THERE ARE UNNERVING PARALLELS BETWEEN EVENTS IN THE RUNUP TO THE 1962 WAR AND WHAT IS PLAYING OUT NOW
There are unnerving parallels between events in the run-up to the 1962 border conflict fought between October and November that year and what is currently playing out on the LAC. The casus belli for the 1962 war was the Indian government’s ‘Forward Policy’ which saw penny packets of soldiers asked to occupy posts along the LAC, some of them still in summer uniforms and no boots.
The Indian Army of 1962, as a Time magazine article wrote, lacked everything but courage. It lacked engineering equipment for high-altitude operations, insufficient tents to house its troops or rations to feed the troops. There were few mountain roads and hence motorised transport could not reach the borders. Supplies had to be brought in by pack animals. The thinly-held positions were then overrun by a well-equipped PLA. The army says it has since exorcised the ghosts of that war. “Operational logistics plays an important role for the Fire and Fury Corps,” says Major Gen. Arvind Kapoor, Chief of Staff of the 14 Corps, as he addresses the media in front of the war memorial in Leh, cavalry whip in hand. “We’ve mastered it over the past 20 years. Our logistics infrastructure is so smartly built that any unit coming in from outside can plug and play with any of the units here and immediately becomes (combat) effective.”
Over the past four months, army officials say the Northern Command has stocked up special fuel and lubricants for tanks and armored personnel carriers and spares for maintenance. It has established water points and tube wells for troops. Warm living barracks have been prepared with facilities like central heating systems. Various types of ammunition, including small arms, missiles and for tank and artillery have been stocked and the medical system has also been prepared for any eventuality.
The PLA, meanwhile, has created its own infrastructure along the Western Highway where it is deployed. Infrastructure, including pre-fabricated shelters, are being set up at a relentless pace to prepare for a sustained deployment through the winter. Analysts believe both the divisions of the Xinjiang Military District will continue to remain forward deployed along the LAC. This, even as the PLA steps up its propaganda offensive to get India to back down from the heights.
Over the fortnight since the Indian Army countermove in the Chushul subsector, the Chinese communist party mouthpiece Global Times has run a series of propaganda videos purportedly to showcase China’s superior infrastructure on the Tibetan plateau. It depicted drone swarms delivering hot food to frontline troops and soldiers trudging through the snow. “With these drones, the PLA’s frontline soldiers can enjoy hot meals once winter reaches the plateau. Some sympathise with the nearby Indian soldiers who can only eat cold canned food and have to endure the severe cold and potential spread of Covid-19,” Global Times editor Hu Xijin tweeted.
Military analysts point to ties between the two sides going into a deep freeze unless the border issue is demarcated. “Militarily, we must remain alert and prepare ourselves to spend the winter of 2020/21 on the LAC,” says Lt Gen. Vinay Shankar, former director-general artillery, and a veteran of the 1962 war with China. “This ought to give sufficient time to the diplomats and the political leadership to arrive at a settlement or figure out the contours of our future relationship.” ■