| Nehru is a much respected figure in Indian History. He | | | | the Chinese occupation of that area. In hind sight it is |
| was leader of the Indian National Congress and took | | | | difficult to understand how the Chinese could have |
| part in the freedom struggle against the British Raj. In | | | | occupied such vast tracts of land without Nehru |
| addition he also had the ear of Gandhi and thus when | | | | getting a whiff of it. But the fact remains that Nehru |
| he became Prime Minister (1947-64) he wielded | | | | obsessed with his international image neglected in |
| immense power. Thus to write something adverse | | | | setting up any administrative infrastructure in that |
| about him amounts to blasphemy. But at the same | | | | region. He did not understand that any territory lying |
| time there is a need to critically evaluate his | | | | without any presence is bound to be taken over by |
| contribution to India and the legacy left behind him. | | | | another power. He again failed to realize that military |
| There is no doubt that intellectually Nehru was a | | | | campaigns need planning and build up of equipment |
| giant, but his contribution to the Indian Nation shows | | | | and men. As brought out in one of the books, he |
| that he had little grasp of power politics and roles of | | | | triggered the India China war by his ill-fated remark |
| nations. Firstly let's look at his China policy. To say the | | | | that 'I have asked the Army to evict the Chinese'. |
| least it bordered on naivety. Once he became Prime | | | | The result was disastrous as the Chinese mounted an |
| Minister he accepted Chinese suzerainty over Tibet in | | | | offensive on both the eastern and western borders |
| return for Autonomy for Tibet. This showed his | | | | of India and dragged the Indian Army into a web of |
| naivety as China under Mao understood only that | | | | defeat. That was 1962. The Indian general Staff led |
| 'Power comes out of the barrel of a gun'. This | | | | by General Thapar a four star general abdicated all |
| showed his immature grasp of power politics as China | | | | responsibility and along with Nehru must stand |
| went ahead consolidating their power in Tibet and | | | | condemned for inaptitude and inefficiency. The |
| the end result was that the Dalai Lama had to flee | | | | Chinese quickly advanced into NEFA and the Deputy |
| Lhasa. With mistaken zeal he talked of Hindi Chini bhai | | | | Commissioner of Tezpur abdicating his responsibility, |
| -bhai. He also talked off the Himalayas as a 'natural | | | | just ran away. The Army untrained and ill-equipped |
| barrier' without realizing that modern armies recognize | | | | could not face the Chinese and large numbers were |
| no such barriers. The result was painful as his policy | | | | taken as POWs. In ladakh the Indian Army put-up a |
| led to Chinese occupation of the entire eastern | | | | better show but causalities were heavy. |
| Ladakh (Aksai Chin). His failure to sustain the Indian | | | | Correspondingly Nehru's international image also took |
| Army as a potent force and excessive reliance on | | | | a dip and he was never the same man after that. |
| diplomacy and his world image resulted in Chinese | | | | Perhaps at the far end of his career he must have |
| consolidating their occupation. In fact China occupied | | | | realized that he made the biggest blunder by dealing |
| nearly 30000 sq miles of Indian territory in ladakh. He | | | | with China as a friend. It was Nehru who introduced |
| failed to realize that a nations standing in the world | | | | the Chinese premier Chou en lai to the non-aligned |
| polity of nations is basically on their Military might. He | | | | nations at the Bandung conference in 1955 and over |
| did not follow up on the triparte Simla convention of | | | | all he trusted China. But in politics simplistic approaches |
| 1914 beween Britain, China and Tibet and allowed it | | | | have no meaning. |
| to lapse. | | | | Nehru failed abjectly in his China policy and |
| He made no attempt to beef up the Indian Army | | | | surrendered forever the right of India to be an equal |
| with the result the finest fighting arm in Asia was | | | | power to China. The clock cannot be put back. Indian |
| allowed to wither away. When the opposition put | | | | Territory remains in Chinese hands. History will have |
| pressure on him he made an ill-fated remark that 'not | | | | to judge him fairly for this blunder. |
| a blade grows in Aksai chin', thus almost condoning | | | | |