INDO CHINA WAR 1962 REVISITED

 

Sixty two years later of the 1962 Indo China war, if one were to go to the Himalayan frontier of Arunachal Pradesh (formerly NEFA), one would see now much have changed. The Tawang road could be approached now from two axis, one from Bhalukpong and other through Bhairabkund from Assam foothills. In 1962 there was only the Bhalukpomg road that could haul up the two three tonner Army Shaktiman trucks up to the frontier. Ahead of Tawang the Bumla Indo China Border could see more tourists from India, and every such posse of tourists were clicked photos by a Chinese border gaurd from his DSLR.

When the war began on Oct 20th at Namka Chu, New Delhi could see the full face of the Chinese betrayal. After Mao led his PLA to gain Independence of China in 1949, the Indo China border became the unfinished agenda of Maoist China. Indian PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru leading India after a bitter anti- colonial, non-violent agitation had to contend with a hawkish China. A clash of personality in the Asia was inevitable. China had a different perception of the McMahan Line and their claim line is till the foothills. This stand of China made the LAC highly unstable in early 1960s.

Chinese occupation of Tibet:

During the 1950-51 a series of military conflict between Tibet and PRC led to the gradual annexation of Tibet to PRC. His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of the  Gelugpa sect of Buddhism. He slipped across to India on 31st March 1959.This incident brought matters to a head in Indo China relations. India granted asylum to His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

The Bandung Conference:

In the middle of April 1955 the Bandung Conference was held in Indonesia, where Afro Asian bloc countries, recently attaining freedom after an anti-colonial struggle deliberated the course of the Non-aligned movement. Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime mover of the movement. Mao whose mindset was to become the hegemon of Asia, rankled as Pandit Nehru became cynosure of all eyes. As the PRC forces attacked unprovoked at Namka Chu on 20th Oct, three days later at Bumla La Siubedar Joginder Singh of Sikh Regiment fought singlehandedly to keep at bay a much superior force with his platoon. He was awarded PVC for his supreme sacrifice for his country. Chinese after the Bumla battle occupied Tawang. Avisitor to Tse La the formidable massif at 13,500 ft could now see the all-weather tunnels, which sixty two years back looked a forlorn and forbidding heights on the second week of November, as Chinese forces had cut the Bomdilla to Tse La road. The loss of Tse La paved for the fall of Bomdilla on 19 November, from where the Chinese could race to the plains of Assam. The Chinese extended line of communication and spirited Indian defence led to the unilateral Chinese withdrawal two days after the fall of Bomdilla.

Jaseantgarh War Memorial at Nuranang, Tse La in memory of rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat bears testimony of the brave Indian soldiers who proved equal to none. The impact of the 1962 war between India and China had some far reaching consequences for the North East of India. In 1960 China concluded two Border treaties with Nepal and Burma. And with Burma firmly in Chinese camp, Naga Army of the Federal Government of Nagaland had  fought safe refuge in Burma. The war with China hastened the formation of the Nagaland state on 1st December 1963.Indian security planners could not afford to have a unstable border at NEFA and a Naga insurgency at its rear. But the Naga Army nevertheless went to Chinese territory in 1966 under the NNC Secretary Th Muivah. There were many heroes in the 1962 war like Jaseant Singh Rawat MVC of the Garhwal Regiment, who stalled the Chinese onslaught as they came across the MacMohan line at Tsksing-Limeking, Gelling-Tuting- Kibithoo-Walong including the Bumla-Thagla-Tawang axis. Now Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India since 1987.The roads are much developed uptill Kibithoo in the farthest north east birder hamlets. Kibithoo in Lohit district was declared a vibrant village on April 2023. Tawang now resembles a top tourist destination in the country. Vivanta a five star hotel have started operations there. The border is quiet now with Indian Army cafes serving piping hot cappuccino to tourists at Bumla