Page 126 - Leadership in the Indian Army

were heavily outnumbered. He also ordered the brigade commander, who
was outside, not to fire, since this would lead to a massacre and India’s
position would become untenable.

Thorat found a POW who spoke English and started talking to the
prisoners through him. He asked them to release Major Grewal, but they
refused. Thorat then took out his cigarette case, but it was empty. He said:
‘What sort of Chinese are you? I and my men have been your guests for
about an hour but you have not offered us a cup of tea or even a cigarette.
Where is your traditional hospitality and the good manners for which your
race is renowned?’ The prisoner was bewildered by this remark, but turned

around and barked some orders. Soon mugs of tea and packets of cigarettes
appeared.
The situation changed as if by magic. The Chinese apologised and
brought Grewal to Thorat. He accepted their representation and promised to
forward it to the NNRC. They formed a guard of honour, and cheered
lustily as Thorat left the compound followed by the Indian troops. This

incident received wide publicity in the world press. After his return to India,
Thorat was awarded the Ashoka Chakra Class II (now called the Kirti
Chakra) and the Padma Shri for his courage, composure and presence of
mind in preventing an ugly situation which could have caused several
deaths.
On 15 October 1953, ‘explanations’ started. A large number of North
Korean and Chinese prisoners captured by the UN Command had refused to

be repatriated. The KPVA–CPV Command contended that this was because
the prisoners had been fed false information about the conditions prevailing
in their homelands. They argued that if they were given a chance to explain
things to them, the prisoners would change their minds. This was to be done
by teams from parent nations, who would be allowed to talk to each
prisoner, in camera. Every prisoner had to undergo the process of

‘explanation’, but was free to choose whether or not he wished to be
repatriated.
When the explanations started, the prisoners refused to come out of their
compounds. Thorat and his troops had a difficult time persuading them to
meet the teams. Sometimes they even had to use force to bring the prisoners
to the explanation tent. The prisoners often spat on the members of the
explanation team or beat them up. Occasionally, they even tried to rough up

the guards. If the troops used force, they would be denounced by the Swiss