Mystery of the concealed report

It is now 50 years since the debacle of the Indian armed forces at the hands of the Chinese in 1962. It still remains a mystery as to why and how India lost as also the circumstances which led to the war. Till shortly before the outbreak of hostilities, the general impression in the public was that there were friendly relations between the two countries, as well as extensive cooperation, whatever may have been the underlying tensions between them. There was little to hint of hostility between China and India though the two countries had varying stands on some important issues such as Tibet. In fact, a post-war study of the debacle, known as the Henderson-Brookes report, was commissioned by the army. This enquiry apparently went into considerable details not just of the conflict but also of the government’s defence and foreign policy towards China during the years preceding the war, which may have led to the conflict. It is unfortunate that the government refuses to put the report in the public domain, so the facts, as assembled by this enquiry remain shrouded in mystery. The reasons why the Indian government does not make the report public are not clear. It claims that many of the matters mentioned in the report are still sensitive and therefore cannot be revealed. With half a century having passed since the termination of the conflict, this does not appear to be a valid reason. In fact, there is a case for making the report public so as to prevent a repeat of a similar conflict. From all accounts, the Henderson-Brookes report seems to have been highly critical of the then Nehru government’s approach towards China as also the workings of the defence ministry that was under the supervision of Nehru’s crony, Krishna Menon. The Nehru government underestimated the threat from China, completely misreading the mood and approach the China’s new and pragmatic leaders. As a result the army was neglected.

The Nehru government’s approach to the border problems with China was also unrealistic. The then Indian government did not negotiate and settle the border issues with China as did its other neighbours. Instead, India adopted a forward policy of eliminating all Chinese presence in the territories claimed by it through the use of armed forces and persisted in doing so despite a warning from China, at a time when the Indian army was weak. The government is also have said to have interfered excessively in the army, playing favourites in the promotion of generals, with there being hints of corruption as well. The Henderson-Brookes report, said to bring all this out, has been concealed by the government. It must make the report available, in public interest.