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| Sino-Indian war Millionwar |
Sino-Indian war
Why Pakistan hurled threat on China and why it helped India in 62 war against China?
What folly of Nehru made Pakistan and China fast friends?
Why Pakistan attacked Afghanistan?
I am Sadaqat Ali Read series, the History of China...from Opium to the EPEC. We will show you all this in the present Article.You read in the last article that Premier Liaqat Ali Khan' had refused to send army agains...against China and North Korea.
Even then Mao was displeased with Pakistan?
The reason being Pakistan's support to America instead of Russia, the ally of China.The bitterness of ties between the two countries could be assessed from the fact that when...Pakistan ambassador Maj-Gen (retd) N.A.Raza presented his credentials to Mao he sarcastically...said, "I am much pleased to accept the credentials from the British king."It was not only a taunt by Mao on Pakistan but the threat of war between the 2 countries was also there.China regarded many parts of Gilgit-Biltastan, then called Northern Areas, as its territory.In 1953, Chinese army entered Gilgit-Biltastan where Pakistan had not deputed the troops...for they were deployed on the border with India.Therefore the Chinese army did not face any resistance.But when the Chinese army entered that part, Army Chief General Ayub Khan gave threat to China...against border violations and that Pak army would attack Chinese if they did not stop.After this threat Chinese army drew back but the danger was not fully over.It may be the reason that Pakistan entered the defence pact SEATO in 1954 and later CENTO in 1955.These defence pacts had come through the US mediation.They aimed at checking the way of Communism.Which Soviet Russia and China were promoting.Pakistan was striking pacts against the Communism while India and China...were raising the slogans of brotherhood on the other hand.
Chinese Prime Minister Zhou-en-Lai in 1954 held a very grand visit to India.Over 5000 Indians received Zhou-en-Lai.A rousing welcome was accorded to Zhou-en-Lai everywhere amid slogans of India-China brotherhood.But the same Chinese PM faced a time in India later on when no-one was there to welcome him.Because the border disputes between India and China had soon made them rivals.However the situation was still different in 1954.After Zhou-en-Lai, Indian PM Pandit Jowahar Lal Nehru also paid a visit to China the same year.India and China also struck the historic Panshela (5-point) agreement according to which both...the countries agreed to live peacefully.The first crack in their relations came in 1956, when China built a road from Sinkiang to Tibet.The length of 112kms of the road passed through the disputed area of Aksai Chin near Ladakh.India strongly protested over it and told China that it owned the disputed territory so no road could be built on it.But China turned down the Indian objections.In response, India began to support the insurgents in Tibet.The people of Tibet stood up against China in 1959.But China abruptly crushed their insurgency that was led by spiritual leader of Tibet.He escaped to India after China failed to apprehend him.Nehru gave refuge to Dalai Lama and his supporters thus India openly came against China.Thus relations between the two countries became quite chill.Nehru not only erred by providing refuge to the Chinese rebels but also rejected a vital offer from Pakistan.As a result of it Pakistan and China became friends.
What was that offer?
So control your heart and hear.President Ayub Khan had offered Indian PM Nehru joint defence against the threats from the North.He made this offer in view of mounting pressure of China on the borders of Pakistan and India.
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| Sino-Indian war Millionwar |
China had sent the border maps of Gilgit-Biltastan to President Ayub Khan in September 1959.The maps showed area from Hunza to Shamshal Pass as part of China.Ayub Khan anticipated war because of this border dispute.China also attacked an Indian patrolling team in the disputed territory of Ladakh, Kansai Chin in October.The Chinese killed 17 Indian policemen in that attack.The Chinese planes also took flights to the disputed areas of Ladakh.The attack on the patrolling team brought about a storm of protests all over India.The ruling Congress Party raised the slogan of throwing the Chinese out of the disputed territory.Nehru threatened to shoot down the Chinese planes for committing territorial violations.Nehru felt India could alone deal with China and it did not need Pakistan's help.So Nehru turned down Ayub Khan's offer of joint defence.This mistake of Nehru strengthened Pakistan's belief in friendship with China for major help in the region.Pakistan, India would have been fast friends today had Nehru accepted Ayub Khan's offer.And the political history of the region might also be different today.Nehru was committing mistakes that made the situation very tense.China made last effort to save friendship with India.Chinese Premier Zhou-en-Lai visited India in 1960.He was accorded a cold welcome at the airport as no mass crowd was there unlike the past.The conduct of Nehru too was without warmth.Despite all that, the Chinese prime minister offered friendship to India.He said China would accept Indian control over Arunachal Pradesh if it would concede to...the Chinese control over Aksai Chin.Arunachal Pradesh at that time was called North Eastern Frontier Area (NEFA).This was territory China regarded as part of Tibet.The British rulers had drawn a 890-kim long line to separate this area from China.But China continued to lay claim on this territory.Anyway Zhou-en-Lai offered India that China would accept its control over Arunachal Pradash.In order to avoid further tension, he also suggested for withdrawing armies on the both sides 20kms back.So that no cause of war could crop up.It was a major offer.Nehru would have escaped the disgrace of defeat had he accepted this offer of China.But Nehru turned down the Chinese offer.India even termed withdrawal of the armies to the benefit of China only.China, India talks failed yet the chance of war between them was still bleak.However, in 1961 India fought war with a country and won it.It made India so arrogant that it challenged China.It was Portugal against which India had won the war.And Goa was the battlefield.Goa is the popular coastal city of India.And two other areas had been under the Portugal control over 450 years.The Britishers during their rule had accepted Portugal control but Nehru wanted to take away those areas.Indian army entered Goa in December 1961.In 36-hour long army operation around 5000 Portuguese soldiers surrendered.The world strongly condemned this Indian act.The statement by the Iranian Prime Minister Ali Amini was quite rationale.He said, "they believed Nehru a follower of Gandhi and lover of peace.
If India aggression on Goa is justified then Pakistan also holds a legitimate right to attack Kashmir."Anyway, India won Goa through power and this victory is still celebrated by the Indians.A year after Goa win, Nehru tried to play the same game with China also.Chinese and the Indian forces had a clash on October 10.India claimed it had lost only 6 soldiers in that skirmish against 100 Chinese killed or injured.On October 12, Nehru ordered the Indian forces to turned the Chinese army out of the disputed territory.But Nehru had overestimated the power of the Indian army.From 10,000 to 20,000 Indian troops were deployed in the border areas.They were without modern weapons.Moreover, no proper roads were there for movement of the Indian forces.On the other, China had deployed over 80,000 soldiers on this front.India was capable of defeating the smaller country like Portugal but routing powerful China was out of question.So Nehru's declaration of war on China cost India heavily.On October 20,1962 Chinese army attacked the Indian army on two fronts.One front was Aksai Chin and the other Arunachal Pradesh.The Chinese forces achieved great success on both the fronts.The Chinese troops once again used the long march technique.Instead of straight tracks and bridges, the Chinese used the hilly routes to attack.At many places, the Chinese troops passed the rivers with shallow water on foot.The Chinese soldiers reached at the back of the Indian positions and cut off all telephone lines.After intense artillery firing, the Chinese troops made a forceful attack on the Indian forces.Just in five days, the Chinese troops captured all disputed territories along the borders.The Indian soldiers saved their lives in Arunachal Pradesh by entering Bhutan.They wanted to avoid the Chinese chasing them.But China still did not want war.China did not advance its forces beyond the disputed territories.Rather China made a fresh peace offer to Nehru.But Nehru learned no lesson from the first defeat.Before the Indian Parliament Nehru announced no surrender to China.Nehru requesed America for selling India latest weapons.In this situation all Indian foreign friends also became active to save India.America began to send latest weapons to India.That too free of cost.Two American transport planes laden with modern weapons landed in Culcutta (Kolkata).Once Chinese friend, Soviet Russian also offered Mig-21 fighter planes to India.Britain too began to agree sale of modern arms to India.
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But the real help to India came from Pakistan.
Oh yes.An ex-officer of the CIA, Bruce Riedel had disclosed in his book that China during the war with India...Pakistan was in a position to defeat India in Kashmir.But America, then standing with India in war against China, dissuaded Ayub Khan from attacking India.The US said if Pakistan attacked India, it would go on its part violation of the CEATO and the CENTO Pacts.Ayub Khan conceded to the US demand hence lost forever the golden chance to get Kashmir.It was a glaring blunder of Ayub Khan in his military and civilian career.Amid war, Nehru wrote to US president John F Kennedy for the supply of 12 squadrons or over 100 warplanes.So that India could face China.He also assured Kennedy that the US fighter jets would not be used against Pakistan.Nehru was doing all that when a 3-week halt was on in the India-China war.The Chinese army exploited this lull to fortify its positions.Nehru rejected the Chinese offer of peace on November 12, 1962.And the same day Chinese army made a forceful attack on the Indian forces.The 7th Indian Brigade deputed in Arunachal Pradesh came under intense Chinese bombardment.The Indian faced the Chinese resolutely at some places.The Indians also caused considerable loss to the Chinese forces.But the number of Chinese troops fighting war had reached 80,000.The Indian army on the other hand was much less in number.
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| Sino-Indian war Millionwar |
The Chinese apprehended alive the Indian commander of the 7the Brigade, John Dalvi.4000 Indian soldiers surrendered before the Chinese army.China stopped further attack.It was a time when the Chinese army had reached near the Indian state of Assam.And the Indian forces were not able to check the Chinese way.China had the optional to conquer Indian territory at choice, but it announced ceasefire unilaterally.China showing kindness to India also voluntarily vacated the 60-mile area of Arunachel Pradesh.Chinese army had conquered that territory.China described this step as aimed at ensuring India of its good-faith.Thus the war came to an end.But the defeat broke heart of Nehru.Some time after the defeat when Lata Mangeshkar sang the song..."O my countrymen wet you eyes with tears...
"O my countrymen wet you eyes with tears...and just recall the tale of the martyrs."
Nehru began to weep hearing this song.Nehru did not live long after the war.He died in May 1964.Indians still believed, China had attacked India deceptively.And less number of Indian army was the reason of defeat.But the Indian objections raised certain questions.
The first question, when the war situation had been warming up over the 3 years, why India failed to prepare?
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An Indian Jagmohan Nath had even took photographs of the Chinese army gathered in Aksai Chin.
PM Nehru was also shown these photographs.But he did not take any action.The second question, why Nehru ordered his army to attack the Chinese when was aware he was weak.The third is, the Portuguese in Goa and Pakistani army in East Pakistan was also less in number.But India owned victories in that wars.Why India did not apply the same standard to the war with China.The Indian objection of 'deception' is also falsified by the return of its land which China had captured in the war.China would have been holding that land even today if it had deceived India.Around 4000 Indian soldiers were killed in the 62-war.While no exact figures of the Chinese casualties were available.However, it goes that the number of Chinese deaths was less than 1000.India believed Chinese suffered a huge loss but it was concealing it.China also took away 38,000 square kms area of Aksai Chin from India.This is near the total area of Switzerland.It also goes that China in fact had captured 43,000 sq kms of Indian area.Nehru was defeated in the war which also enabled Pakistan to identify its friends and foes.Pakistan before this war, was running every risk overwhelmed by the friendship with America.In 1960, Russia shot down the American Spy plane that had flown from Peshawar airbase.And Pakistan was facing the threats of nuclear attacks.Afghanistan, then a Russian ally, was continuously attacking Pakistan on the border.1000 Afghan soldiers in 1961 tried to intrude into Pakistan territory Bajaur.Pak Army repelled that attack.But firing from the Afghan posts continued.In retaliation two Pakistani fighter planes attacked Afghanistan and destroyed two posts.
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Pakistan realized at this hour of trial that the US, Russia and Britain were supporting India instead of Pakistan.The US became annoyed when Pakistan sought the reward of backing India against China.America rejected Pakistan's request as blackmailing.It awakened Ayub Khan to fact that the US was no more a friend but a master of Pakistan.That the US wanted Pakistan to dance it to its tunes.Do you know the book Ayub Khan wrote bore the title, "Friends Not Masters."It was the very situation wherein Ayub Khan took the most important decision about the foreign policy.He joined hands with China.Months after the war of 62, Pakistan and China agreed on border demarcation.Hence the old foes, Pakistan and China became fast friends.Nehru's mistake and the US partiality founded Pakistan and China friendship that took them to the CPEC.The US was devising a new plan against China when Ayub Khan was nurturing friendship with Beijing.
What was that secret plan?
Is it true that 50 million people lost lives due to Mao?
How the Pakistani mangoes saved China from civil war?
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