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The Rediff Special/ Nitin Gogoi

Remembering the Forgotten Heroes

A special report from the Sino-Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh

The 1962 war with China, mainly fought in the Kameng sector of Arunachal Pradesh, has been a subject that is mostly avoided in discussions within military circles. Officially, too, military historians have shied away from chronicling the winter war. But, all that may be changing now with the Indian Army officially constructing a huge war memorial at Tawang and acknowledging the sacrifice made by 2420 soldiers in a war for which the troops were ill-prepared.

The magnificent Tawang War Memorial, inaugurated by Lt. Gen. H R S Kalkat of the Eastern Army Command last November, has a 40-feet high Stupa as its centrepiece. As Brig V D I Devavaram, commander of the Tawang-based Korea Brigade says, "We have tried to combine the local Buddhist design with the contemporary style to give an exotic touch to this war Memorial."

At the entrance, a plaque saying 'A nation that does not honour its dead warriors will perish' lends an air of seriousness to the place. The war memorial is the first real attempt by the Army to honour those who died fighting a vastly superior and well-prepared enemy. Lt Gen D B Shekatkar, commander of the Tezpur-based IV Corps which looks after the Chinese frontier in this crucial sector, says, "Once we decided to construct this war memorial, the first task was to find the names and ranks of all those who made the supreme sacrifice. It was a tough task but the brigade staff was up to the task." In fact, Maj. Minhas of the Korea brigade reveals, "It took us almost a year to obtain the exact names and ranks of all those who died in this sector."

Today, the names of all the 2420 soldiers, with their unit names and respective ranks, adorn the walls of the memorial. Indeed, the war memorial, apart from the 300-year old Buddhist monastery in Tawang town, has become a tourist attraction. The memorial has a golden statute of Lord Buddha inside the dome. Two halls have also been constructed. In one of them, personal belongings and weapons used by the dead soldiers would be kept. And in the other, a light and sound show would be launched shortly.

In a way, the army is now trying to overcome the shame that the nation as a whole felt during those turbulent days. A retired general says, "Nothing can be farther from the truth than the general perception about the 1962 conflict with China -- that Indian soldiers fled with their tails between their legs. The blame for the debacle must lie squarely on the political and military leadership of that time. However, ordinary soldiers gave up their lives, in the only way they would like to - fighting the enemy." The general is right. Several memorials along the Tawang-Tezpur road through which the Chinese came up to the present-day Assam testify to the bravery of the soldiers.

Take the case of Jaswant Singh Rawat of the Garhwal Rifles. Even as his company was asked to fall back, Jaswant Singh remained at his post at an altitude of 10,000 feet and held back the rampaging Chinese for three days single-handedly. He was helped by two local girls -- Sela and Nura -- during the heroic battle that ended after the Chinese discovered the post was being defended by a solitary soldier. So enraged were the attackers that they cut off Jaswant Singh's head and took it back to China. However, after the ceasefire, the Chinese commander, impressed by the soldier's bravery, returned the head along with a brass bust of Jaswant Singh. The bust, created in China to honour the brave Indian soldier, is now installed at the site of the battle, a location now known as Jaswantgarh. Army personnel passing by this route, be it a general or a jawan, make it a point to pay their respects here.

The two girls have also been honoured. The highest pass on this road (at a height of 13,700 feet) is named after Sela and a small hamlet in the vicinity is known as Nuranang. And these are not isolated incidents.

At Bumla, the last Indian post in this sector, there is a memorial for Subhedar Joginder Singh, who was among the first to die fighting the advancing Chinese. All the soldiers posted on this border post pay their respects in the memorial before pressing ahead. Joginder Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously while Jaswant Singh was given the Mahavir Chakra for their bravery. Every Indian soldier believes that the blessings of these dead warriors are with him.

Adds an officer, "These tales of valour serve to inspire the troops who are on a difficult assignment."

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