Chandigarh, October 23, 2025:
Lt Gen T. S. Shergill, PVSM, announced that the 9th Military Literature Festival (MLF), Chandigarh, will be held at the Lake Club from November 7 to 9 under the aegis of the Military Literature Festival Association in partnership with the Punjab Government, the Chandigarh Administration, and the Indian Army’s Western Command.
The festival curtain-raiser is slated for Sunday, October 26, with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Chandigarh War Memorial by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, followed by the Bravehearts Mobike Ride dedicated to the heroes of the 1965 Indo-Pak War. The iconic ride—flagged off by Governor Kataria—will see about 665 bikers from 23 riding groups, including three all-women groups for the first time, traverse Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula before culminating at Raina Stadium in Chandimandir Military Station, where participants will be hosted by Western Command.
Shergill said the Bravehearts Ride, led and organized by veteran biking enthusiast Col Raminder Brar, has become a signature MLF event that brings together veterans from the three services and young riders from across Punjab and Haryana on Enfields, Triumphs, BMWs, and Harley-Davidsons to pay collective homage to the fallen. Riders will don MLF badges and blue-yellow jackets to showcase solidarity with the armed forces while promoting disciplined, safe riding.
This year’s inter-related themes—Heartland, Rimland and India, and Multi-Domain Warfare—will anchor multiple panel discussions. The military-history focus centers on the 1965 Indo-Pak War, whose 60th anniversary was commemorated earlier this year. Highlights include an interaction with a United Kingdom military delegation on the shared heritage of the Indian and British Armies and an exposition by Sikh scholar Amardeep Singh.
Governor Gulab Chand Kataria will inaugurate the festival on November 7, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will preside over the closing ceremony on November 9. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan will deliver the keynote address on November 9.
The popular Clarion Call theatre returns to screen war films showcasing the bravery of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Two value additions this year include features on the 1965 war and on non-contact warfare—long-distance air and missile strikes—set against scenarios such as Operation Sindoor and recent conflicts in Gaza and Iran. The theatre is named after 1965 Param Vir Chakra awardee Lt Col A. B. Tarapore of Poona Horse.
Veterans will deliver motivational talks in the Samvad section, while the Army mounts daily weapons and equipment displays alongside dog and horse shows at the venue. As part of expanded outreach, an MLF team has organized a seminar on the 1965 war at Panjab University, Chandigarh, with another scheduled at Punjabi University, Patiala, to engage youth and academia.
Expressing gratitude to partners and volunteers, Shergill said the festival’s growth over nine editions has been possible due to sustained support from the Punjab Government, the Chandigarh Administration, and Western Command, and the tireless commitment of volunteers who have helped embed the MLF in the region’s cultural calendar.
