New Delhi, Feb 06 : Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Commission report on India’s 1962 war with China has remained classified for more than six decades, stressing that sensitive defence issues should not be turned into political tools.
In a post on X, Rijiju stated that the internal review had held the then government accountable for the military setback against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. He noted, however, that successive administrations have chosen not to make the document public due to national security considerations. The minister added that the present leadership has also maintained this position, emphasising the need for maturity while handling defence-related information.
Background of the classified report
The Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report was authored by Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks and Brigadier Premindra Singh Bhagat at the direction of Acting Army Chief General J.N. Chaudhuri following the 1962 conflict. The study examined operational shortcomings within the Indian Army during the war and has never been officially released.
Rijiju also highlighted recent infrastructure progress along India’s frontier, recalling his visit to Arunachal Pradesh and interactions with soldiers stationed near the border, which he said reflected the country’s strengthened defence preparedness.
Link to the current parliamentary dispute
The minister’s remarks come amid escalating friction in Parliament after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was prevented from citing what was described as an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address.
Gandhi claimed the manuscript referenced instructions given to the Army during a tense phase of the India-China standoff. Treasury bench members objected, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh insisting that material from an unpublished work should not be presented in the House. Home Minister Amit Shah also accused the opposition of breaching parliamentary norms.
The confrontation triggered repeated adjournments, and eight Congress MPs were eventually suspended for disorderly conduct. In an unusual development, the Lok Sabha later cleared the motion of thanks without the Prime Minister’s reply a rarity not seen in over two decades after the Speaker cited concerns about planned protests.
Naravane’s memoir, initially expected to release in 2024, is believed to have been delayed because of potentially sensitive operational references related to the border situation with China. Ties between the two nations have remained strained since the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020, the first fatal encounter along the frontier in decades.