... Really speaking, what started happening from 1959 was some sort of border trouble. Let us try to understand what the assessment of the Government then was. Even when the trouble started, even when the Chinese army entered Indian territory, what was Government supposed to do ? Some people have asked why the Prime Minister said “ throw them out “. Would they have expected the Prime Minister to send them a welcome song and bouquets ? Really speaking, it was certainly a political guidance that the invading army must he thrown out. What else should be there, how to do it and when to do it, was certainly a military proposition, and I must say with all the responsibility that I command that there was no political interference so far as that part is concerned. Suppose tomorrow the armies of the enemy start coming in, what would you expect the Defence Minister to do ? Political guidance will have to be given. The civil authorities must guide the army because the army is the instrument of the civil power. When the enemy was entering our country, nothing else could have been done. So the Prime Minister was very much right in saying that it should be thrown out. But to throw it out, what preparation should be done for that, when it is to be done, these were certainly left to the military officers and military leadership. We were very clear about it and I have no doubt in my mind that there was anything hanky-panky about this matter.

... So, this is the main approach from which we will have to look at it. When suddenly an enemy who had prepared for an offensive started entering, certainly we found that it was rather difficult to induct a large number of people there. Whatever number we tried to induct, we found that they were not acclimatised. Certainly the weapons could not be sent to the right place in the right time. That was the problem. These are some of the defects and deficiencies and lessons that we have learnt. I think we have not merely learnt them well hut we will have to correct them in the future.

I must now come to the speech of my hon. friend, Mr. Vajpayee. I can say that whatever useful suggestions all the hon. Members have made, I have taken note of them and I will try to make use of them. But on some of the points they have made I must give some explanations. About the military intelligence, I do not think the House would expect me to give in detail what we are doing and what we are not doing. It would he absolutely wrong of me to go into those things. But he made mention of some of the instances. He made mention of one instance that we are using some Chinese people to teach us Chinese. What is wrong in it ? May I tell the hon. Member that he forgets that there are two Chinas, and we certainly want to make use of the other China. (Interruptions). Please listen to me. It is a mistake to think that those people are a part of the Directorate of Military Intelligence. We are merely making use of them as instructors in the Chinese language. What else one can do ? Certainly we have to send our people for training to other places in other countries. Certainly we have to do that. Well, I would like to assure the hon. Members that we are not depending merely on Chinese teachers. We have got other teachers also in the Chinese language. But there is nothing wrong in these things. Merely because there is a Chinese teacher we should not get frightened. When we get the Chinese teachers, we are very much certain that they are not going to make wrong use of their stay in India, and it is quite safe to make use of them.