History Archive

  • The Delhi High Court on July 16 directed the Union government to place before it the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Report. The court issued a notice to the government to file its response on a petition filed by veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar. The report, lying with the Defence Ministry for over 45 years now, was a result of the government inquiry into the humiliating defeat at the hands of China in the 1962 border war. The Government of India still treats the report as a classified document and have no concrete reasons for not making it public after so many years. The Indian government's record in declassifying past records is appalling compared to mature democracies like the United States where even war secrets are declassified after the usual 30-year period. And in the "world's largest democracy" important documents relating to our history are not made public on flimsy grounds.

    Declassify 1962 India-China war report

    Posted on July 20, 2009 | 5 Comments
    The Delhi High Court on July 16 directed the Union government to place before it the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Report. The court issued a notice to the government to file its response on a petition filed by veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar. The report, lying with the Defence Ministry for over 45 years now, was a result of the government inquiry into the humiliating defeat at the hands of China in the 1962 border war. The Government of India still treats the report as a classified document and have no concrete reasons for not making it public after so many years. The Indian government's record in declassifying past records is appalling compared to mature democracies like the United States where even war secrets are declassified after the usual 30-year period. And in the "world's largest democracy" important documents relating to our history are not made public on flimsy grounds.

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  • Photograph of President Truman shaking hands with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India upon Nehru's arrival at Washington National Airport, while Indira Gandhi disembarks from the President's airplane, "The Independence".

    Historical photos of Nehru’s US visit

    Posted on March 25, 2009 | 2 Comments
    Photograph of President Truman shaking hands with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India upon Nehru's arrival at Washington National Airport, while Indira Gandhi disembarks from the President's airplane, "The Independence".

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  • There are different views on the Indian policy towards China and the Tibet issue. I will write more on that some other day. I have reproduced here the letter written by then Deputy Prime Minister of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on November 7, 1950 on Tibet issue. The letter throws light on the thought process of the Indian government vis-a-vis Tibet and China in the initial years after the independence.

    Sardar Patel’s letter to Nehru on Tibet

    Posted on March 11, 2009 | 1 Comment
    There are different views on the Indian policy towards China and the Tibet issue. I will write more on that some other day. I have reproduced here the letter written by then Deputy Prime Minister of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on November 7, 1950 on Tibet issue. The letter throws light on the thought process of the Indian government vis-a-vis Tibet and China in the initial years after the independence.

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  • When Mrs Indira Gandhi again became Prime Minister in 1980, she recalled Kao from his retirement and appointed him as her senior advisor on internal and external developments. She used to consult him on political and intelligence matters. His professional guidance was of general nature. In one major development, when Mrs Gandhi wanted to go USA she was not getting her choice of appointment date with the US President through External Affairs Ministry channels. Kao through his friend George Bush Senior – who was then US Ambassador in China – arranged her meeting with the US President.

    Remembering the legendary Kao

    Posted on January 15, 2009 | 1 Comment
    When Mrs Indira Gandhi again became Prime Minister in 1980, she recalled Kao from his retirement and appointed him as her senior advisor on internal and external developments. She used to consult him on political and intelligence matters. His professional guidance was of general nature. In one major development, when Mrs Gandhi wanted to go USA she was not getting her choice of appointment date with the US President through External Affairs Ministry channels. Kao through his friend George Bush Senior – who was then US Ambassador in China – arranged her meeting with the US President.

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