the 1948 war ceasefire came into effect, enabling India to hold territory that otherwise would have fallen into Pakistani hands