| Summary/Abstract |
India and China share a 3,488km long disputed border, though China claims the border is only 2,000km. China also claims over a 100,000sqkm of India’s territory. The Sino-Indian border is a peculiar set of contradictions, being the longest disputed border in the world as also the most peaceful disputed border with the last shot fired in anger in October of 1975. A fragile peace exists ever since, with the disputed border being the ever present potential driver for conflict between the two nuclear armed neighbours, home to one third of humanity. The 1962 war was undoubtedly a debacle for India. Wars always bring out certain lessons, both for the victor and the vanquished. Though the Henderson Brooks report stays buried in secrecy, one lesson that India learned was that the nation needs an effective and professional armed force capable of defending its frontiers. It needs to be remembered that post 1947-1948, there was a belief at the highest political levels that army was not relevant to a peaceful India. India also shied away from constructing roads and building infrastructure along the Tibet border in a mistaken belief that lack of roads will degrade the China threat, and deter deep incursions in the event of another war.
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