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Khem Karan | |
|---|---|
  Khem Karan Location in Punjab, India | |
| Coordinates:31°08′42″N74°32′42″E / 31.145°N 74.545°E /31.145; 74.545 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Punjab |
| District | Tarn Taran |
| Region of Punjab | Majha |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 13,446 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Punjabi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Khem Karan is atown and anagar panchayat inTarn Taran district ofPattitehsil of theMajha region of the Indianstate ofPunjab.
It was the site of atank battle in 1965.[1] TheBattle of Asal Uttar was the second largest tank battle of the1965 Indo-Pakistani War. The battle led to the creation of Patton Nagar (or Patton City/Graveyard) at the site of the battle viz, Khem Karan.
Khem Karan is an old town. It was visited byGuru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675). Previously inLahore District before thepartition of British India. It became a part ofAmritsar District afterwards.
Many of the town's residents migrated from nearby villages between 1947 and 1965, such as Nathuwala, Qadiwind, Rohiwal, and Sehjra. The town's Muslim residents migrated primarily to the city ofKasur, 8 km away in Pakistan.
The town used to be accessible to the city ofKasur,Pakistan 8 km away, and toFerozepur 35 km away until India and Pakistan enacted border controls in 1953 and further restricted travel in 1965. The residents of Khem Karan were essentially cut off from both towns - Kasur lies in Pakistan, while the road to Ferozepur cuts through Pakistan, creating a 70 kilometre detour.
On 8 September, the Pakistani 1st Armoured Division and 11 Infantry Division under the command of Maj Gen Nasir Khan pushed an offensive towardsKhem Karan, with the intent to captureAmritsar (a major city inPunjab, India) and the bridge onRiver Beas toJalandhar.[2] India then launched a counter-offensive. After India breached the Madhupur canal on 11 September, the Khem Karan counter-offensive was halted, affecting Pakistan's strategy substantially.[citation needed] The Pakistani forces engaged with a far advanced and much numbered Indian force comprising only the 2nd Independent Armoured Brigade commanded byBrig Thomas K. Theogaraj, who formed a defensive horseshoe formation to counter the Pakistani force.[3][4][5] But, Khem Karan was captured at last by Pakistan completely. Pakistan returned Khemkaran inTashkent Declaration.
As of 2011[update] Indiacensus,[6] Khem Karan had a population of 13,446. Males constituted 55% and females 45%. Khem Karan has an average literacy rate of 61.55%, lower than the state average of 75.84%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 54.85%. In Khem Karan, 12.14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The table below shows the population of different religious groups in Khem Karan town and theirgender ratio, as of 2011 census.
| Religion | Total | Female | Male | Gender ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikh | 9,103 | 4,276 | 4,827 | 885 |
| Hindu | 3,397 | 1,355 | 2,042 | 663 |
| Christian | 795 | 375 | 420 | 892 |
| Muslim | 73 | 19 | 54 | 351 |
| Buddhist | 4 | 0 | 4 | -- |
| Jain | 2 | 0 | 2 | -- |
| Other religions | 1 | 0 | 1 | -- |
| Not stated | 71 | 31 | 40 | 775 |
| Total | 13,446 | 6,056 | 7,390 | 819 |
It is located 56 km fromTarn Taran Sahib. It is in Tarn Taran district.
The city is part of theKhemkaran South Assembly Constituency.
In this village is the mausoleum (mazaar) ofSufi saint known as Pir Baba Sheikh Brahm. Twice in a year a fair (mela) is held there.
Khemkaran is mostly an agricultural village.
