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General Thimmayya's ResignationIn 1959, the Chinese had extended their occupation of Aksai Chin, illegally ceded to

them by Pakistan, by taking over the heights overlooking Chushul and e!ang "a# $he

Chinese openly re%ected the &c&ohan "ine as the international boundary bet'een Chinaand India, and declared that $ibet 'as an (inalienable part of China#( $he Indian armed

forces 'ere in a poor state# $here 'as pressure to reduce the defence budget, 'hich 'as

already lo' at %ust s )*5 crore# +eneral #-# $himayya, Chief of Army -taff, conductedt'o exercises cum 'ar games in the .astern and /estern $heatres# ($immy( personally

directed the exercises, 'ith &a%or +eneral P#P# umaramangalam leading a force acting

as the Chinese# $he main conclusion of .xercise "al 0ila in the orth .ast 2rontier Area,

led by &a%or +eneral -#P#P# $horat, 'as that available troop and e3uipment levels 'ouldnot be sufficient to contain or even delay the Chinese aggression# Combined 'ith the

results of the other exercise, -heel, in -himla, an increase in forces and an initial

deployment pattern 'as recommended by Army 4ead3uarters to the &inistry of efence,headed by 6## rishna &enon# 7ut 'hen it reached &enon, he shelved it, finally taking

it up only after much prodding# A meeting 'as organised, and he asked $immy to explain

the rationale for such a large force# $he C8A- duly did so, only to have &enon declarethat it 'as (too much( and it needed to be (pruned do'n#( $immy resisted# And &enons

stand changed from discussion to confrontation# .xcerpts from Thimayya, An Amazing

Life.

$himayya 'as a'are that the minister of defence had been (not too happy( 'ith the

earlier recommendations based on .xercises "al 0ila and -heel but he attributed it to his

perspective nuances as 'ell as comprehension# After all, it 'as his %ob to make the primeminister, defence minister and president understand the strategic re3uirements of defence

of the border and the country# one of them 'as a military man, nor exposed to the

process of strategic thinking# 4e 'as perturbed at the (bickering( as he called it, that hadensued bet'een him and &enon a month earlier#

$he overall deduction of the study in early 1959 sa' clearly the (Chinese intention of

crossing the ubicon( and that ('ith the present state of development, the Chinese couldlaunch a ma%or incursion across any part of the border or create a situation 'here there

'ould be the likelihood of a ma%or operation taking place unless threatened by ma%or

retaliatory action by India#(

$himayya 'as getting disenchanted, terribly disappointed that his (brilliant boss,( 'as

refusing to see reality#

&enon 'as the dictator 'hom the service chiefs chose to secretly nickname (+od

Almighty#( Another problem 'ith &enon, as observed by avy Chief ## atari, 'ashis (inherently devious 'ays#( 4e 'ould even go to the extent of tempting any officer

pliant enough to be cultivated# In doing so, he often ran into the unexpected# &a%or+eneral &aneksha', for example, 'as asked by &enon 'hat he thought of +eneral

$himayya, -am, blunt as ever, replied, (-ir, as a %unior officer, 'e are not permitted to

express an opinion on our superior officer# /e respect our seniors and 'e have no t'oopinions on it#( $hat 'as a good enough rebuff to see that a (rebellious( -am 'as (fixed(

at a suitable time:

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7ecause &enon ;contrary to his o'n tall claims< could understand neither technical nor

tactical issues, he 'ould call %unior officers directly to explain cases to him although the

same 'ould already have been done by the chiefs themselves or their P-8s and directors#/orse still, he 'ould issue orders to the chiefs through these officers# $his did not appeal

to the disciplined minds of the defence services# /hen the chiefs tried to explain the

established ethos, protocol and operating procedures as norms for the services, he 'ouldnot only get angry but also sho' contempt for their suggestions#

(I 'ill not be bound by your sterile rules and procedures,( he once told his chiefs

angrily,( and I kno' ho' to manage the services# I 'ill call any one, any time and forthat I need no permission from you#(

$he prime cause of differences, besides &enons abrasive personality, 'as one of

perspectives# 2or, the chiefs, principally $himayya, advocated that the strategy to beadopted by India against the t'o perceived enemies it faced had to be (dissuasive#( $ime

and again, he 'ould explain assiduously that it implied the (adoption of a strategy of

ade3uate and appreciable counterpoise, causing damage to the aggressor, by strikingdeeper inside his territory and thus forcing him to recoil from his aggression# (4e 'ould

then explain through individual cases# Against China, he 'ould emphasise that the

strategy had to be one of a calibrated response = a mix of defensive>offensive posturesthat 'ould be viable# 7ut because Indian defence capability against China 'as limited, it

had to be one of a mix of the military and diplomacy# It had to go along 'ith a diplomatic

flexibility of give and take# Concurrently, for the defensive capability to be effective, abuild>up on the border, and raising and e3uipping of forces 'ere imperative? so 'ere

improvement in logistics and communications# It called for an immediate evaluation of

the threat posed, in both long and short periods of time#

&enons perspective 'as different# 4e harped on India>China friendship, 'hile Pakistan

to him 'as like a red rag to a bull# 4e sa' no need for the gro'th of the army at the rate

that $himayya regarded as inescapable# 4e, ho'ever, accepted the need formodernisation, but only at his o'n pace of inducting indigenous e3uipment and arms# 4e'as so obsessed 'ith the public sector under the &o, that the private sector dealing

'ith defence production 'as ignored, starved to such an extent that they rebelled and

cultivated the 8pposition#

&enons concept of indigenisation of defence industry and production, nonetheless, 'as

a plausible one# 7ut the policy he follo'ed had mixed results due primarily to his o'n

limited vision, obfuscation of priorities and obdurate belief in his o'n infallibility ineverything, including tactics and strategy#

(If only tactics and strategy 'ere so simple,( reflected $himayya, 'hy 'ould he andother masters, have 'asted their life>time to learn, practise and relearn them# 4e began to

'onder if &enon 'ould ever develop the humility to learn from others or 'ould continueto bully and bluster# $hen as if to exert his rights, as he had conveyed to them earlier,

&enon began to call the chiefs for (consultations,( at all hours of the day and even at oddhours of the night, at his home, at the office, at the airport and rail'ay stations# In the

office especially, they 'ould have to 'ait in an ante>room 'hile he scribbled through

files, made long telephone calls, or dealt 'ith other visitors, a number of 'hom 'ould besitting 'ith him inside or 'aiting outside#

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8n August @, 1959, the ne's of a fresh Chinese intrusion into hin!emane, in orth .ast

2rontier Area ;.2A

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Btame him along 'ith the other service chiefs#( 4e advised &enon not to talk to atari

and &uker%ee as he already had talked to them# (ont let them take up a collective

stand,( 'as the final 'ord of counselling#

$himayya met &enon on the evening of August 1# ressed in a %acket and slacks,

$himayya 'alked in and 'ished the minister before sitting do'n# 4e gave him a

summary of his meeting 'ith the prime minister, the ensuing discussion on defencepreparedness for the Chinese border, and, ho' things needed to be expedited# &enon

asked $himayya as to 'hy he had met the prime minister 'ithout his permission# (It 'as

the prime minister 'ho asked me to give him an update,( said $himayya#

&enon told $himayya that he had no business to meet the prime minister 'ithout his

specific approval# $himayya reiterated that the prime minister desired to kno' about the

preparedness, and the state of morale of the services, and he told him nothing that he had,over the period of 1D months or so, not discussed 'ith the minister#

7ut &enon 'as furious and finally saidE (o, +eneral# Its do'nright disloyalty andimpropriety#( $o this, $himayya saidE (I make no allegations# Fou can call the other

chiefs too# $hey 'ill say the same that they and I have continuously said = that theservices are being neglected and that their morale is lo'ering# $hese are the facts that 'e

have told you earlier and the prime minister no'# I am reiterating that by speakingcandidly I and other chiefs are being loyal to you, the government and country# $hats

'hat loyalty means to me#(

$himayya sa' no point in carrying on the conversation further 'ith &enon# eeply hurt

at his remarks, he got up and saidE (I have never been disloyal to anyone, least of all to

you, my country and the government#(

;&enon shouted at top of his voice

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$hat night, $himayya thought and re>thought about thro'ing a'ay a career, the great

honour the country had besto'ed upon him and the trust his officers and men had

reposed in him# It 'as one of the saddest nights of his lifeHD5#

Putting his arm around $himayyas shoulders, ehru asked him 'hy he hadnt met him,

rather than sending in his resignation# (Please 'ithdra' it straight a'ay,( ordered a

visibly annoyed prime minister# (I 'ill see you again at @ p#m# 'ith a letter 'ithdra'ingyour resignation# In the mean'hile, I am keeping the letter 'ith me#( 4e then asked him

to return at @ p#m#(

In the mean'hile, atari had informed &uker%ee, by no' in "ondon, that $himayya had

submitted his resignation and he 'as follo'ing suit# 4e expected &uker%ee to do so,

although he made no such specific suggestion# 4e 'as expected to naturally follo' them#

$he period bet'een #)* p#m# and @ p#m# 'as used by ehru to control the damage 'hichthe resignation of the chiefs 'ould cause to the government, the services morale, and the

gains the enemy 'ould make#

ehru rang up atari and told him that he had called $himayya and he 'as 'ithdra'ing

his resignation and he should not entertain any such proposal# ;A similar message 'ent to&uker%ee through the 4igh Commission#< 4e told him that $himayya 'ould meet him

again in the evening and he should meet him at 9#)* p#m#

-o by the time $himayya arrived at the $een &urti residence of the prime minister at @

pm through a carefully articulated manoeuvre, ehru had distanced the other chiefs from$himayya by (talking them out of it#( &enon too 'as asked to keep a draft of his

resignation handy# An emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee of the Parliament

'as also called#

And then he ;ehru< began to 'in over $immy 'ith his charm but $himayya said that he

had not changed his mind and instead urged the prime minister to accept his resignation#

In his defence, he arguedE ($hats the only honourable course left to me and the other

chiefs# /hen professional advice and recommendations are flouted at the drop of a hat,the chief loses his place and importance#( ehru, ho'ever, saidE (/e have sufficient

problems# And at this moment of crisis, one should not do anything to encourage

opponents or the enemy# -houldnt it be so, $immy

$himayya further explained that it 'as indeed a (moment of crisis( and it 'as his loyalty

to him and his sense of patriotism to the country that had really moved him to sacrifice

his %ob# 7ut he repeated that &enon as defence minister had (made it impossible( for himand the other chiefs to 'ork as head of the services, and unless &enon 'as moved out of

defence, there could be little progress# 7ut he understood that as this obviously could not

be agreed to by the prime minister, he = and the other chiefs = should step aside, and,

therefore, his submission of his resignation# ehru admitted that &enon 'as a (difficultman(, but he 'as simply (brilliant( and 'as doing service to defence 'hich no one

earlier had done# $himayya agreed, but suggested that his methods of (man>management('ere (outrageous( and even his brilliance 'as that of an (8xford professor of

philosophy( rather than of a man dealing 'ith the countrys defence forces 'hich have to

be prepared to fight enemies#

And, finally, he truthfully said to his prime ministerE (/ith the present state of the army,

I can hardly assure success# /e are not prepared# All my efforts = as also of others =

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have failed for the past to )* months to make the armed forces a viable defence force#

-o let someone else do the %ob### I re3uest my resignation be kindly accepted#(

ehru heard him out and said he agreed# $hen he pleaded 'ith $himayyaE ($immy, I ask

you to 'ithdra' this resignation# I, as your elder and not necessarily your prime minister,

am re3uesting you to do so# I promise to restore dignity to you and the other service

chiefs offices# /e have to fight an enemy# 2or my sake, 'ithdra' it#(

At 9#)* pm atari had met ehru 'ho told him that they 'ere (ganging up( against

&enon and that ($himayya had 'ithdra'n his resignation( = both factually 'rong#atari, then decided to call off handing in his letter of resignation 'ithout even checking

'ith $himayya#( /hether it 'as the charm of the prime minister or fear of retribution or

the 'eakness of atari = and &uker%ee = one 'ill never kno'# 7ut enormous damage

'as done to the chiefs solidarity#

8n the morning of -eptember 1, the Capital a'oke alarmed in the 'ake of the disturbing

disclosures in the Press about $himayyas resignation ;'hich he had, by then,'ithdra'nresign( 'ithout a second thought, andexpose the duo#

4e said he had accepted the advice and the assurances of his prime minister and had

'ithdra'n his resignation# (2or, in a democracy, a resignation is the only constitutionalsafeguard to a service chief against incompetent, unscrupulous or ambitious politicians,(

he murmured#

$he 'ithdra'al of his resignation had its negative effectsE $himayya lost his hold over

some of the officers 'ho deified him and could not see him being humiliated## it forfeited

the giving of a %olt to ehru, 'ho not only seemed to link $himayyas resignation 'ith a

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hypothetically (3uestioning civilian supremacy( ;and indirectly, a propensity for

attempting a coup< but ehru got a free run to'ards brinkmanship, leading to the debacle

of 19K# 4ad $himayya resigned, it 'as felt by the observers of the events of that period,the Indian government 'ould have been forced to do some serious thinking about the

Chinese threat and done a (course correction#(

Comments

7y

neta tab bhi chutiye the #####babus tab bhi haram!ade the####fau%i tab bhi budhhu the######

7y

neta tab bhi chutiye the #####babus tab bhi haram!ade the####fau%i tab bhi budhhu the######ab

bhi 'ahi ho raha hai###phir se 19K hoga#####

aa% to fau% mein dum bhi nahi protest karne ki#####