Make records of 1962 Sino-Indian war public: Army

Army Chief General JJ Singh has sought de-classification of the war records of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars so that soldiers and others could draw lessons from these conflicts.

Three days before hanging up his boots, Army Chief General JJ Singh has sought de-classification of the war records of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars so that soldiers and others could draw lessons from these conflicts.

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"War histories of 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, and 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars should be made public," he said at the release of a coffee table book here on army titled 'Army, An Illustrated View'.

The Army chief also suggested that more historians and experts on military affairs write on these conflicts.

Even 45 years after the Chinese and Indian troops fought the 1962 wars across their icy Himalayan borders, Government is yet to make public the official war records of the conflict.

Though the official war history of 1962 as well as 1965 and 1971 wars is ready, the Defence Ministry as well as the Government are yet to declassify the records.

Till date only the official war records of 1948 Indo-Pak conflict penned down by two eminent historians of the Defence Ministry have been officially released.

"There may have been lapses," conceded the Army Chief about the conduct of the 1962 operations, but they should be made public so that military strategist as well as historians draw the right lessons from them.