CHINESE FORCES DRIVE SOUTH FROM INDIAN BORDER

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29985, 21 November 1962, Page 17

CHINESE FORCES DRIVE SOUTH FROM INDIAN BORDER

U.K. Dependants To Leave Assam

(N Z. Press Assn.—Copy rig nt) NEW DELHI, November 20. British authorities in New Delhi last night announced plans to fly all British women and children from Assam as Chinese forces continued an overwhelming drive south from the Chinese-Indian border.

Latest reports put the Chinese less than 30 miles from the Assam plains in their drive 40 miles past the key administrative town of Bomdila, which they took yesterday. At the Burmese end of the border, Indian troops who withdrew’ from Walong were stated last night to be 12 to 14 miles south of it.

In the western sector of the frontier, the Chinese captured an Indian forward post to the south-east of the key Indian airfield of Chushul in the Ladakh area of Kashmir and another post, six miles east of Chushul, was said to be holding out against infantry supported byartillery and tanks.

A spokesman for the British High Commission said last night that the Indian authorities were arranging the airlift of the British women and children from the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river. It might have already begun—“not because of any panic, but because they would be in the way,” said the spokesman. Indian airlines last night cancelled all but one internal service from Delhi, and it was believed the aircraft might be used to evacuate to Calcutta the families of about 1500 British working in Assam, north of the river. The Indian Prime Minister <Mr Nehru) told a questioner in Parliament yesterday that his Government would “carefully consider” declaring war on China or closing the embassies in Peking and New Delhi.

Mr Nehru was announcing that the ridge of Se La had fallen, leaving the way open for the advance on Bomdila. The loss of Bomdila—which he later announced in a broadcast—was described by observers as the greatest prize gained so far by the Chinese in their month-long offensive.

Reuter's correspondent, reporting from Indian operational headquarters at Tezpur, said the Chinese who took the Se La ridge were estimated at much more than 50,000.

As wave after wave stormed across the narrow

valley hundreds were mown down, but morfe appeared, as if from nowhere, to take their places, trampling over their own dead and wounded. The Chief Minister of Assam, Mr Bimala Prasad Chaliha, called on his people in a broadcast last night to “be prepared for the worst."

The breakthrough at Bomdila means the Chinese now have a “downhill run” into the plains of Assam. From Bomdila a good road runs 60 miles down to the plains and to Tezpur, which with a population of about 30,000, is a river and rail link. The reports said there was panic in Tezpur, where an Indian Army corps headquarters is located, with people already leaving the town. Steamers on the Brahmaputra river were said to have been requisitioned to carry refugees. Mr Nehru went on the air at a few minutes’ notice to tell Indians of the capture of Bomdila (papulation 2000) only a matter of hours after his announcement in Parliament that the ridge of Se La had been captured. In his broadcast, Mr Nehru said India would fight to the end, and that end would be victory. He said India would not accept any terms. Mr Nehru thanked Britain and the United States for their speedy help. “We shall require more and we have asked for it,’’ he said. “For this is a game of life and death for the millions in this country.’’ Mr Nehru was howled down by angry Opposition members in the Lower House when he refused to give any more details about measures for the defence of Assam, the British United Press reported.

These maps show the areas at the western and eastern ends of the Indian-Chinese frontier where the Chinese are attacking. The McMahon Line is claimed as the border by India in its North - east Frontier Agency.

He sat impassively as member after member from all Opposition parties—except the Communists—rose and demanded that he be more explicit and take Parliament into his confidence. The Speaker found it difficult to control the noisy debate. According to British businessmen in New Delhi the British have about £5OO million invested in tea in Assam.

Tea is India’s biggest foreign exchange-earner. At present a lot of tea remains unshipped on the estates because of a six-week-old strike of Pakistani boatmen who normally carry the tea down East Pakistan waterways to Calcutta.

Further falls up to 4s took place in tea company share deals on the London Stock Exchange yesterday, after new; of the threat to Assam. Tea, as opposed to tea shares, was in strong demand on the London market. Prices showed gains of between Id to 4d per lb. Tea brokers reported no panic rise in prices. “There is enough tea on its way from India and in hand to maintain Northern Indian sales up to the middle of January,’’ a broker said. Lieutenant-General J. M. Choudhary today was named the new Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, the British United Press reported. This was announced by Mr Nehru, who told Parliament that Lieutenant-General P. N. Thapar had applied for long leave on the grounds of health.

There was some controversy when General Thapar was appointed Commander-in-Chief by Mr Krishna Menon, the former Minister of Defence. Although the terse Government communiques fail to show it, it appears that the bulk of India's best and most famous infantry division — a descendant of the famed Fourth Indian Division of World War II —is cut off from the road route to the Assam plains, the British United Press reported.