when the recommendations based on Exercise Sheel and Thorat’s assessment reached Menon, he shelved them, taking them up only after much prodding. He asked Thimayya to explain the rationale for such a large force as only small numbers had hitherto been involved in the isolated border clashes. The COAS duly did so, only to have Menon declare that it was ‘too much’ and it needed to be ‘pruned down’. Thimayya resisted. And Menon’s stance changed from discussion to confrontation.
