Jawaharlal Nehru’s radio speech during 1962 war still hurts Assam

TEZPUR, ASSAM: Fifty years on, Jawaharlal Nehru’s role in the 1962 war is still talked about in Assam. After his speech on All India Radio following the fall of Bomdila, many in Assam felt he was not concerned about the Brahmaputra Valley. Some veteran Congressmen though believe the people misunderstood him.

On November 20, 1962, Nehru said, “Huge Chinese armies have been marching in the northern part of NEFA. We have had reverses at Walong, Se La, and today Bomdila, a small town in NEFA, has also fallen. We shall not rest till the invader goes out of India or is pushed out. I want to make that clear to all of you, and, especially our countrymen in Assam, to whom our heart goes out at this moment.”

Atul Saikia (77), a resident of Tezpur, said, “Assam was almost given away to China when Nehru announced ‘my heart goes out to the people of Assam’ on the radio.”

Nalini Deka, a retired school teacher, said, “I was very young then. Someone explained to me Nehru’s speech. I realized if the PM was so helpless, how could the common people withstand an attack by the Chinese? We were left in the lurch.”