The God Who Failed: An Assessment of Jawaharlal Nehru's Leadership

by Madhav Godbole

R.D. Pradhan, former private secretary to Defence Minister Y.B. Chavan, and later, Union home secretary and governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has written: Flying over Rongla, Zimithang towards Tsangdhar, I saw the terrain where in October-November 1962 our troops were sent to face the Chinese, spread over a wide front, on the southern face of the Thag La. They were equipped with light rifles, small quantity of ammunition. Many were in summer clothing and canvas shoes as they had been rushed from the western front in the Punjab to the Valley across Bomdi La and Se La and for want of transport and motorable roads had to carry on foot their equipment and provisions on their back. For me the visit was all the more poignant. After seeing the topography, I realised how in September-October 1962, an unprepared, ill-equipped Brigade had been mindlessly pushed to perish in the Valley of Death. (Pradhan 2013; pp.63–4) It needs to be noted that in 1949, India had reduced its army by 52,000 personnel and it was intended to make a further reduction of 1,00,000 in 1950.