Indians Recapture Three Villages

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29972, 6 November 1962, Page 17

Indians Recapture Three Villages

(A.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW DELHI, November 5. Indian forces have recaptured three villages from the Chinese on the disputed north-east frontier, Indian newspapers reported today. They said the Indians overpowered Chinese troops in the villages—between Tawang and Jang—on Saturday. There was no official confirmation in New Delhi, the British United Press said.

The Indians withdrew from the monastery town of Tawang on October 28, after a three-pronged Chinese offensive had pushed 16 miles south of the McMahon line.

Sporadic fighting and artillery and mortar fire has been reported in the vicinity, five miles east of Tawang, ever since. Jang is on a strategic track which runs south into the Assam plains. Reuter said the newspapers quoted “unofficial but reliable information” for their reports on the recapture of the villages. The newspapers said the exact strength of the Chinese troops in the villages was not known. They claimed the Chinese had "committed many atrocities and caused untold miseries to the local population." Officials of the Ministry of Defence also reported fighting to the east, near the Burma border.

A spokesman said Indian troops repulsed a Chinese probing attack near the administrative centre of W’along. where the Indians dug in after the breakthrough at Kibitoo. The New China News Agency reported last night that Indian troops south-west of Pangong Lake, in Ladakh, shelled Chinese positions with howitzers and mortars. It said the Chinese did not retaliate. Chinese Offer The Chinese Prime Minister (Mr Chou En-lai) renewed his offer last night to settle the border dispute amicably through negotiations. But he apparently had no intention of changing the Chinese proposals already rejected by the Indian Government The Moscow newspaper. "Pravda” today called on India and China to call a cease-fire and start talks without advancing any terms.

The Japanese Prime Minister (Mr Hayato Ikeda) has sent a letter to India's Prime Minister (Mr Nehru) regretting that China has "reso< ed to a large-scale military action as a means of solving the border dispute.” He hoped for a settlement "on the basis of international justice through peaceful means." Mr Ikeda’s message said the Chinese military move constituted a threat to tire peace of Asia and of the whole world.

Mr Ikeda assured Mr Nehru Japan would give full backing to any Indian move for a speedy settlement of the dispute on the basis of international justice. Today the “Times of India” said that Sandhurst-trained Lieutenant-General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri. commander-in-chief of India’s Southern Command was to be put in charge of operations against

In a report from Shillong, the paper said General Chaudhuri had been proposed by Mr Nehru. The general commanded the Indian takeover of Hyderabad State in 1948 and last year’s take-over of Goa.

the Chinese on the north-east frontier.

Mr Nehru yesterday announced the setting up of a National Defence Council to deal with her border crisis. Mr Nehru told a meeting of the National Development Council that the Chinese invasion “marks a turning point in India's history.” The first priority and the first need was to “push out the invader and the aggressor from our country.” Mr Nehru said India’s five-year plan might be revised. In his speech to the National Development Council. Mr Nehru said: "We are at the crossroads of history and we are facing great historical problems on which depends our future —our present of course, and our future. . . .” A National Defence Council would be set up consisting of an emergency committee of the Cabinet, the chiefs of staff of the armed forces, some retired generals, the Chief Ministers of certain States, and prominent public men.

Mr Nehru said it was essential to look at India’s third five-year development plan “as an essential part of our effort.” Some things ■which were not essential now “may be slowed down somewhat.” India, he said, could not be short-sighted and “win the war and lose the peace afterwards ” Wounded Troops The first plane load of wounded Indian troops from the Ladakh front arrived in New Delhi yesterday. Informed sources said the troops all seriously wounded, were taken to a military hospital.

The United States State Department said yesterday that Britain, the United States and Canada were informally co-ordinating their efforts to meet India’s defence requirements, but added that no formal organisation had been established “Since in defence production and related matters we are closely tied in with the British and Canadians, we

have, of course, been in touch with them on prospects of how to meet best India’s defence requirements.” a spokesman said. “War Nt Wanted”

Yesterday, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Mr Averell Harriman) said he believed both India and China probably wanted to avoid expanding the border fighting into a full-scale war. “I should think the Red Chinese would realise they're on the wrong end of the supply line, over and through the Himalayan mountains, and that the closer they get into the Valley of Assam, the easier it will be for the Indians to deal with it.” he said.

Asked whether he thought India’s acceptance of Western military aid signified a change in its neutralist policies. Mr Harriman said he could not answer that question. However, he noted that “it is the first time since India has been independent that she’s asked the United States for military assistance. “How they (the Indians) will develop their policy, 1 don’t know,” he said. “It is a tragic tact that India now has to divert her attention from a great industrial and agricultural development . . . to a military effort, and it may be that that is one reason why the Chinese Communists are attacking India. “And now that the Russians are beginning to indicate they are ready to support the Chinese Communists and not the Indians, I think this is going to be quite a shock to those Indian leaders—those Asian leaders —who thought they could count upon Communist cooperation,” he said.

Asked about the United States view of Pakistan’s concern about United States military aid for India, Mr Harriman said: “It will be very clearly stressed, of course, that this will be used against China and not against Pakistan in any war between India and Pakistan.

“We have been giving, of course, Pakistan arms with the understanding that they will not be used for aggressive purposes against India,” he said.