Indian Navy's 1965 War Role: Why it Remained Largely Inactive

• The Indian Navy played a limited role in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, primarily due to political caution from New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's government aimed to prevent the war from expanding into new theaters, especially the naval front.
• Practical constraints included INS Vikrant undergoing maintenance and other ships being in refit, limiting the navy's full strength.
• Pakistan's Operation Dwarka shelled the Gujarat coast, highlighting India's naval restraint and sparking internal debate.
• The 1965 experience led to significant naval strengthening, evident in its assertive role during the 1971 war.