CHINESE TAKE SE LA RIDGE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29984, 20 November 1962, Page 15

CHINESE TAKE SE LA RIDGE

Indian Troops Outflanked

(N.Z.P-A.-Reuter—Copyright)

NEW DELHI, November 19.

The Indian Prime Minister (Mr Nehru) told Parliament today that the Se La ridge in the Northeast Frontier Agency had fallen to the Chinese.

Mr Nehru said Se La had been by-passed in a wide outflanking movement by the Chinese, who cut the road between Se La and the administrative town of Bomdiia.

The situation at Se La was “confused,” Mr Nehru said. Fierce fighting was also going on near Chushul, in southern Ladakh, where the Indians have an important airstrip. He said: “This is bad news.”

lii spite of reverses, India was determined not to give in. “We will fight the enemy however long it takes and drive him from our territory,” Mr Nehru said. Mr Nebru said the Chinese had started heavy artillery fire on Chushul airfield and on two Indian outposts and fierce fighting was going on. One of the posts had fallen and another, six miles east of Chushul. was under attack. Uproar followed Mr Nehru’s statement, with demands from Assam members of Parliament to know what was the defence position. A Praja Socialist member. Mr Hem Bairua. demanded total war with help from allies with both men and materials. Mr Nehru replied: “We are trying to get all possible help we can from friendly countries. There is no limitation in this.” India has flown light tanks to Chushul and is prepared to make a determined effort to hold it, the Associated Press reported. The loss of Chushtil would force the Indian Army to depend on supplies from Leh. the Army Corps headquarters in Ladahk. which is more than 100 miles by a rough read from Chushul.

The Chinese capture of Chushul would be their firs’, major advance beyond the 51,000 square miles of borderlands they dispute with India.

Except for the occupation of Dauiet Begoldi. at the northern end of the Ladakh battleline, the Chinese have elsewhere been advancing into their claim areas. Informed observers in Tezpur. Assam State, said the Chinese seemed to have penetrated behind the Indian lines by moving through a river valley in Bhutan, a neutral hill state under Indian protection, and then pushing east. The 16.000-foot Se La ridge which adjoins the Bhutanese border at one end, overlooks the Chinese-held town of Tawang and guards the only road to the plains. With the outflanking of Se La. the Chinese are set for a new advance on Bomdiia. less than 50 miles away, with no major natural obstacle in between

Reports reaching Tezpur said the Chinese invaders made a frontal assault on the Se La pass, using their familiar human wave tactics. Wave after wave of screaming Chinese charged the Indian positions, using automatic weapons and backed by heavy artillery and mortars In a statement to the Upper House. Mr Nehru said in re-

ply to Opposition questions that he would certainly now consider carefully the question of declaring war or closing the Indian Embassy in Peking Mr Nehru told the Upper House he had no inhibitions about taking foreign aid. “It is not only a full-fledged war but a very difficult one for us.”