Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, said on September 23: “Our present aircraft strength is inadequate. We have one-third of the Chinese numbers. We are not downplaying the challenge before us but there is a strategy to handle it. One can either deal with it sternly or play cool and continue to develop capabilities.”

The Air Chief’s statement reminds one of what the late General K S Thimayya, the then Army Chief, had said in the late 50s. He said that he as a soldier could not envisage India taking on China in an open conflict.

In April 1961, the Army Headquarters sent a note to the Ministry of Defence stating, among other things, that if China tried a strong incursion, the Indian Army would not be able to hold back.

The note was sent back after being seen by the Defence Secretary, Defence Minister and the Prime Minister but without any remarks. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Defence Minister Krishna Menon were absolutely certain that China would not attack India.

This assurance was given to them by our intelligence agencies, which had gone to the extent of assuring them that China would not attack even our small posts of five to six men. This resulted in our adopting a “forward policy” towards China by establishing small posts of a few men each.  

Meanwhile, Krishna Menon made bold statements in and outside the Parliament that China would not attack India under any circumstances and if China did so, it would get a befitting reply.

... contd.