This brave soldier won India the 1965 war. Why is his legacy under attack?

A controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district after the name of 1965 India-Pakistan war hero Abdul Hamid was removed from the entrance of a primary school in his native village, Dhamupur. The move, part of a renovation drive in early February, triggered strong protests from his family and local residents. Bowing to public pressure, the administration announced on February 17 that the name would be reinstated.Hamid, a decorated war hero who played a crucial role in India’s 1965 victory, was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for destroying multiple Pakistani Patton tanks. The school, where he once studied, had long borne his name as a tribute to his sacrifice.As part of a state-led initiative to modernise government schools under the PM Shri Schools programme, the institution was repainted and rebranded as PM Shri Composite School. In the process, Hamid’s name disappeared from its entrance. His family, including his son, lodged a formal complaint on February 10, demanding its restoration. Protests escalated, prompting basic education officer Hemant Rao to visit the site and promise reinstatement without delay.However, instead of restoring the original name, the UP government has modified it, The Telegraph reported. The school is now called Shaheed Veer Abdul Hamid PM Shri Composite Vidyalaya, Dhamupur. While Hamid’s name is prominently displayed in large letters, ‘PM Shri Composite Vidyalaya’ appears in a smaller font on the school building.Hamid’s grandson, Jameel Alam, had initially alleged that the name had been changed from Amar Shaheed Abdul Hamid Vidyalaya to PM Shri Composite Vidyalaya. He reportedly remains dissatisfied with the partial reinstatement, insisting that the war hero’s name should also appear on a board and the school gate, as it previously did.Meanwhile, Rao claimed that “there are no records of the school ever being named after the war hero”. However, in response to the backlash, he added, “We have received several complaints about the change of name and are probing it. We can never undermine the sacrifice of Abdul Hamid.”The issue has taken a political turn, with Ghazipur’s Lok Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Afzal Ansari accusing the state administration of systematically erasing the region’s national heroes. He cited the removal of an entrance named after Brigadier Mohammad Usman, a Maha Vir Chakra awardee from the 1947 war, in January; and the demolition of the boundary wall of an intermediate college named after Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, a former Congress president, in December 2024.SP president and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also slammed the BJP-led state government. “It is reprehensible that those who sacrificed their lives for the country are being sidelined. Now, all that remains is for some to change the name of the country from ‘India’ to ‘BJP’,” Yadav said on X. “Those who neither fought for independence nor protected it cannot understand the importance of martyrs,” he added.The controversy has sparked a larger debate on how India remembers its war heroes and whether political and administrative actions are diminishing their legacy. Here’s a closer look at Abdul Hamid, his role in the 1965 war and the extraordinary bravery that made him a national hero. medium118447383Early life of the soldierAbdul Hamid was born on July 1, 1933, in Ghazipur into the household of Mohammad Usman and Sakina Begum. Growing up with two sisters and three brothers, he experienced a modest upbringing shaped by financial hardship.Hamid’s formal education ended when he was in Class 8 in Deva due to economic constraints. He joined his father’s tailoring shop to support the family. Despite limited opportunities, he remained determined and hardworking.At a young age, he married Rasoolan Bibi, and they had a daughter and four sons. In 1953, at 20, he enlisted in the Indian Army, seeking a life beyond his village. He trained at the Grenadiers Regimental Centre in Nasirabad and was posted to the 4 Grenadiers battalion in 1955. This regiment, with a history tracing back to the Bombay Army, had distinguished itself in both World Wars and post-independence conflicts.Throughout his service, Hamid was stationed in Agra, Amritsar, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, the Northeast Frontier Agency, and Ramgarh. Initially part of a rifle company, he later moved to the Recoilless (RCL) Gun Platoon, a role that would define his legacy.The Battle of Asal UttarThe year 1965 was a turning point in India-Pakistan relations. Pakistan, emboldened by India’s recent losses in the 1962 Sino-Indian War, sought to seize Jammu and Kashmir through a mix of covert operations and open aggression. Operation Gibraltar, a Pakistani incursion into Kashmir, failed to incite the intended insurgency, and as India retaliated, the conflict spiralled into a full-scale war.Pakistan’s 1st Armored Division, equipped with M47 and M48 Patton tanks, was its most formidable force — superior in firepower and mobility. Confident of a quick victory, they set their sights on Khem Karan, a vital entry point into Indian Punjab. Their objective: Punch through Khem Karan, push deeper into Indian territory, and seize Amritsar.But what awaited them at Asal Uttar was not surrender. It was an unshakable wall of resistance, led by Company Quartermaster Havildar (CQMH) Abdul Hamid — a man whose courage and strategic brilliance would turn the battlefield into a graveyard for Pakistan’s mighty tanks. medium118447870 medium118447347A hero falls, hero risesKhem Karan, located just 5km from the India-Pakistan border, was the gateway to India’s interior. It was flanked by the Ichhogil Canal and Rohil Nala, both acting as natural barriers. However, the most crucial battleground would be Asal Uttar, a cluster of villages that the Indian Army transformed into a fortress of resistance.On September 8, 1965, at exactly midnight, 4 Grenadiers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Farat Bhatty (later Major General), arrived in Asal Uttar from their previous position near the Ichhogil Canal. Time was scarce. The men dug shallow trenches — barely 3ft deep — but the sugarcane fields provided a natural cover.Yet, the real masterstroke wasn’t just in their fortifications — it was in their terrain manipulation. By deliberately flooding sections of the battlefield through canal irrigation, Indian troops created a tank trap, rendering the Pakistani Pattons slow and vulnerable in the marshy soil.With limited anti-tank resources, the plan was simple: lure Pakistan’s armoured columns into the trap and hit them with precision strikes at close range.At 7.30am on September 8, the distant rumble of Pakistani tanks echoed across the sugarcane fields. Moments later, at 9am, Pakistan’s 1st Armored Division, led by the 5th Armored Brigade, launched a blitzkrieg-style assault, spearheaded by Patton tanks advancing in formation. medium118447462 medium118447477 medium118447483Hidden amidst the tall sugarcane, Havildar Abdul Hamid, an expert gunner with a jeep-mounted RCL gun waited. As the lead Patton tank drew within 30 yards, he took aim and fired. Direct hit.The Pakistani tank exploded instantly, shattering the formation. Panic spread among the advancing tank crews, with some abandoning their vehicles and fleeing. The Indian troops seized the moment, unleashing a fierce counterattack that forced Pakistan’s elite armoured unit into retreat. But the battle was far from over.Having faced a humiliating setback, Pakistani commanders regrouped on September 9. That day was marked by extensive reconnaissance — a calculated effort to probe Indian defences before another major armoured offensive.The final full-scale assault came at 8.30am on September 10.Pakistan’s 4th Armored Brigade, determined to break Indian resistance, launched a massive tank-led assault, targeting the Bhikhiwind Road near Chima village — a key access route to deeper Indian territory. Heavy artillery fire preceded the attack, shaking the battlefield.By 9am, enemy Patton tanks had breached the Indian forward positions. The situation was dire. Hamid did not hesitate. With his jeep-mounted RCL gun, he manoeuvred between the incoming tanks, firing at point-blank range. One tank after another fell to his deadly precision. He never remained stationary, shifting positions after each strike to avoid detection.Then, the enemy spotted him. The Pakistani tank gunners locked onto his position. The air was rent with machine-gun bursts and shell fire, but Hamid stood firm. He took one final aim at another Pakistani tank — but before he could fire, an enemy shell struck his jeep. The explosion ripped through the vehicle. Hamid fell, but his sacrifice had already sealed Pakistan’s fate. His courage had inspired his battalion to fight harder, and within hours, the Pakistani assault was repelled. 97 enemy tanks lay destroyed — one of the largest single-day tank losses in history. medium118447414The legacyThe Battle of Asal Uttar was a disaster for Pakistan’s 1st Armored Division. The same Patton tanks they had proudly considered invincible now lay abandoned and burning across the fields. For his extraordinary bravery and unwavering resolve, Havildar Abdul Hamid was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra — India’s highest military honour.His official citation read: “His complete disregard for personal safety, his sustained act of bravery in the face of constant enemy fire, and his unshakable spirit were a shining example not only to his unit but to the entire Indian Army.”Today, the sugarcane fields of Asal Uttar still offer glimpses of the forgotten battle. Several abandoned Pakistani Patton tanks remain as war memorials, a silent tribute to the hero who changed history. Moreover, the Abdul Hamid Memorial at Khem Karan stands where he fell. A bust at the Grenadiers Regimental Centre in his name. His final resting place is in Ghazipur. The Param Yodha Sthal in Delhi, where his name stands among India’s bravest.Illustrations: Varun Vashishtha/AI