1962 India-China war veteran Brig AJS Behl dies

Brig Behl commanded 195 Medium Regiment and was deployed in Tsangdhar with ‘E’ Troop of 17 Para Field Regiment as the gun position officer.

Inducted from Agra on September 30, 1962, Brig (then Lieutenant) Behl arrived in Tezpur, Assam, along with his troops commander Captain (later Maj Gen) HS Talwar. On October 8, he arrived at Tsangdhar where the guns of his troop were deployed in support of then operational plans of 4 Mountain Division.

His position came under Chinese artillery fire followed by an infantry attack on the morning of October 20, 1962. The guns under his command utilised all their ammunition firing at the Chinese, including in a direct fire role. Following this, his troops fired using light machine guns and personal weapons. Brig Behl and his troops fought on till late afternoon and did not withdraw, unlike many others who were falling back to safer positions. Around 3.30 pm they were surrounded by the Chinese and had to surrender.

Brig Behl stayed in Chinese captivity in Tibet for one year along with 38 men under his command and his troop commander before being repatriated to India. He rejoined his battalion shortly thereafter.

An account of his role in the war is given in the book “1962: The War That Wasn’t”.

In an interview to historian Claude Arpi many years later Brig Behl said, “I was anti-Chinese, I am and will remain anti-Chinese because I know by experience that they can put a dagger in our back at any time”.