1962: The War That Wasn't

by Shiv Kunal Verma

‘The Chinese were now closing in on the bunker from all sides. Bhup Singh manned the doorway and single-handedly kept the Chinese at bay. By this time all firing outside had ceased. This was the last bunker holding out. The enemy kept firing the machine gun into one side of the bunker while still engaging the doorway. Finally, on the third side of the bunker, they crawled up and blew the side in with a pole charge (exploding explosives fastened to the end of a pole)’. Rikh was in a semi-conscious state, fast losing blood. Bhup Singh was still fighting, manning the doorway. Finally his ammunition ran out. The Chinese, seeing that all the firing from within the bunker had ceased, rushed into it and overpowered Bhup Singh, who was pointing to Rikh and screaming, ‘commanding officer… commanding officer’. The Chinese got the message, and did not bayonet the wounded Rikh. After a while, they took Rikh outside and put him on a stretcher.