1962: The War That Wasn't

by Shiv Kunal Verma

Picking up the message sheet, Palit began walking towards the Ops Room. Coming out of the door was Kaul. Palit stopped the corps commander and showed him the signal, asking who had authorized it. Kaul read the message, hesitated briefly, then said, ‘Ask the army commander,’ before walking away. In the Ops Room General Thapar was sitting and staring vacantly at the map on the wall while Sen and Sibal were talking, seated next to him. Assuming from Kaul’s remark that Bogey Sen had authorized the signal, Palit thrust the message at Thapar. ‘Do you realize, sir, that the army commander has given 4th Division permission to withdraw from Se-la?’ Thapar looked startled and uncomprehending. The contents of the message sheet were obviously news to him. Palit then raised his voice with the intention of getting across to Sen as well, asking the chief ‘how it was that when the Corps Commander was present in his HQ, the Army Commander was issuing operational orders—whereas in the former’s absence he had refused to shoulder any responsibility.’ Sen looked equally startled as he turned towards Palit and Thapar. He asked Palit what was he was talking about. When the contents of the message sheet were made known to him, he said firmly that he had issued no such orders. Speaking to both the chief and the army commander, the DMO said: ‘We could never face the nation if 12,000 troops, supported by artillery and mortars and stocked for battle, ran away without even facing the enemy. In my opin...