Re: India’s 1962 debacle!!!
Well from my understanding on this conflict I will give a brief description of the Millitary aspects involved which even years later are still a superb example of strategy and the art of fighting. India and China went to war over the disputed region which the Chinese call South Tibet and the Indians refer to as Arunachal Pradesh.
Briefly India believed the region was part of it’s soveriegn state and that Aksai Chin was also a portion of India. Wheras the Chinese believe it to be part of Jingxiang and the Kashmir. I will not get into the politics of the region nor will I start anything that trolls might construe as a que to jump into another Indo Pak battering game… I find this lunacy most tiresome. 
Now As for the fighting. Arlietter Bhai in terms of defensive strategy there are many lessons to learn and Indian Millitary should pick up on this.
The war began almost out of the blue, China at first never wanted any part in the region or so we get the impression from official statements… maybe the crafty fellows in Beijing were merely hiding thier intentions but it’s clear they never openly made any claims to the territory in the 1950’s. India also began very cordially and intended to have a peacefull and prosperous link with it’s old friend.
However the Indian leader Nehru made his first fatal mistake a total millatry blunder in that when the Chinese invaded Northern Tibet and overan Lhasa he chose to support the 14th Dalai Lama. Maybe Nehru did the right thing I wont judge him for his decision but tactically speaking he should have realised that harbouring an enemies enemy makes you his enemy. He did not keep quite his intentions to hide the Tibetan spiritual leader and niether did he make any significant preparations for a possible Chinese move against him believing perhaps the Chinese would not dare invade India or perhaps that more likely the Chinese had always been very carefull as had the Indians to keep good relations and that in the end nothing would come of it.
The Chinese on the other hand under Zhou Enlai who would later be a very important figure in the Indo Pak war of 1965 was more than willing to take the front to India over what he may have presumed to be a deliberate attempt by India to harbour a potentially dangerous Rebel Leader.
To cut a long story short there were many warning sign that China was up to something… the sudden surge of activity in Chinese held Tibet, the vast construction of roads and checkpoints along the Indian border and the build up of Chinese defences wich in the outbreak of war would act as bridgeheads from which Chinese columns could spearhead an attack deep into Indian territory without any worry of a reverse effect.
The Indians however for some unknown reason did not push any changes on thier side of the border, they simply ignored the Chinese roads which would have been a sure sign of intent. More disastrously while the Chinese were readying thier forces the Indians did not even muster enough men to defend the long front which could be breached at any time along many points. The highest ground was lightly defended but vast trackts of Arunachal Pradesh were practically defenceless and reinforcements were miles away from where they would be needed.
Much of the blame for the Indian complacency lies with one man who Nehru personally apointed for the defence of India, General B.M Kaul. Who not only made very little preparations for the possible coming fight but also was responsible for creating serious hostilities. In what we all know as agressive defence policy where you hit the enemy before they hit you… “attack being the better defence and all that” B.M Kaul triggered several skirmishes by sedning his few troops into disputed territory not only was this suicidal in terms of tempting the Chinese to fight but it also betrayed his numbers and when the Chinese commanders including several Pakistan sympathisers and veterans of the civil war such as General Liu Bocheng realized this they did not hessitate to make thier decisions to invade in fact pressing the Chinese high command and political leaders to declare war and get a move on…
General Kaul of India had practically scuppered any chance of avoiding conflict and the results would be devastating.
Speaking from a fighting perspective the Indian forces lacked support and were actually outnumbered quite considerably. The mainstay of the Indian soldier was still the classic British firearm the 303. Enfield, though the Bren and Sten Machine gun and Sub Machine respectively were both handy weapons for the Indians. The Soviet Uninion supplied both nations with the AK 47 assault rifle which was the universall gun and still is probably the greatest assault rifle ever made 
Unfortunately for India it had to import all it’s Ak47 rifles and native copies were not licensed and often inferior to the originals. The Chinese however not only imported large numbers of this crucial weapon they also had thier own built type 56 which on looks is a copy of the Ak47 but actually it’s a better version in my opinion as the Type 56 was ussualy fitted with a modified milled reciever instead of the original cheap stamped ones that were used on the Ak47. The Chinese and Indian forces made extensive use of armour and limited use of air support but most of the fighting was a brutal infantry onslaught.
The Indian forces actually conducted a supperb defence and much of the credit goes to General Pran Nath Thapar who’s bold tactics of a fighting retreat saved many Indian lives, he was not able to change the incompetent decisions of General Kaul but he did make a brilliant fighting retreat which is the hardest millitary manouver to master and Indian forces could still learn a lot from him.
The Chinese would have done Sun Tzu proud becuase they used all the typical tactics that the philoshoper had laid down over a millenia ago. However we must also remember that they had the advantage of better leadership, equipment and planning.
Politically Nehru was ruined and he never seemed to fully recover from the set back since many Indians to this day blame him for the bunders. To be fair however and speaking from a historical and millitary perspective I lay much of the blame on General Kaul who was the real reason India lost the war and he died a lonely and bitter man in 1972, despite being the first ever recipient of the Param Vishist Sheva Medal. As a fellow soldier I am tempted to overlook his failings becuase it must have been most stressfull for a man who rose so quickly and maybe the pressure must have got to him but despite that, the fact remains India lost due to his incompetance if he had only prepared better defences the outcome might have been more bloody but at least India would not have lost as badly as it did.
Arlietter bhai this is a most interesting episode of recent Indian history and it’s failings can be compared to those of Pakistan in 1971.
Both nations have made many errors and I pray that Allah helps both nations find a lasting peace and not just Paksitan, India and the imediate neighbours but the whole world should be at peace one day… for tis the soldiers dream. Ameen. 
