How and Why China Surprisingly Attacked India in 1962?

Source: Wikipedia

In 1962, India abruptly and without any preceding warning was attacked by the Chinese army and started what became known as the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The attacks started on October 20, 1962. The Indian army wasn’t ready for the attack due to the belief that China would never start a war. Which ultimately led to a direct confrontation between 10,000-20,000 Indian troops and 80,000 Chinese troops. The conflict lasted about a month before coming to an end on November 21 when a ceasefire was declared by China.

China and India shared a long border that was divided into three sections Nepal, Sikkim, which was a protectorate administered by India at the time, and Bhutan. Bhutan follows the Himalayas between Burma and what was then West Pakistan. Along this border are several regions that are up for debate.

The Aksai Chin region, which spans the border between the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang and Tibet (which China declared an autonomous region in 1965), can be found at its western end. This region is the size of Switzerland. The current Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which was formerly known as the North-East Frontier Agency, is part of the eastern border between Burma and Bhutan. China conquered both of these regions during the conflict in 1962.

Even though The Republic of India has since its independence in 1947 always sought warm relations with its Chinese neighbour. A dispute regarding the sovereignty of the border regions of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, which are widely separated, was the primary cause of the war. 

An important road link connects the Chinese regions of Tibet and Xinjiang in Aksai Chin, which India claims to belong to Ladakh and China claims to belong to Xinjiang. One of the factors that led to the conflict was China's construction of this road.

Because of its remoteness and isolation, Aksai Chin in particular had been a long-ignored region of the subcontinent. However, when the Chinese attempted to construct a military road through the region to connect Tibet and Xinjiang, this changed. China's presence in the sector, which India claimed was part of the Indian Ladakh region, was a source of contention for India.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China brutally attacked across the disputed boundaries on October 20, 1962, following a number of border skirmishes that began as a byproduct of the uprising in Tibet between 1959 and 1962. With 7,000 men killed or captured, Indian forces were utterly defeated, and the lowlands of Assam became accessible to the invaders.

The Perfect Timing For China

The Chinese leadership chose to strike at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, presumably anticipating a more prolonged situation in Cuba that would have prevented the United States from intervening in India. However, Washington was able to respond to Jawaharlal Nehru's request for assistance because of the swift resolution in Cuba in Washington's favour. On November 20, China unilaterally declared a ceasefire while a U.S. aircraft carrier was on its way, and shortly thereafter, it withdrew from the majority of the invaded region.

It maintained control over approximately 14,700 square miles (38,000 square kilometres) of Aksai Chin territory, which remained a source of contention for the two nations.

International Community’s Reaction to the Sino-Indian War:

During the China–India border war, western nations viewed China as an aggressor and the war as part of a unified communist goal for a global proletariat dictatorship. This was further sparked by Mao's statement, "Havana, Accra, and Calcutta are the roads to world conquest". Britain, on the other hand, completely concurred with the Indian position, with the foreign secretary stating, "we have taken the view of the government of India on the present frontiers and the disputed territories belonging to India."

The United States was unambiguous in its recognition of the Indian boundary claims in the eastern sector, but it did not support the claims of either side in the western sector. The United States has viewed the Chinese military action as part of the PRC's strategy of aggressive wars to settle border disputes and divert domestic and international attention from internal issues.

The non-aligned nations remained largely unaffected, with the exception of Egypt, which was at that time officially known as the United Arab Republic. Egypt, Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Ghana, and Indonesia were the six non-aligned nations that met in Colombo on December 10, 1962. Their proposals called for a Chinese withdrawal of 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the customary lines without any reciprocal withdrawal on India's part. 

Pakistan also shared a disputed boundary with China and had proposed to India that the two countries adopt a common defence against "northern" enemies (China).  

Pakistan's President Ayub Khan made it clear to India in 1962 that Indian troops could safely move to the Himalayas from the Pakistani border. However, Pakistan improved its relations with China after the war. It started border negotiations on October 13, 1962, and they ended in December of that year. The following year, the China-Pakistan Border Treaty, as well as trade and commercial treaties were signed. 

Written by: Abderrahmane Loudiyi

Edited by: Nidhi Jha