On December 13, while quoting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that this is not 1962 anymore, and if anyone [from the Chinese side] tried to transgress, the Indian soldiers would give a befitting reply. He also said that Yangtse falls, where the Chinese attempted an incursion, under his assembly constituency, and he meets the soldiers and villagers of the area every year.
Yangtse is under my assembly constituency & every year I meet the Jawans & villagers of the area.
— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) December 13, 2022
It’s not 1962 anymore. If anyone tries to transgress, our brave soldiers will give a befitting reply.
ईंट का जवाब पत्थर से नहीं, ईंट का जवाब लोहा से दे रही है हमारी वीर भारतीय सेना। https://t.co/xwqUrxfNl7
CM Khandu said, “Yangtse is under my assembly constituency & every year, I meet the Jawans & villagers of the area. It’s not 1962 anymore. If anyone tries to transgress, our brave soldiers will give a befitting reply.”
In Hindi, he further added, “ईंट का जवाब पत्थर से नहीं, ईंट का जवाब लोहा से दे रही है हमारी वीर भारतीय सेना।“ that translates to “Our brave soldiers are not only paying back in the same coin with interest but paying back with an iron fist”.
His remarks came amidst the recent reports of Tawang clashes in Arunachal Pradesh between the Indian Army and the Chinese Army. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has told the Indian Parliament about the scuffle that broke out between Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. Singh said none of the Indian soldiers was seriously injured or killed during the clashes with the Chinese PLA troopers.
“Our Army valiantly fought back & forced Chinese troops to go back to their post. They foiled China’s bid to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in the Tawang sector. Both sides have suffered some injury, none of our soldiers is seriously injured or dead,” Singh said in Lok Sabha.
Singh said PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of the Tawang Sector on December 9 and unilaterally change the status quo. However, their attempt was contested by the Indian Army in a firm and resolute manner. He further added that the contestation led to a face-off between the two forces, resulting in a minor scuffle which prevented the PLA from transgressing into the Indian Territory and compelled them to return to their posts.
The 1962 India-China war
Almost six decades ago, on October 20, 1962, China attacked India. Provoked by a territorial dispute and tensions over Tibet, the war was short, and India lost to China. India’s belief that China could never attack it did not let the Indian army prepare, and the result was the standoff between 10,000-20,000 Indian troops and 80,000 Chinese troops. The 1962 Sino-India war continued for about a month and ended on November 21, 1962, and China emerged victorious.
This is a historical truth that the then Congress government led by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru and his defence minister VK Krishna Menon had fallen short of expectations in their dealings during the 1962 war with China, leading to the debacle. It is said that the Indian Army warned then Defence Minister Krishna Menon in 1961 about the need to prepare for a Chinese invasion. However, the warning fell on deaf ears, and the follies made by the then-Congress government left a deep-seated scar.
Jawaharlal Nehru was warned of a possible attack by China almost two and a half years before the 1962 Sino-India war
Shockingly, the then government, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, was warned of a possible attack by China almost two and a half years before the first wave of Chinese troops overran the border in 1962. Still, Nehru and the then defence minister Krishna Menon did not feel the need to take professional military advice. The result was that India suffered its worst-ever defeat during the Indo-China conflict in 1962.
