About 62 years of The Battle of Walong: UPSC Current Affairs

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Picture Courtesy: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-army-lines-up-month-long-commemorative-events-to-mark-62-years-of-battle-of-walong/article68760497.ece

Context:

The Indian Army observing the 62nd anniversary of the Battle of Walong.

About the Battle of Walong

The Battle of Walong was fought during the Sino-Indian War of 1962. It took place near the town of Walong in Arunachal Pradesh.

Background

The Sino-Indian War in 1962 was started from the long-standing border disputes between India and China. One of the issues was the McMahon Line, a boundary set in 1914 that China did not accept.

By October 1962, Chinese troops began moving into Indian territory, and the Indian Army had to defend its positions along the border.

About The Battle

The battle was started on October 21, 1962, with Chinese forces attacking the Indian Border in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Indian defense was led by the 11th Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier N.C. Rawlley. The key units involved were the 4th Sikh Regiment and the 6th Kumaon Regiment.

Initially, the Chinese army had about 4,000 soldiers, and slowly they deployed around 15,000 soldiers, while the Indian army had roughly 800 soldiers, the circumstances gave a clear advantage to the Chinese army.

The battle was fought in extremely difficult conditions, with high altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 14,000 feet, the area was isolated, with no roads leading in or out.

Despite having limited ammunition and supplies, the Indian soldiers fought bravely until the end, earning the respect worldwide.

Indian Soldiers were outnumbered and under-equipped as compared to the Chinese army, however, against all odds they put up a strong defense for almost a month. They used the difficult topography to their advantage, placing traps and surprise attacks to slow the Chinese attack.

Key Events

From November 14 to 16, the 6 Kumaon battalion launched a counterattack, which was the only counterattack by India during the entire war.

By November 16, after suffering heavy losses and running low on supplies, Indian forces received orders to withdraw. The Chinese took control of Walong, but the Indian resistance had significantly delayed their advance.

After the Battle

The Battle of Walong is remembered for the bravery of Indian soldiers who fought against all kinds of difficulties, and their efforts delayed the Chinese forces, which allowed the Indian Army time to regroup and prepare against the Chinese invasion.

The Sino-Indian War ended shortly after this battle, with China declaring a ceasefire on November 21, 1962.

Must Read Articles:

INDIA-CHINA BORDER TALKS

Source:

The Hindu

Wikipedia

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided:

Assertion (A): The Battle of Walong was a significant engagement in the Sino-Indian War.

Reason (R): Indian forces successfully defended against the Chinese force.

Which of the options given below is correct?

A) Both A and R are correct, and R is the correct explanation for A.

B) Both A and R are correct, but R is not the correct explanation for A.

C) A is correct, but R is incorrect.

D) A is incorrect, but R is correct.

Answer: C

Explanation:

A is correct: The Battle of Walong was a significant engagement in the Sino-Indian War. This is correct because it was one of the key battles where Indian forces put up a strong resistance against the Chinese advance.

R is incorrect: Indian forces defended the borders against a much larger Chinese army for about 27 days. However, after suffering heavy losses and running low on supplies, Indian forces received orders to withdraw. The Chinese took control of Walong, but the Indian resistance had significantly delayed their advance.