People of Assam, we'll fight to the end until it's victory for us: Nehru during Chinese invasion

The Print

03-08-2025

Now today I have to tell you of further set-backs which have occurred in the last two or three days and even today. Huge Chinese armies have been marching in the northern part of the North East Frontier Agency and we have suffered reverses at Walong, on the Sela Ridge and today Bomdila — a small town in NEFA — has also fallen. In the North also in Ladakh, in the Chushul area, the Chinese have been attacking fiercely, though they have been held.
Nearly a month ago I spoke to you on the radio and told you of the Chinese invasion of India. They had come across our frontier in the North East Frontier Agency. At first in small numbers and then in ever increasing numbers, and suddenly on the 20th October they had made a massive attack with overwhelming numbers on our military posts and our forces stationed there. That was a severe set-back for us and it naturally grieved us.
Now what has happened is very serious and very saddening to us and I can well understand what our friends in Assam must be feeling because all this is happening on their doorstep, one might say. I want to tell them that we feel very much for them and that we shall help them to the utmost of our ability. We may not be able always to succeed in what we are trying now because of various factors and of the overwhelming numbers of the Chinese forces, but I want to take a pledge to them, here and now, that we shall see this matter to the end and the end will have to be victory for India.
We are not going to tolerate this kind of invasion of India by any foreign country. This is the first war of independent India to maintain her independence. And India is not going to lose this war, however long it lasts and whatever harm it may do us meanwhile.
Therefore, on this day which has been a sad day for us bringing news of reverses and set-backs, I want to send my greetings to the people of Assam specially, to the people of NEFA, and to the rest of India, and to tell them that we must not get worried about this. Sad we must be necessarily, but we must train ourselves and steel ourselves to meet all these reverses and to even make our determination still firmer to do all that we can to repel and throw out the invader from India.
We shall not be content till that invader goes out of India or is pushed out. We shall not accept any terms that he may offer because he may think that we are a little frightened by some set-backs. I want to make that clear to all of you and more specially to our countrymen in Assam, to whom our heart goes out at this moment.
There has been a great deal of expression of determination in India, great enthusiasm, which has heartened us. People, even the very poor, have contributed to our funds, defence funds, and in many ways, people have shown their determination. I hope that this will continue in ever increasing measure and any set-backs that may come, in this war which has been thrust upon us, will not permit us to waver in our determination, because we will not waver.
We shall carry out this fight which has been thrust upon us to the end, and that end is going to be victory for us, whatever in between there might be. So, with that pledge to you, I want to end; I do not wish any person to doubt what the end will be, and I do not want any Indian — man or woman or child — to get dismayed because the Chinese forces have won some successes at this beginning. This is war, and in war successes come and failures come also. What counts is the end, not the intermediary stages of that war.
So, at present, I shall only say this to you, I shall not say much. I hope in future to keep in touch with you, a little more frequently to tell you what is happening and to mobilise the nation to meet this grave menace. For this menace is not of Assam or Ladakh or of India only; it is a menace for Asia and a menace for the entire world.
We see the most, the grossest form of imperialism functioning here across our borders in India. China has said often enough that it is anti-imperialist. Now we see this so-called anti-imperialist country becoming itself an imperialist of the worst kind and committing aggression and invading a friendly country without rhyme or reason or excuse and justifying it by saying that they are being attacked. I must confess, that I have seldom come across such a travesty of truth and of decency in international behaviour.
We must stand up for it, not only we but all decent-minded persons and decent-minded countries who value their freedom, anywhere in Asia or Africa or in Europe or America.
I should like to say that we are grateful for the speedy help that came to us from our friendly countries abroad, more especially from the United States and the United Kingdom. We shall require more help and we have asked them for it and we shall certainly use all the help they can give us, because this is a matter of survival for us.
It is not a game that we are playing or if you like, it is a game of life and death. The life and death of a nation and the life and death of millions in this country, and we are going ahead whatever happens, with the firm conviction of the rightness of our cause and that success and victory will be ours.
I want you to join in this conviction and not to be downhearted at any time.
And so, let us all say today with real meaning, repeat our old cry: Jai Hind!