Jaisalmer:
As tension remains heightened between India and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, people remember the sacrifice of Poonam Singh, an Indian soldier who managed to hold off 60 Pakistani rangers during the 1965 war, denying Pakistan access to the Bhuttewalla border checkpost.
Just a few kilometres away from the Indo-Pak border on the Indian side is Bhuttewala Chowk in Rajasthan, a silent post that witnessed a heroic stand by Poonam Singh during the 1965 war. When the post was attacked at night by over 60 Pakistani rangers led by Pakistani commander Afzal Khan, Poonam Singh Bhati, along with seven other soldiers fought back with determination despite being outnumbered but still undeterred.
However, during the battle, the Indian soldiers had faced a crunch of ammunition, according to legend, Singh even crossed over to enemy lines to retrieve cartridges from the Pakistani camp and returned to continue the fight.
By the end of the night, Singh gunned down the commander, Afzal Khan, along with 8 other Pakistani rangers, before laying down his own life in the line of duty.
The remaining enemy forces had fled and the Bhuttewala checkpost remained within Indian control. In memory of Poonam Singh, a memorial was erected at the checkpost, where it is still stands today, remembering his sacrifice. At the memorial, one can see a portrait of Singh, along with a short excerpt giving information about the history of the checkpost.
According to the excerpt written there, the checkpost was established to keep a check on smuggling operations and intrusion in Rajasthan. Bhuttewala-Sultana-Jaisalmer was the main smuggling route.
“Before Independence, Sindh province of Pakistan was an important trade market of western Rajasthan. At that time, state police force was responsible to keep a check on illegal smuggling and intrusion in Rajasthan. Bhuttewala-Sultana-Jaisalmer was the main smuggling route. Therefore a border checkpost was established at Bhuttewalla,” read the excerpt at the memorial
“Bhuttewalla has a small village of 15 to 20 houses, and some villagers were involved in smuggling activities. These people actively supported the Pakistan during 1965 Indo-Pak war. The Check post was damaged by Pak forces but constable Poonam Singh Bhati fought fallantly against Pak forces and attained martyrdom while opposing enemy offences. Hence, this border check post has been dedicated in the memory of martyr Poonam Singh Bhati.”
The 1965 Indo-Pak war lasted for more than a month, from August 5, 1965 to September 23, 1965. It is estimated that thousands of people were killed during that period.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
