When Parliament convened in 1962 amid China war, and PM Nehru faced Opposition questions

The 1962 conflict started after the Indian armed forces came under attack from China and continued from October 20 to November 21. On November 8, the first day of the advanced session, Nehru introduced two resolutions. The first was to approve a national Emergency and the second was to condemn China’s actions. “China has betrayed this goodwill and initiated a massive invasion of India by her armed forces. They (the Chinese) are just wholly an irresponsible country believing, I believe, in war as the only way of settling anything… having no love of peace,” he said.

Saying that the conflict had “brought to the forefront the greatness of India’s people”, the PM said, “The flame of liberty and sacrifice has been kindled anew…We stand, I do believe, at a turning point not only in the history of India but of Asia and possibly even of the world… this conflict has very wide-reaching consequences.”

Dismissing that the government and the armed forces had been caught unawares, the PM said, “Much of the talk about our unpreparedness is based on ignorance… It is true we were not prepared for two or three divisions of the Chinese descending on us suddenly.”

The Lok Sabha passed both resolutions unanimously. Five days later, when the issue again came up for discussion on the floor of the House, Nehru was more emotional. Admitting that India “might not have been quite prepared”, the PM said, “I am not sorry for that. I think it was a right urge (for peace).”

Responding to rumours that Indian soldiers were fighting unarmed and barefoot, the PM said such statements were “extraordinary”. “They had woollen uniforms, good boots, three blankets — later four — and full winter clothing,” he told the Lok Sabha.

When nominated MP Frank Antony urged India to be “brutal” in its response to the Chinese, Nehru said, “By becoming brutal, we lose our soul. I hope our nation, much less my humble self, will never be brutalised. We have had a glimpse of the strength of the serene face of India… strong and yet calm and determined.”

On possible talks with China and recognition of the border — the Line of Actual Control and the McMahon Line — the PM said, “One does not talk with anybody whom one has defeated completely … If we have gained our objective, the question of talks does not arise. The suggestion we have made about the September 8 line is one which has been appreciated in a great part of the world, including non-aligned countries and others.”

On November 19, as the war raged on, Nehru apprised Parliament of the Army’s losses in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, including in Rezang La in the Chushul Valley. “Fighting is still going on. This is bad news. I cannot go into further details at this stage. I should like to add that in spite of the reverses suffered by us, we are determined not to give in in any way and we shall fight the enemy, however long it may take to repel him and drive him out of our country,” he added.

A day after the Chinese proposed a “unilateral” ceasefire, Nehru on November 21 informed Parliament about it. Janata Party MP Hari Vishnu Kamath cited the PM’s earlier broadcast and demanded consistency from him. “The Prime Minister declared there would be no talks and no negotiations unless and until every inch of our sacred motherland is cleared of the Chinese invaders… I hope he will today give a categorical assurance… and there will be no departure from that policy.”

Reiterating India’s core condition to negotiate with the Chinese, Nehru said, “Our position in regard to any negotiations continues to be what we have previously stated, that is, that the position as it existed prior to September 8, 1962, shall be restored.” The PM also emphasised vigilance about any communication that came from the Chinese side.

Antony applauded Nehru’s resolve while calling the ceasefire “calculated Chinese trickery to prepare another base”.

The Opposition’s criticism

The House discussed the war again on December 10, where the Opposition stepped up its attack on the government. Questioning the higher-ups of the armed forces and the failure of the intelligence set-up, Antony said, “The reverses in NEFA were not the reverses of our fighting men… They were the reverses of bad generalship… inexperienced command… Our military intelligence probably failed. We knew less of our topography in NEFA (present-day Arunachal Pradesh) than the Chinese… This created frustration.”

Countering him, Nehru claimed that the intelligence was “first-class” and that India had done “reasonably well with our resources” as compared to richer nations. “Our Army or our fighting jawans are not lacking in courage or steadfastness… I am sure they are the best of their kind in the world. Let nobody think there was a terrible disaster falling on the Indian Army … There were defeats due to a variety of causes, but the Army is sound at heart… Our army has not been trained in the particular guerrilla-style tactics used by the Chinese. We will train parts of it now to adapt to this method,” he said.

As the discussion continued, India’s non-alignment policy came under fire from Opposition MPs. Defending the policy, Nehru said, “It is never good to change a policy in which you believe under stress of circumstances… that other policy may not lead to better results … We must take the help of friendly countries who are willing to assist us in this sacred task … This does not violate our non-alignment.”

When the Dalai Lama came up in the debate, Nehru said he was “free to say what he wanted but India would not permit a (Tibetan) government to be established on its land”. “That would just give justification to Chinese accusations… We cannot undertake to liberate Tibet. If it happens organically, so be it. But for us to hold up that banner now would not be wise,” he added.

On China, the PM said the neighbouring country was “developing a peculiar form of Communism that even other Communist countries consider dangerous”.

“Unlike other Communist countries, China is pursuing a policy of dismembering Asia, limb by limb — by threat, awe, and domination. This impression that China’s military superiority is absolute is a myth. Their tradition of pacifism still lingers beneath the surface. Asia has never seen a country so armed to the teeth as China is today … China intends more than just defending its borders,” Nehru said, adding that he was prepared to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice at The Hague only if “aggression is vacated”.