Page 132 - Leadership in the Indian Army

party functionary would exert any pressure, or interfere in any manner with
the functioning of the commission. These orders remained in force even
after Chavan left for Delhi to replace Krishna Menon as Defence Minister,

and Vasantrao Naik became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Soon after Thorat was appointed Chairman of the Maharashtra State
Public Service Commission, Chavan met Krishna Menon during the annual
session of the Congress Party at Trivandrum. Menon casually remarked that
Chavan had made a mistake by giving Thorat such an important
appointment and advised him to reconsider his decision. Chavan smiled and
replied: ‘Mr Menon, I have never interfered or expressed any views about

your handling of defence matters. I would request you to show the same
courtesy to me as far as affairs of my state are concerned.’
After the Chinese overran the defences in NEFA in 1962, there was a lull
in the battle, which took place almost exactly as Thorat had predicted.
Nehru sent for him and asked: ‘Thorat, how could this have happened? You
were in Eastern Command. Did you have any inkling of this disaster?’

Thorat replied: ‘Yes sir. The possibility had occurred to us and the ministry
was warned.’ When he saw the paper that Thorat had sent him in October
1959, Nehru was stunned. ‘Why was this not shown to me?’ he asked.
Thorat suggested that perhaps the Defence Minister could answer this
question. At this Nehru exploded: ‘Menon, Menon! Why have you got your
knife into him? You people do not realise what an intellectual giant he is.’
Thorat said: ‘If he is, Sir, I have seen no evidence of it in the case under

consideration.’ Nehru glared at him angrily for a few seconds. Then he
smiled and said: ‘You know, Thorat, you Maharashtrians are like mules.
Normally you are good and docile, but once you dig your toes in, it is
impossible to dislodge you.’ The tension broke, and Nehru rang for some
tea. He once again became the affable Nehru that Thorat knew so well from
the days of the partition riots and after his return from Korea.

Nehru went on to discuss the possibility of the Chinese, who had declared
a ceasefire unilaterally, advancing into the Brahmaputra valley. Thorat told
him that they were unlikely to do so, since Chinese lines of communication
were already stretched, and they could not get their artillery and tanks
across the Himalayas. At this, Nehru perked up and invited Thorat to be a
member of the National Defence Council, which he was thinking of
forming.