Call to revive Asal Uttar as military heritage destination

In a bid to preserve and promote Asal Uttar as a key military heritage site, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has called on the Punjab government to develop the historical spot into a major tourist and educational destination.

In a letter sent last year to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Maj Gen Balwinder Singh (retd), VSM, the convener of INTACH Punjab, had urged the state to recognise and promote the region’s rich military legacy.

The INTACH team recently organised a tour of the historic village of Asal Uttar, just 12 km from the India-Pakistan border in the Khemkaran sector of Tarn Taran district. During their visit, the team members engaged with local villagers and welcomed visitors from Amritsar who were on a tour of the site. Despite its historical significance, the site has not yet been fully developed to attract tourists, historians or young people, Maj Gen Singh pointed out. “We are failing to utilise the full potential of our military heritage,” he remarked, emphasising that Punjab, as a border state, is home to numerous pivotal battlefields and monuments that hold immense value.

The focus now shifts to turning Asal Uttar into a key military heritage destination. Known as the “Graveyard of Patton Tanks”, Asal Uttar became famous for one of the largest tank battles after World War II and remains one of the most intense confrontations of the 1965 India-Pakistan War. It was here that the Indian Army, under the leadership of Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, outsmarted and destroyed 99 of Pakistan’s superior Patton tanks. The battle has been celebrated as a “David vs Goliath” moment in Indian military history.

Despite its historical importance, Asal Uttar’s current infrastructure consists of a modest memorial with a tank and a small building housing a gallery and archives. “The entire Asal Uttar area can become a hub for integrated activities. We could organise heritage walks to key battle locations, including the memorial of CQMH Abdul Hamid of the 4th Battalion, The Grenadiers, who destroyed four Pakistani tanks single-handedly before attaining martyrdom. The site could also showcase stories from veterans and locals, enriching the experience further,” he said.

Maj Gen Raj Mehta, a former officer and military historian, who contributed to establishing the Punjab State Heroes War Memorial and Museum in Amritsar, highlighted the need to integrate battlefield archaeology tours at Asal Uttar. He pointed to successful military heritage sites in Europe and Israel as models, noting that Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial has transformed an entire mountain range into a poignant cultural experience. “Why can’t we do the same with Asal Uttar and other sites across Punjab?” Maj Gen Mehta said.

Amritsar