Henderson Brooks report made public

[Vishwarupa]

CHENNAI: A section of the confidential Henderson Brooks report that critically reviewed India's defence preparedness and strategies during the 1962 war with China has been released online by Australian journalist Neville Maxwell.

While the report may not contain significantly new revelations about the poor state of India's forces during the war, it discusses "how the Army was ordered to challenge the Chinese military to a conflict it could only lose," according to Maxwell, a retired foreign correspondent who was based in Delhi at the time of the war.

The report was authored by Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks and Brigadier P S Bhagat, then commandant of the Indian Military Academy, soon after the war. It was commissioned by Lt General J N Chaudhuri who had just taken over as chief of Army staff in 1962.

It continues to be considered classified by the Indian government.

As late as April 2010, defence minister AK Antony told Parliament that the contents of the report are "not only extremely sensitive but are of current operational value."

Maxwell, who wrote a controversial account of the reasons that led to India's defeat in his work, India's China War, says on his website that he has always had access to the report and had waited for it to be declassified. He says he has now decided to put a large part of the report in the public domain because of India's unwillingness to release it.

While the Nehru government's forward policy has been widely analyzed and criticized as being a contributor, Maxwell says on his website that the report holds India's first prime minister personally responsible for the war. "The reasons for the long-term withholding of the report must be political, indeed probably partisan, perhaps even familial," says Maxwell.

The report may provide cannon fodder for the BJP to attack Congress and beef up its campaign for a strong India under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Congress analysts are likely to dismiss the contents since it may not be revelatory, but harp on the progress India has made since then.

Secret report on India-China war in 1962 made public - The Times of India

 

[Yusuf]

Entire HB report is out. Neville Maxwell has put it on his site which I think is being DDOSed & not able to download the full report.

Keep trying here http://www.nevillemaxwell.com/TopSecretdocuments.pdf

 

[Kshatriya87]

Wonder why he is blaming the 1st prime minister of India for the defeat. Have to wait for this report to get declassified now.

 

[ladder]

If the report were to be classified, can some one tell me how a foreign journalist reporting from New Delhi at that time is not only privy to the information but actually is in possession of the same to d-classify it at his free will?

 

[Agustya]

Sad to read about the apathy of Indian bureaucracy. I had to read about the Chola Incident to feel better.

 

[LurkerBaba]

Entire HB report is out. Neville Maxwell has put it on his site which I think is being DDOSed & not able to download the full report.

Keep trying here http://www.nevillemaxwell.com/TopSecretdocuments.pdf

It's on Google Drive https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B8fc-qxnH53wVWNGMUN3WjdWUFU

 

[indiatester]

If the report were to be classified, can some one tell me how a foreign journalist reporting from New Delhi at that time is not only privy to the information but actually is in possession of the same to d-classify it at his free will?

Apparently a senior minister of that time had sent him a copy.

 

[ladder]

Apparently a senior minister of that time had sent him a copy.

Then that would have been done for a payment, isn't it?

BTW, thanks for the information.

 

[Hari Sud]

Do not pay too much attention to Maxwell Neyville releasing first 100 pages of a strictly military command failure report which runs into 1200 pages. Mr. Neyville only wishes to defame Nehru--Menon, hence he has released the first 100 pages of political decisions behind confronting Chinese at the border. The genesis of the confrontation was Dalai Lama's arrival in in India in 1959 and China taking it as an offence and wished to teach the Indians a lesson. In 1956-57, they had also built a road in Ladakh which had irritated Nahru. The Chinese had no business in seizing somebody else's territory without their knowledge. These two events if ignored could lead to China become more and more aggressive as they had published maps with NEFA as their territory in 1957. Nehru - Menon had few choices. They took the easier one that is to move forward and protect the border. The other one to lie down and play dead was worst. Hence they moved to the border without realizing that a crack Chinese mountain division is stationed just across the Dhola Post. The Indian Army was walking into a trap. But not with standing, Indian Army built a impregnable fortress at SELA pass, which no Chinese could dare to pass. A sudden command failure occurred and orders to withdraw from SELA and leave all supplies behind was given. About 800 Chinese had taken the most difficult path to bypass SELA and appear behind. These soldier were lightly equipped and had no supplies. That is when multiple commanders ordered SELA withdrawal. That is what Chinese were looking for. They had unnerved the Indian Command and who had taken an unusual decision to withdraw from the fortress SELA. Had their been no withdrawal, then these 800 Chinese, hungry and without supplies would be surrendering to the Indinas. And battle of 1962 would have different tone.

The full Henderson- Brook Report of which Mr. Neyville has published 100 political pages only, discusses this military command failure with detailed account of who did what and which of the commanders were responsible for ordering what. Everybody had a favoured untrust worthy commander B M Kaul to blame. But senior command structure of Eastern Command like LT. Generals L P SEN, Umrao Singh, Harbaksh Singh and others played equally questionable role. The Henderson-Brook report goes over each and every order passed. All commander's role in this debacle is discussed and detailed. That is why, it took two years and has 1200 pages.

Mr. Neyville wishes to defame India and in turn Nehru hence releases the first 100 pages - 4 chapters.

Army had prevented its release for the last 50 years because, it is their failure which have been discussed. If it was going to be political report, then Y B Chavan, the the Defence Minister would have appointed a civilian or a supreme court judge. But instead an independent minded Lt. General TB Henderson - Brook was appointed. He was a senior commander elsewhere and was charged to bring out the army failures.

Just to complete this write up - that foot trek which the Chinese took from BUM LA pass to behind SELA pass (Bailey Trail) is most treacherous trek. These 800 Chinese men were about to surrender as they had exhausted themselves and we're without supplies. To their extreme pleasure, nervous Indian commander ordered withdrawal and Chinese found ready supplies of 3,000 men left behind by the Indians at SELA. These would last with them for the duration of the battle.

So do not believe these cleverly released pages by Maxville Nyville. He is out to defame Nehru & Menon. Of course Nehru and Menon made a mistake in picking BM Kaul as commander. But other commanders in the area also played equally damaging role.

As regards to confronting Chinese at the border and preventing them from grabbing more territory, that was the right policy. Alas! Indian army had not prepared for it. They were rushed to various spots and they gave a good account of them selves in Ladhakh, but unknown to them a Crack Chinese Mountain Division was waiting for them at Dhola in NEFA.

 

[Ray]

If the report were to be classified, can some one tell me how a foreign journalist reporting from New Delhi at that time is not only privy to the information but actually is in possession of the same to d-classify it at his free will?

Could it be that they are more trusted by the Govt than those who have elected them to govern?

Facts are stranger than fiction!

Neville Maxwell is a great 'friend' of India like many US commentators.

He is a tight posterior posterior orifice!

 

[ladder]

Could it be that they are more trusted by the Govt than those who have elected them to govern?

Facts are stranger than fiction!

Neville Maxwell is a great 'friend' of India like many US commentators.

He is a tight posterior posterior orifice!

That mentality of successive Indian govt.s hasn't changed or has it?

 

[The Fox]

This Website is blocked I cant access it such a sour looser Congress govt

Entire HB report is out. Neville Maxwell has put it on his site which I think is being DDOSed & not able to download the full report.

Keep trying here http://www.nevillemaxwell.com/TopSecretdocuments.pdf

 

[Ash]

India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Hindu nationalist opposition has seized upon a secret report about how the government bungled a war with China more than 50 years ago to batter the ruling party days before an election.

India, led by its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was defeated in the 1962 conflict that was painted at home as Chinese aggression across the Himalayas.

But excerpts of a military investigation that were leaked by an Australian journalist who wrote an acclaimed book on the war said the government's policy of forward deployment in the high mountains had increased the chances of conflict.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the front-runner in the election beginning next month, demanded that the government release the report by former army Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks so that the country would know how the government pushed the military into a war it could only lose.

"What are they trying to hide by making the war report classified ?" BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said. "We have a right to know what went wrong. We lost the war because of Nehru."

The party led by prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has targeted the Nehru-Gandhi family that leads the Congress as a central plank of its campaign platform.

The military investigation said that in the months leading to the war, Nehru's government ordered the military to patrol and establish posts far into the disputed border as part of a forward policy to deter the Chinese.

It held the top military brass also responsible for failing to stand up to the government and tell the politicians that it did not have the resources to support aggressive deployment and that troops would be too thinly spread out.

"With the introduction of the forward policy, the chances of a conflict certainly increased...that this implementation would bring about a major change in the military situation was obvious and it cannot be viewed as being wise after the event," the report leaked by journalist and historian Neville Maxwell said.

China's response was immediate and it began setting up posts of its own and by October 1962 the two countries were at war on both the western and eastern stretches of the Himalayas. It ended the following month with China holding large tracts of what India said was its territory.

The two countries remain locked in the territorial dispute although trade ties have boomed in recent years.

"Our leadership lied to the nation, hid information and lived in a romantic world. Result: War lost, territory lost, also loss of face," Ram Madhav, a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the BJP and the umbrella group of Hindu organisations, said in a Twitter post.

The BJP has long advocated a tough national security posture towards both China and Pakistan and last month Modi said Beijing must drop its "mindset of expansion".

The defence ministry in a statement rejected calls to release the war report, saying its contents were sensitive and of current operational value.

Nehru's great grandson, Rahul Gandhi, is leading the Congress campaign in the election next month.

India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

 

[amoy]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

The military investigation said that in the months leading to the war, Nehru's government ordered the military to patrol and establish posts far into the disputed border as part of a forward policy to deter the Chinese.

It held the top military brass also responsible for failing to stand up to the government and tell the politicians that it did not have the resources to support aggressive deployment and that troops would be too thinly spread out.

"With the introduction of the forward policy, the chances of a conflict certainly increased...

Classified Truth hurts so that sometimes it has to be buried deep in lies.

BTW Is Lt General Henderson Brooks Indian?

 

[bhramos]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

Classified Truth hurts so that sometimes it has to be buried deep in lies.

BTW Is Lt General Henderson Brooks Indian?

he is Australian

 

[ghost]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Hindu nationalist opposition has seized upon a secret report about how the government bungled a war with China more than 50 years ago to batter the ruling party days before an election.

India, led by its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was defeated in the 1962 conflict that was painted at home as Chinese aggression across the Himalayas.

But excerpts of a military investigation that were leaked by an Australian journalist who wrote an acclaimed book on the war said the government's policy of forward deployment in the high mountains had increased the chances of conflict.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the front-runner in the election beginning next month, demanded that the government release the report by former army Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks so that the country would know how the government pushed the military into a war it could only lose.

"What are they trying to hide by making the war report classified ?" BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said. "We have a right to know what went wrong. We lost the war because of Nehru."

The party led by prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has targeted the Nehru-Gandhi family that leads the Congress as a central plank of its campaign platform.

The military investigation said that in the months leading to the war, Nehru's government ordered the military to patrol and establish posts far into the disputed border as part of a forward policy to deter the Chinese.

It held the top military brass also responsible for failing to stand up to the government and tell the politicians that it did not have the resources to support aggressive deployment and that troops would be too thinly spread out.

"With the introduction of the forward policy, the chances of a conflict certainly increased...that this implementation would bring about a major change in the military situation was obvious and it cannot be viewed as being wise after the event," the report leaked by journalist and historian Neville Maxwell said.

China's response was immediate and it began setting up posts of its own and by October 1962 the two countries were at war on both the western and eastern stretches of the Himalayas. It ended the following month with China holding large tracts of what India said was its territory.

The two countries remain locked in the territorial dispute although trade ties have boomed in recent years.

"Our leadership lied to the nation, hid information and lived in a romantic world. Result: War lost, territory lost, also loss of face," Ram Madhav, a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the BJP and the umbrella group of Hindu organisations, said in a Twitter post.

The BJP has long advocated a tough national security posture towards both China and Pakistan and last month Modi said Beijing must drop its "mindset of expansion".

The defence ministry in a statement rejected calls to release the war report, saying its contents were sensitive and of current operational value.

Nehru's great grandson, Rahul Gandhi, is leading the Congress campaign in the election next month.

India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

BJP {hypocrite , liars,opportunist.........} One need to ask them why did they not dis classified it when they ruled india?

 

[amoy]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

Thanks to the Himalayas. Otherwise nobody knows how "forward" Indians could have been. Then Indians always play the "victim" card :shocked: in denial of their provocations.

 

[A chauhan]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

Nehru's PMship cost us China and J&K

 

[bose]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

There is no doubt that Nehru's blunder in 1962 cost India dearly...

There are few of my observations I would like to put forward...

It was 1962 taught India few lessons... 1) Never take a military actions untill you are prepared fully for it. 2) China is a enemy of India as it did not stopped with 1962 itself, China planned along with Pakistan to attack and dislodge India in Kashmir in 1963... China since then consistently acting against Indias interests on several fronts... be it supply of Nuclear and Missile technology to Pakistan ...

 

[amoy]

Re: India BJP targets ruling party over China war report

Jawaharlal Nehru permitted CIA spy planes to use Indian air base: Document | NDTV.com

Classified, declassified... And so much about India's NAM (Non Aligned Movement) doublespeak when truth comes under sunlight

The then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru approved overflight by U-2 missions covering the border areas with China on November 11, 1962, the independent National Security Archive (NSA) said in a report based on the latest set of declassified documents it obtained from the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act.

Indeed India is China's arch threat. In China Military Museum the U2 shot down by PLA-AF