SCAR OF SINO- INDIAN WAR!

Although the scars of the wounds of the humiliating blow from Sino-Indian full-fledged war fifty years ago are yet to healed up, our countrymen are still to know the exact causes of such war in Asian continent! I, personally , still remember the horrible situation throughout the country when the troops of both India and China were fighting pitched battle. At that point of time, I was a student of honours graduation degree and was living in a student lodge! The administration had issued strict directive to put off light during night hour and if lighted the windows of the rooms must be covered with black clothes so that light could not be sighted from outside. All these precautionary measures had been taken to avoid air attacks during nights. In the process, there were huge runs for donations to the government for strenghtening the defence needs by general people. My reminiscences goes that the then Maharaja of Darbhanga and his trust had alone donated nine mounds of gold to the government of India to recover and manage the battle at the front in the extreme parts of out  northern border.

Both China and India were close allies under the stewardship of Pndit Jawahar Lal Nehru from India and Chou-in-Lai and Mao-Tse-Tung of China in the Asia.. Apart from historical ties between both the countries, people of both China and India were enthusiastic to respect each other. There were popular slogans- like "  Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai". But some provocations from the both the sides resulted into beginning of full-bloom war between China and India from October 20, 1962. The war continued  for over one month, inflicting heavy damage to Indian troops and grabbing of huge Indian territory. At last China unilaterally declared ceasefire and Peking in a statement said ,"Beginning from November 21, 1962 (midnight) Chinese Frontier Guards will withdraw to position 20 km (12.5 miles) behind the line of actual control which existed between China and India on November 7, 1959." Battle cry of Chinese troops was so swift  and  sudden that Indian government were found in helplessness situation.Fear stalks countrymen!

As authentic stories go, it became imperative for China to launch attack on India. Thousands had been killed by Red Army in China. There were sharp differences of opinions between Mao and Chou. Poverty   had gripped China beyond imaginations. And last but not the least, to express their anger towards India for giving shelter to Dalsai Lama, who raised  the bogey of Tibet for its independence although Tibet had become part and parcels of China in accordance with the UN Resolution! All these factors compelled China , perhaps, to attack India. Situation became so frightened during war that nobody knew when the Chinese forces will stop as they were facing very little resistance from unprepared Indian Army. At that time N J Nanporia, who was editor of the Statesman had told Pundit Nehriu" Chinese would offer a ceasefire unilaterally, citing reasons " Chinese has attacked to punish India not to occupy it". Much drama and hype were created just on the eve of China declaring unilateral ceasefire. None of the senior government functionaries including Pundit Nehru were aware of cease fire declaration by China!

Subsequently, the then Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon resigned owing moral responsibility. Later. Menon had said openly about the sketchy story of such sudden attack by China, " My story must die with me because I would have to lay the blame on Nehru, and I do not want to do so because my loyalty to him."  Many senior army officials head rolled .Sadly Pundit Nehru had to face hostile anger for debacle during China and he continued to smart under the criticism by his key cabinet ministers on China policy and opposition leaders  till his death. Alas , visionary Pundit  Nehru could not live long and died under the shadow of back-stabbing by Chinese leaders, whom Jawahar considered true friends of India!

Notwithstanding both India and China are leaping forward economically and harping on cooperation to each other, there are many constraints between friendly ties of both the countries. Apart from legal trade between China and India getting boost, unauthorised and illegal entry of goods, specially electronics, have flooded Indian markets through Nepal, jeopardising the developing economy of India. Main hurdles have centred on the status of Tibet and sheltering of  over one lakh  Tibetians in India as refugees  under the leadership of Dalai Lama! Dalai Lama slipped to India along with huge number of Tibetans with huge movable property!They have their full-fledged Tibet government in exile in Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh of India! A long shadow has casts over Tibet and Tibetan staying here. Such situation is proving a million dollar question over the India and China relation! They live here as sheltered people-this generosity, as India clarifies very often, was out of respect for Dalai Lama and his spiritual eminence.

According to a recent Report in the Time Magazine; many in China ,however, deem this as meddling in the internal affairs.As early as in May 1959, Mao Zedong, a top Chinese leader, in his"The Revolution in Tibet and Nehru's Policy" had accused Nehru of encouraging Tibetan rebels. And as recent as last year, Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei had said China opposes "any country that provided a platform to the Dalai Lama" whom they consider a separatist. Last year, China also cancelled border talks with India in protest over a speech by Dalai Lama in new Delhi. That may be a rote, predictable picture at this point but it speaks of an intractable problem dogging ties between the two Asian  giants. "The issue of Tibet is a core issue between India and China" Lobsang Sangay, the prime minister of Tibet government in-exile told Time. "we want India to have productive relations with all its neighbours including China."

Now the question  of significance for both the countries marking October 20, 2012, 50th anniversary on China-India border war of 1962. Sadly month-long war between India and China , which the Chinese had given crushing blow to India, because of defence unpreparedness by India. Chinese 's fight witnessed its soldiers attacking across disputed McMahon line, a boundary through Himalayan terrain, earmarked in 1914 by the British Colonial authorities and Tibetan officials. The Beijing refuses to recognise this earmarking of the border. The main motive of China appears that it desires to secure hold over Tibet played a significant role in its decision to raid into India. The Chinese had unilaterally declared ceasefire on November 21, 1962 and withdrew from much of the land it conquered save the strategic barren territory appended to Kashmir known as Akasai Chin.

Despite all these hicuups, the relation between China and India has achieved significant economic changes between these two countries. In 2005, China and India pacted to agree to a strategic and cooperative partnership between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and India's Prime minister Manmohan Singh. Again in last July both the countries led by Chinese vice-premier Li Keqiang and prime minister of India Manmohan Singh proclaimed that Indo-China relations would prove most significant and important mile-stone in bilateral relationship  in the 21st century. Dr Manmohan Singh said in 2009 , " India and China are not in competition-there is enough economic space between us both."

The Times report says ; but where does Tibet fit into picture? China's annoyance at India sheltering the Dalai Lama has surfaced regularly and India has often made concessions to the trade partner's sensitivities. In 2009, Beijing raised a stink when Dala Lama wanted to visit Tawang, a historic monastery town in Arunachal Pradesh-a state the Chinese still claim as " southern Tibet'. While New Delhi did not stop him, it restricted coverage of events by not allowing foreign journalists to accompany him to the country's remote north-east,. In 2011, the Chinese consulate in Kolkata sent a written protest when the governor of West Bengal met Dalai Lama while he was in city on a speaking tour, ruffling feathers in India. "They have no business doing that publicly", Sangay says referring to written protest. " That is interference in India's sovereignty and internal matters."

On the other hand Beijing  disagrees and said , " Dalai is terrorist with a separatist agenda. I do not think that China's protest against the Delhi's movements for Tibet independence in India is interference in India's internal matters, but just the  opposite that if India allows Dalai to engage separatists activities in India is interference in  China's internal affairs, the so called autonomy of Tibet (that) the Dalai Lama claims to be seeking is actually the independence of Tibet, which is definitely forbidden," Wang Dehua, Director of the Sanghai-based South Asia Research Centre at Tongji University said..

According to Uday Bhasskar former director of the Delhi-based Think Tank of the Institute of for Defence Studies and Analysis; India never used the Tibet card-in a fragile geo-political neighbourhood, New Delhi better knows than to use its small leverage in a contest it cannot win.

Despite recent visit of  from high profile Chinese dignitaries including President Hu Jinto and defence minister General Liang Guanglie, the issue of Tibet continues to be a point of discord. Chinese still fears that India will leverage the might of more that one lakh Tibetan exiles on its soil and fuel tension in Tibet. Uday Bhaskar said " Tibet issue is is one of the China's historical fears."

But there are certain  trends of animosity (in China) towards India. Mohan Guruswamy of the Observer Research foundation says, " " And we have to live with just the way they have to live with our growing friendship with other countries and the Tibet issue. But 1962 will never happen."

In totality,India's debacle in the Indo -China  war of 1962 still continues to be mystery! Cause and reasons of Indo-China war of 1962, enquired by the two army officers- Lt. Gen Henderson Brooks and Lt.neral Pre Bhagat, is still gathering dust with union government eevenafter 50 years of war. The government kept  the report under  wraps. The government got way under cover of "public interest". Strangely no where in the world has the army been able to deprive the public on facts on such an important in India's history for such a long period under the cover of secrecy. When the Central Information commission did not allow to make the report public, the eminent journalist Mr Kuldip Nayyar, has filed an appeal before the the Delhi High court  for directing the government to make the report public in their interest even after long gap of time. But the case is hanging fire in the court!

Worse and humiliating defeat of India in the hand of China  in 1962 will continue to haunt the Indians and coming generations in years to come!