India’s top military leader, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, shared some sharp insights on the 1962 Sino-Indian War during a book launch in Pune. He pointed out that skipping air support back then cost the Indian Army a big edge against China’s fast-moving forces.
Speaking at the release of the updated edition of late Lieutenant General S.P.P. Thorat’s autobiography, From Reveille to Retreat, General Chauhan highlighted a key missed opportunity. "I think Gen Thorat had in mind the use of the air force, which the government did not permit," he said. That decision denied troops quick turnaround times, ideal geography for strikes, and the power to hit the enemy hard. "The use of the air force would have slowed the Chinese offensive considerably, if not stymied it completely," Chauhan added. It would have bought the army precious time to get ready.
In 1962, leaders saw deploying the Indian Air Force as too risky, like escalating the conflict. But times have changed. "This is actually no longer true, and Op Sindoor is an apt example," Chauhan noted, referring to modern tactics that blend air and ground forces seamlessly.
General Thorat had asked for thoughts on two big topics: India’s foreign policy and the role of the air force in the 1962 war. Chauhan tackled the forward policy—the strategy of pushing troops closer to disputed borders—saying it’s tough to judge fairly today. "Our views will be coloured due to many reasons, like geography has changed entirely, and so has geopolitics," he explained. Security threats, troop numbers, and even the nature of warfare have all evolved since then.
He stressed that the forward policy shouldn’t have treated every border the same. "All I can say is that the forward policy should not have been applied uniformly to Ladakh and NEFA," Chauhan said. Ladakh and the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh) faced different challenges. China had already grabbed chunks of Indian land in Ladakh, while India’s claim in NEFA stood stronger. Plus, the terrains and security setups varied wildly. "To equate the two and pursue identical policies was, in my view, a bit flawed," he added.
Chauhan praised Thorat’s book as more than just a personal story. "From Reveille to Retreat is not simply an autobiography. It sheds light on the decisions of the past, critiques them with honesty and draws lessons that largely remain relevant today," he said. The memoir offers fresh takes on strategy, leadership, and military service that still hit home in today’s India-China border tensions.
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