It was in the second week of October 1962 that the chill first set in the bilateral ties with the first skirmish, resulting in deaths on both sides

New Delhi: Much as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping would want to put the 1962 conflict behind them, the unresolved boundary question, despite the fact that it has been relatively peaceful over the past five decades, serves as a constant reminder, especially when both leaders meet at an informal setting in Mamallapuram.

The Doklam standoff is what prompted an informal summit in Wuhan. This time, it’s Chinese belligerence on the Kashmir issue that provides an edgy backdrop to the meet. China reacted sharply after India withdrew Article 370 from J&K and turned Ladakh into a Union territory, assuming this altered India’s orientation on the border dispute. India had to go the extra length to assure China that this was an internal matter.

Interestingly, it was in the second week of October 1962 that the chill first set in the bilateral ties with the first skirmish, resulting in deaths on both sides. While the uneasy build-up had begun in 1959, the trigger to the war was when India tried to send help for its soldiers on Dhola Post along the Thag La Ridge in Arunachal Pradesh, which had been surrounded by a large number of Chinese troops.

As per declassified records, Chinese forces fired at the post on September 20, 1962. This face-off continued until October 3, when the Chinese side proposed talks on October 15. That note, however, provided the first negative description of the McMahon Line. China called it “merely a line drawn by a Briton on a map at will, without any basis - a line without any legal or practical value”. India responded positively on October 6 but said China had to first withdraw from positions it had occupied south of the MacMahon Line. That was the last constructive message, after which records show all messages were essentially trading allegations.

The Indian Army then planned to come to the rescue of its soldiers at Dhola post. On October 9, a company of the Punjab Regiment was sent to capture Tseng-Jong, a halfway point to the top of the Thag La ridge. They came under attack and six personnel, including an officer, was killed in the battle.

That was when India first realised China was ready for a war. Then newly appointed 4 Corps Commander Lt Gen BM Kaul, who later resigned following the 1962 debacle, is said to have famously remarked after the incident: “Oh my God, you are right, they mean business.”

On October 13, PM Jawaharlal Nehru said in response to a media query: “Our instructions are to free our territory… I cannot fix a date that is entirely for the Army to decide.” Hostilities began within the week that eventually saw the commencement of a month-long conflict from October 20, 1962.

But to their credit, India and China have managed to keep the disputed boundary calm for five decades. Yet, the overhang remains because rivalry has continued despite mature management. It’s in this context that regular Modi-Xi meets like this acquire significance, helping to keep the conversation alive even if meeting points may be difficult to find.