India wouldn't have faced reverses in 1962 War if nation had strong leadership, says Arunachal governor

Itanagar: Exhorting Army personnel to prepare for any and every eventuality along the borders, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra on Saturday said India would not have faced “reverses” against China in 1962 if the country back then had a strong leadership, a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan here said. Addressing a sainik sanmelan’ at the operational base of the 14th battalion of Rajput Regiment in Changlang district, the governor pointed out that the country should never lower its guard. “If India had a strong leadership in 1962, we would not have had any reverses against China. Now, the field equations have changed. India is one of the most powerful armed forces in the world. However, we should not lower our guards. Every soldier must prepare himself for any eventuality on our borders,” the governor said. Mishra also said that the Centre, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is always concerned about the welfare of Army troopers. “There is a sea change in the attitude of the government towards the security forces. Now the apex political leadership is highly concerned about the wellbeing of security personnel,” he stated. He called upon the personnel to maintain discipline, train themselves hard and share an affable relationship with civilians. “If the men in uniform are determined, they will be successful in all their endeavours, he said. The governor, who had participated in 1965 India-Pakistan war with the regiment as company commander, lauded the proficiency of the battalion and its soldiers. As a token of appreciation, Mishra also made a contribution for the regiment’s ‘Bara Khana’ on this occasion, the statement added.