The Henderson-Brooks-Bhagat report seemed to have the potential to create flutter in the highly fragile politics of India and even more brittle news TV. But, proving to be a rarity, the leaked news got only what it deserved. Perhaps, it deserved even less.
That the 1962 war was a debacle for India is not doubted by anyone. Pt. Nehru was, theoretically, responsible for the loss of honour of the Indian nation is also not countered by anyone. Nehru himself admitted that he was wrong in his Chinese policy. So, Henderson-Brooks report was not at all a news and far less an expose. It was not worth a coverage except for the story about the timing of its leak.
We all know that what we present as leaked report is actually a willful act of making the chosen part of an information. It is not really a leak in strict sense of term. The leak is a mutually agreed sharing of information at some level. So, the only news-point in the leak was timing.
One reason for the leak could have been giving a promo for the book to be released. The book is being released at a time when India is going to the polls and the first prime minister of the country happened to be of the party which is facing a huge anti-incumbency of ten years of sedate rule, which has more miss opportunities than achievements to its credit. The second possible reason behind the leak lies precisely here. It seemed to have been intended to gain some popularity in the politically surcharged India, especially when the parochial nationalist forces are fancying their chances.
But, then the entire episode has raised once again a valid question as to why the original report still remains extremely classifies document? Why did the defence minister say after 50 years of the war that the report could not be made public because it might have operational ramifications. Isn't it worrying that 50-year old flaws and loopholes have not been plugged successfully?
Most of the defence experts believe that India of 2014 is not the India of 1962 though neither has China stagnated. But, that India would not suffer a similar humiliation is agreed to by all. Then, why have all the successive governments not dared to declassify the original report, after all we have now. as Congress vice-president says, right to information? These questions are valid ones and the reality pertaining to these questions defy all logic. And, perhaps this defiant ground reality causes an essentially non-news item occupy space in news media as prominently as it did.
That the 1962 war was a debacle for India is not doubted by anyone. Pt. Nehru was, theoretically, responsible for the loss of honour of the Indian nation is also not countered by anyone. Nehru himself admitted that he was wrong in his Chinese policy. So, Henderson-Brooks report was not at all a news and far less an expose. It was not worth a coverage except for the story about the timing of its leak.
We all know that what we present as leaked report is actually a willful act of making the chosen part of an information. It is not really a leak in strict sense of term. The leak is a mutually agreed sharing of information at some level. So, the only news-point in the leak was timing.
One reason for the leak could have been giving a promo for the book to be released. The book is being released at a time when India is going to the polls and the first prime minister of the country happened to be of the party which is facing a huge anti-incumbency of ten years of sedate rule, which has more miss opportunities than achievements to its credit. The second possible reason behind the leak lies precisely here. It seemed to have been intended to gain some popularity in the politically surcharged India, especially when the parochial nationalist forces are fancying their chances.
But, then the entire episode has raised once again a valid question as to why the original report still remains extremely classifies document? Why did the defence minister say after 50 years of the war that the report could not be made public because it might have operational ramifications. Isn't it worrying that 50-year old flaws and loopholes have not been plugged successfully?
Most of the defence experts believe that India of 2014 is not the India of 1962 though neither has China stagnated. But, that India would not suffer a similar humiliation is agreed to by all. Then, why have all the successive governments not dared to declassify the original report, after all we have now. as Congress vice-president says, right to information? These questions are valid ones and the reality pertaining to these questions defy all logic. And, perhaps this defiant ground reality causes an essentially non-news item occupy space in news media as prominently as it did.
