INDIAN ARMY WAS NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE, WHILE NEW DELHI KEPT ITS EYES CLOSED TO CHINA THREAT IN 1962, SAYS CAPT AMARINDER
· URGES CURRENT POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT TO ENSURE FULL DEFENCE PREPAREDNESS TO COUNTER FRESH THREAT FROM BEIJING
INDIA NEWS CENTRE,CHANDIARH: The Indian Army was not equipped to handle the 1962 Indo-China war, with New Delhi closing its eyes to the looming threat from Beijing, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Saturday, calling upon the present political establishment to ensure that the defence forces are fully prepared now, in view of the fresh signs of aggression from the country’s eastern border.
Blaming New Delhi for India’s humiliating defeat in 1962, Captain Amarinder said the entire atmosphere in New Delhi was then of negation, with nobody ready to believe that the Chinese invasion was imminent despite the signs being loud and clear.
Speaking at a panel discussion on `Sino-Indian Conflict 1962’ on the concluding day of the Military Literature Festival, Captain Amarinder said, in response to a question from senior journalist and moderator Vir Sanghvi, that the war ended the way everyone had expected it to end.
Pinning the blame for the defeat on the `forward policy’ of the Indian government and its complete intelligence failure, the Chief Minister said with platoons being shifted by the then Defence Minister, sitting in New Delhi, the Indians did not go into the battle with adequate preparation. Captain Amarinder agreed with a view expressed at the discussion that even one general could make a difference in a battle. With a pliant Army Chief, the political masters in Delhi put men of their choice in key positions, with even the Corps Commander handpicked by the government based not on competence but as a personal favour, he added.
It was a chaotic scenario, which ended as anyone would have expected it to end, said Captain Amarinder, pointing out that all the Brigade commanders were changed on the eve of battle. The Indian soldiers were ill-equipped to fight, with no arms and ammunition, and in fact without rations and warm clothes to fight, he said, recalling that the soldiers were, at one time, surviving on water and salt.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that nobody was allowed to fight as military units and formations should be allowed to, he said, pointing out that Brigades which were better prepared for the battle were asked to withdraw.
The Chief Minister, himself an ex-Army officer, said though trends had changed, and so had the style of Army’s functioning, the current situation at the border with China continued to be as volatile today as it was in 1962. It was up to the government at the Centre to ensure that our soldiers are properly equipped to counter the fresh threat, he added. The 1962 war was a wake-up call for India, which should learn its lessons from the mistakes committed then, he added.
The other participants at the session, namely Brig DK Khullar, Brig GS Gosal, Brig AJS Behl and Lt Gen SS Brar, shared several interested anecdotes and personal experiences to give the audience a detailed insight into the events that led up to the 1962 war, and that followed in its aftermath.