Military Digest | When Nehru accused General Cariappa of supporting Jan Sangh

Cariappa’s suggestions and comments

The matter originated from the strong stance Cariappa took regarding the resignation offered by then chief of Army staff General K S Thimayya and Nehru’s dismissive comments on the issue during a parliamentary session. Cariappa wrote to Nehru that he had humiliated the Army chief.

The former Army chief also made public statements about the developing confrontation between India and China along the border. In an interview, Cariappa warned that if immediate steps were not taken to dislodge the Chinese from Ladakh and the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), “it certainly will become a hundredfold more difficult and costly in all respects to do so later”, as “delay and hesitation on our part to act will encourage the Chinese to take more liberties, to keep on making more claims on our territory and to send forward more troops across the frontiers.”

Additionally, Cariappa suggested a defence cooperation pact with Pakistan. In an article written in November 1959, he reasoned that resolving the Kashmir issue would free up large numbers of troops from both sides (India and Pakistan) for deployment along external borders, which would “help India to honour her promises to protect the security of Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal.” In this context, leaders of the Jan Sangh expressed their support for him.

Addressing a press conference shortly after Cariappa’s statements, Nehru responded that “there is such extraordinary little sense in it that it amazes me. I think General Cariappa is completely off the track mentally and otherwise.” Cariappa protested these remarks in his letter to Nehru on November 7, which the prime minister replied to on November 19, 1959.

Nehru’s reply to Cariappa

In his response, Nehru referred to Cariappa’s comments regarding the treatment of Thimayya and the remarks made about him during the press conference. He asserted that there was no connection between the two issues and assured the former Army chief that he was not annoyed after reading the contents of his letter.

“I do not understand why you should consider what I said about Thimayya, taken as a whole, as unfair to him. You must remember that I was answering supplementary questions put to me after I had made the statement. I paid a handsome tribute to Thimayya. I certainly did say also that I did not congratulate him for offering his resignation,” wrote Nehru.

The prime minister further said that he believed that it was inappropriate for Thimayya to offer his resignation at a time when the country faced a difficult situation at its frontiers. “I told Thimayya so when I asked him to withdraw his resignation and he agreed to do so. He had mentioned some incidents to me which seemed rather trivial, even though they might have been irritating. It is to these incidents that I referred in the Lok Sabha and not to other causes that might have influenced him. It was indeed very far from my intention to ‘humiliate’, as you say, Thimayya. It would have been absurd for me to do so and yet ask him to continue in the high and responsible office that he holds. In fact, the whole trend of what I said in the Lok Sabha was different and was more of a compliment to him,” wrote Nehru.

With regard to his comments about Cariappa in the press conference, Nehru apologised unreservedly. “As for what I said in the press conference, I am sorry I used those words. I should not have done so. But in quick questions and answers, it is a little difficult to weigh one’s words always. I am particularly sorry that I caused you pain,” he said.

Nehru then proceeded to reprimand Cariappa for some of his recent public comments. “I think that many things you have said have been very irresponsible and, to some extent, even harmful. The statement you made about the frontier position was, no doubt, made with good intentions, but the overall trend of what you said seemed to me wrong and created misleading impressions, which helped to frighten the public — which is no good thing. You have referred to joint defence with Pakistan, and it is clear that there is a considerable difference in our opinions on this subject,” the prime minister wrote.

Towards the end of the letter, the prime minister addressed the political leanings of General Cariappa. “You are, of course, free to act as you like or to express your views. However, I must say that sometimes the expression of your views has not seemed to me admirable. Nor have some of your public activities, which appear to support communal organisations like the Jan Sangh,” concluded Nehru.