‘General Cariappa is completely off the track, mentally and otherwise’: Nehru and the first Army chief’s fraught relationship, in letters

Recently published documents in the Nehru Archive show that the friction, which began during Cariappa’s tenure as Army chief, persisted long after his retirement, at least till the Sino-India war in 1962. Dozens of correspondences between the two tell the story of their conflicting view on key issues.

Joint defence with Pakistan

One of the most explosive episodes came in 1959, amid rising tensions with China and lingering disputes with Pakistan.

In a November 1, 1959, interview to PTI, Cariappa advocated a “common defence” arrangement with Pakistan, arguing that it would not contradict India’s non-alignment policy and free troops for other borders, including to tackle potential threats from China.

Cariappa’s stance echoed proposals from Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan, who had mooted joint defence pacts earlier that year.

Four days later, at a press conference in Delhi, Nehru had a blistering response. “I think General Cariappa is completely off the track, mentally and otherwise. I am really surprised that in all that he has written there is such extraordinarily little sense in it that it amazes me.” Laughter erupted in the hall when a reporter quipped, “When did you discover it?”

The remark seemingly stung Nehru, who telegraphed Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon the same day, dismissing Cariappa’s ideas as “foolish”. He emphasised that defence policy was inseparable from foreign policy and rejected any joint arrangement with Pakistan, despite appreciating Ayub’s gestures on border issues.

In Parliament on November 4, 1959, Nehru regretted Cariappa’s statement, saying it was embarrassing as a former chief’s view. He rejected joint defence or expelling Chinese forces prematurely, insisting India defend its borders alone.

An annoyed Cariappa then shot off a letter to Nehru on November 7, to which the PM replied on November 19, apologising for his harsh words. “As for what I said at the press conference about you, I am sorry I used those words. I should not have done so… I am particularly sorry that I caused you pain.”

However, Nehru stood firm. “I think that many things that you have said have been very irresponsible and, to some extent, even harmful,” he said, terming the General’s comments on frontier position as “alarming” while accusing him of supporting “communal organisations like the Jana Sangh”.

Clash over ‘non-military’ topics

This was not the first Cariappa-Nehru clash. In 1952, while Cariappa was still the Army Chief, the RSS-affiliated weekly Organiser published a report on his August 17 speech at a Rotary Club in Madras (now Chennai). It quoted him praising “patriots like Veer Savarkar” while criticising Congress leaders for accepting Partition and claiming Independence through a “bloodless revolution”. The report suggested Cariappa lamented that Mahatma Gandhi failed to create “true national heroes” and instead produced “chhota Mahatmas” who sank low after gaining power.

Nehru was furious. On October 2, 1952, he wrote to Cariappa, saying: “The matter affects your honour and reputation and it is absolutely essential that you should pin the falsehood down in a court of law.” The Cabinet discussed it, rejecting a mere apology. Cariappa filed a suit on October 23.

Earlier that year, Nehru had gently cautioned Cariappa about straying into non-military topics. In an October 17 letter referencing a speech, Nehru wrote: “You have often touched upon various subjects, even economic subjects, in a manner which was sometimes not too happy… It is always a risky business to stray into fields which are not too well-known.” He praised Cariappa’s efforts to build Army-civilian relations but advised caution.

Cariappa’s actual 1952 speech, as reported in The Hindu, and as mentioned in the archive itself, was more measured. He stressed the Army’s role in defence, not development like China’s, and called for high morale, economic stability, and industrial self-sufficiency. He noted wars were made by politicians, not soldiers.

Karachi trip

There was also an issue with Cariappa’s trip to Karachi in December 1957. Nehru later wrote that General Cariappa had asked him if he could talk about the PM’s ideas about resolving the Kashmir issue. Nehru said he had told the General that he did not particularly like the idea as he was afraid that he would likely say the wrong things in spite of his earnest desire to be helpful. As Nehru expected, Cariappa discussed Kashmir with President Iskander Mirza and hinted that the only feasible way of settling this matter was to accept more or less the status quo. This issue also created confusion over the delicate issue and Nehru had to explain the matter to Parliament.

On Pakistan, a 1961 press query about using Cariappa as a mediator with Ayub Khan drew Nehru’s wry denial: “It would be an odd way of dealing with the situation.”

Differences during China war

Even during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the differences lingered. On November 19, Nehru wrote to Cariappa: “I am sorry you have a feeling that I have been belittling you in public… In some matters we have not agreed, but I have always respected you and felt some affection for you.”

Subsequent letters reaffirmed affection amid differences. On October 13, 1963, the PM wrote: “There is no question of my disliking you. I have affection and respect for you.”