Heroism Amidst The Debacle: A Signaller’s View Of 1962 War

By Rana Chhina

At 10 a.m. on October 20, 1962, an Indian Air Force (IAF) Bell helicopter flown by Squadron Leader VK Sehgal took off from Tawang for the beleaguered Indian post of Tsangdhar (16,000 feet) during the Battle of Namka Chu in NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh). The only passenger on board was Major Ram Singh, the second-in-command of the hard-pressed 4 Infantry Division Signal Regiment. The Chinese had by then captured Tsangdhar and although the helicopter landed safely, the pilot and his passenger were never seen again. Major Ram Singh was the senior-most casualty of the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals in the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962.

As the name suggests, the book focuses on the part played by the Army’s Corps of Signals during the War. It however goes beyond the narrow confines of a corps or regimental history, and provides the reader with ample context to the activities that it describes. This includes a crisp description of the events leading up to the conflict. The reader is re-acquainted with the manner in which the blunt advice of professional soldiers was over-ruled or ignored by the political establishment and more pliable officers were placed in positions of authority instead. 

The invasion of NEFA is covered in two chapters which describe the events in the Kameng and Walong sectors, respectively. There are separate chapters devoted to the Chinese advance to the foothills, the events in Ladakh, and Signals in NEFA. The plight of the army Signallers who were desperately trying to keep the vital battlefield channels of communication open despite outdated and inadequate equipment, even as the Chinese overwhelmed the Indian positions in Ladakh and NEFA, is described in vivid, gut-wrenching detail. 

While a considerable body of literature exists regarding the political and military events relating to the conflict, this little book stands apart for its attention to detail, and its inclusion of the “subaltern voices” of several participants, whose first-person accounts both enhance its readability as well as add much-needed flesh to the dry bones of history. These are dispersed throughout the narrative and also form a separate chapter.

The Sino-Indian conflict of 1962 provides numerous lessons for the student of military history and international politics. The events and causes that led to the debacle should have been minutely examined and discussed threadbare within this country, both to extract the didactic elements as well as to ensure that such a situation never again comes to pass. Yet, for reasons that lie beyond the pale of human logic, sixty years later India is yet to declassify the records that deal with it. The report of the Henderson-Brooks Committee appointed to look into only the military causes of the debacle still retains a “Top Secret” classification, and the Government of India is yet to release an official history, giving the Indian version of events. 

Under these circumstances, the efforts of the author to provide an accurate and extremely readable narrative are all the more praiseworthy. Using open-source documents and personal interviews with veterans, he has pieced together a saga of grit, determination, professional commitment, and sacrifice. What emerges, is the gripping story of a fight against insurmountable odds and triumph of the human spirit. Not only were the Signallers battling a relentless foe, they also had to deal with the vagaries of extreme weather, terrain and logistical challenges. In overcoming these, they have created a record that any army in the world would be proud of.

(Rana Chhina is a military historian and an Indian Air Force veteran)