China’s bluster meets an India that won’t buckle

Chinese troops opened indiscriminate fire on 11 September, killing several of our soldiers. Gen Sagat Singh unleashed heavy artillery to pound enemy fortifications into submission. Weeks later, on 1 October, brave Gorkha jawans at Cho La drew their khukris and repelled the intruders in a ferocious hand-to-hand combat. Over 300 Chinese soldiers were reportedly neutralized, against 88 Indian martyrs. The message was bold, cold and clear—India would never again be cowed down by a bully. Today, instead of calling the frontier villages the “last posts” of India, the government has redefined them as the first line of defence in a significant morale-boosting exercise. China may well be an economic and military heavyweight, but India is no pushover. We can ably defend our “first villages” and its valiant citizens.