Battle of Rezang La

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

November 18, 2022, is the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Rezang La, one of the few bright spots in the War of 1962 with China. On that day, 13 Kumaon’s C Company made their heroic last stand against the Chinese army in the high Himalayas of Ladakh, warding off a very significant threat and, in the process, writing a glorious chapter in India’s military history.

About Rezang La:

• It is also called Rechin La.
• The brightest of the bright spots in the pervasive darkness of 1962 was the Battle of Rezang La in the high Himalayas in Ladakh. 
• The place is a massive 16,000-foot-high feature in the narrow gap between the even higher mountains surrounding the strategic village of Chushul and the Spanggur Lake that stretches across both Indian and Chinese territories. 
• Rezang La is, therefore, vital for the defence of the crucially important Chushul. 
• Any invader reaching there would have had a free run to Leh.

About the war memorial:

• It is dedicated to those who laid down their lives in the Battle of Rezang La during the 1962 war.
• It will now include the names of Army personnel who lost their lives in the violent clash at Galwan last year.
• 18th November marks the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Rezang La in which Troops from the 13 Kumaon Regiment defeated several waves of the Chinese Army at a height of over 16,000 feet.