After this, Nehru departed for Colombo. At the airport, journalists surrounded him with a volley of questions. What is going on at the border? How many Indians have been injured? How many have been killed? Is it true that in the Dhola area six Indian soldiers have been killed, eleven have been injured and seven have gone missing? What steps has your government taken to expel Chinese soldiers?

What was Nehru thinking at that time? If he told the truth, would the journalists think that India had moved back fearing the Chinese? How could he contradict his own confident statements to the effect that India would oust the Chinese from Indian soil? What would that do to Nehru’s image? Would Nehru, the undisputed leader of Asia, bow down before the Premier of Red China, a state that was established after India became independent? Would he let China lead Asia?

How can Nehru accept a lower position? Can Nehru, the chief spokesman of the Non-Aligned Movement, the proponent of Panchsheel, the leader of the Indian freedom struggle, admit publicly the truth that Indian defence was not adequate to challenge China? Can he tell journalists that he did not study the ground situation personally as he was busy with world politics? That his statements were on the basis of the reports provided by the Defence Minister Menon and the high officials of the Army who were Menon loyalists?

No, he cannot.

He cannot expose that weakness. The enemy will be encouraged. His position would become weak in world politics. The world’s statesmen would look down on him.

Perhaps for this reason he made certain statements in the impulse of the moment: ‘Indian Army has been ordered to drive the Chinese troops from Indian territory on the northeast frontier … There is no question of any negotiation with China till it stops attacks at the NEFA frontier.’

Was that a wise step? Did Nehru do the right thing? Will the statement given by Nehru not give a chance to the Chinese to attack India? Should one speak of war when one does not have the strength to fight? Was it right for Nehru to play with the life of common people and the soldiers just to save his image?

At this crucial moment we need a statesman who is determined and has forethought, instead of such emotional leadership and hollow speeches …

Pulok looked up from the pages and said, ‘It is very good, Narayan. When did you write it?’