Discussions regarding Indo-China relations following India’s independence often disproportionately emphasise India’s humiliating defeat in the 1962 War with China. However, the historical significance of the Nathu La skirmishes of 1967, which occurred merely five years after the 1962 conflict, has largely been overlooked. This incident exemplifies China’s display of arrogance and military overconfidence, stemming from their victory in 1962, against India, a nation that had only recently gained independence two decades earlier.
A significant point of contention in Indo-China relations is the unmarked 3,488-kilometre border that India shares with China, primarily due to China’s rejection of the McMahon Line, which delineated the boundaries between British India and China under the 1914 Shimla Accord. Instead, the People’s Republic of China has engaged in aggressive territorial claims, including invasions in the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh) in 1959 and subsequent actions in Aksai Chin, culminating in the 1962 military offensive. The ceasefire established in 1963, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), remains an informal ceasefire line and highlights the unresolved border dispute between the two nations.
The Nathu La pass, situated at 14,200 feet between Sikkim and Tibet, became a contentious border area in 1967. At that time, Sikkim was a semi-independent kingdom under Indian protection. Consequently, China engaged in propaganda efforts to prevent Sikkim’s integration into India. At Nathu La, Indian and Chinese soldiers were stationed merely 30 metres apart, with India controlling the southern shoulder and China the northern. However, China’s non-military intimidation tactics had been evident long before the violence escalated at Nathu La in September 1967. During India’s 1965 conflict with Pakistan, Beijing demanded that New Delhi vacate the Jelep La and Nathu La passes along the Sikkim border. In the summer of 1967, bilateral tensions rose amid China’s Cultural Revolution. China’s unlawful detention and public trial of two Indian diplomats on false espionage charges prompted India to deport Chinese diplomats from New Delhi. In mid-August, China intensified its intimidation tactics by installing 29 loudspeakers along the southern shoulder within the Sikkim border and engaging in minor skirmishes with Indian troops.
In response, Indian Major General Sagat Singh decided to erect a fence on the Indian side of the Nathu La border, with construction commencing on 20 August. Approximately 75 Chinese soldiers in battle dress approached the border to protest but later withdrew. A few days later, on 5 September, as fencing work progressed, a confrontation occurred between the Chinese Political Commissar and Lieutenant Colonel Rai Singh of the local infantry battalion, halting the work temporarily before it resumed two days later. During this time, China’s People’s Daily published a fabricated story alleging that Indian troops had crossed the border and attacked Chinese forces. About 100 Chinese Border Defence troops engaged in a scuffle, prompting a retaliatory response from Indian troops. On 10 September, China warned India through its embassy of “grave consequences” if New Delhi continued its “provocative intrusions.” Nevertheless, Major General Singh ordered the completion of the fence by 11 September. When construction resumed, Chinese troops returned to protest, and during a dialogue attempt by Lt Colonel Rai Singh, the Chinese opened fire on him, igniting the Indo-China military skirmish at Nathu La.
India’s infantry battalion responded but initially suffered due to the Chinese machine gun fire, resulting in the deaths of 70 Indian soldiers, including Captain Dagar of the 2 Grenadiers (later awarded the Vir Chakra) and Major Harbhajan Singh of the 18 Rajput (later awarded the Maha Vir Chakra), who displayed remarkable bravery until their last moments. However, India’s swift retaliation was notable. Indian troops countered the Chinese machine gun fire with artillery, destroying every Chinese post on the northern shoulder. This strong response caught the Chinese forces by surprise, leading them to threaten the use of warplanes, but they could not halt India’s heavy counterattacks. The exchange of fire lasted three days, resulting in 88 casualties among Indian soldiers and over 400 among Chinese troops. India’s military message of an unconditional ceasefire at the Sikkim-Tibet border was rejected by China, which remained blinded by its 1962 military victory and the humiliation it faced from India’s rapid comeback. Ultimately, a ceasefire was reached, and China’s humiliation was evident in its handling of the bodies of Indian soldiers, which it claimed was an act of “preserving Sino-Indian friendship.”
Before the 2020 Galwan clash, the Nathu La incident marked the last military standoff between India and China stemming from a military skirmish. The intense military training undertaken by Indian troops following the 1962 war culminated in the significant victory at the Nathu La skirmish in 1967, which became a watershed moment in the history of the Indian Army. China’s humiliating defeat served as a stark warning regarding India’s military capability and resilience in defending its territorial borders and deterring future Chinese aggression. Until 2020, Chinese troops refrained from engaging in any skirmishes with Indian forces. The Indian Army’s success in securing the Sikkim border in 1967 also played a crucial role in India’s involvement in the Bangladesh Liberation War and the eventual incorporation of Sikkim into India in 1975. The Nathu La skirmish exemplifies the valour of the Indian Army, a legacy that deserves to be remembered with pride.
