1962: The War That Wasn't

by Shiv Kunal Verma

Those present in Dirang Dzong during that fateful period say Cheema and Manohar Singh, the GSO-1, were the ones whispering in Pathania’s ear, spinning a web of negativity, constantly urging him to make a dash for the plains of Assam before the Chinese surrounded them completely. During World War II Cheema had been a POW of the Italians and was known to be terrified of falling into the hands of the Chinese. The two battalions under his command—4 Rajput and 19 MLI—were strung out defending the various tracks and approaches but the brigade commander rarely, if ever, visited any of the men under his own command, preferring to stick close to Pathania and literally became his shadow. Cheema’s professional competence was suspect, yet he was hand-picked by Thapar to command 65 Brigade at this critical time.