New Delhi:
A report that critiqued India's military preparedness after its defeat in the 1962 war with China, kept classified by the government for decades, has been made posted online by an Australian journalist.
NDTV does not have access to the original report and has based its story on excerpts reportedly uploaded by the Australian journalist Neville Maxwell. Here are 10 strong points from the Henderson Brooks report:
Here are 10 points in the 1962 India-china war report:
"We acted on a militarily unsound basis of not relying on our own strength but rather on believed lack of reaction from the Chinese."
Decisions at the highest level were taken without any military appreciation, and no overall plan was made to (prepare) for a major Chinese reaction,"
The Intelligence Bureau was of the opinion that the Chinese would not react to our establishing new posts and were not likely to use force against any Indian post even if they could.
This was contrary to the military intelligence, which clearly indicated that the Chinese would resist by force any attempts to take back territory held by them.
"Militarily, it is unthinkable that the General Staff did not advise the Government on our weakness and inability to implement the "Forward Policy."
General Kaul in his report has brought out that, on a number of occasions in 1961-62, the government was advised of our deficiencies in equipment, manpower, and logistic support, which would seriously prejudice our position in the event of a Chinese attack on us
"There might have been pressure put by the Defence Ministry, but it was the duty of the General Staff to have pointed out the unsoundness of the "Forward Policy" without the means to implement it.
the General Staff at no stage submitted to the Government an appraisal on the consequences of the "Forward Policy" or the base requirement of troops and resources required before it should have been implemented."
"To base military actions and place in jeopardy the security of troops on suppositions and beliefs put across at conference tables indicates either acceptance of the belief or a militarily unsound mind."
The army could have put its foot down and prevented the execution of a militarily unsound policy.
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