"Fifty years ago, close to midnight on 19th October 1962, China attacked India’s forward posts in NEFA ( now Arunachal) and put to rest Pandit Nehru’s misconceived ‘forward policy’. The humiliation of that military defeat shattered Panditji’s idealism and half a century later it still rankles India’s military pride. In retrospect, the fall of Tawang, Walang, Se La, and Bomdila could perhaps have been prevented, if only India’s military commanders had stood up to Nehru's arrogant defence minister, Krishna Menon.

Even now, New Delhi’s response to Chinese belligerence is cautiously measured. The reason is that our political leadership remains in a state of denial, about what went wrong and who our guilty men were. The truth is in the report compiled by two Indian army officers – Lt. Gen. Henderson Brooks and Brig. Prem Bhagat, VC – that remains locked in a vault in South Block.   However, it is yet to be made public for  the fear – at least amongst Congressmen – is that it will further sully Panditji’s image. But it’s about time we learn from our past."