National Solidarity Day

India celebrates its solidarity day on 20^th October every year.

This is a day that is of exceptional importance for all of us. It was the day when our northern neighbour who was a friend to us has propelled a sudden an attack on our territory which continued for about a month and ended when the ceasefire was declared by china on 21st November 1962.

There was a massive loss of life and property in this war. Indians got defeated but the entire country was united and was in one voice condemning the act of China that played cowardly and attacked India. During these days, Indian people displayed a heart-warming solidarity, unity and team spirit.

The purpose of the day is to celebrate the memory of solidarity, unity, and integrity of our people during the war in order to protect the nation. Therefore, the recognition of National Solidarity Day is a yearly token of the central solidarity and greeting of love, gratitude, and respect for our Armed Forces. Also, the entire country recalls those soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Sino-Indo War, 1962

• The Republic of India after Independence was maintaining a warm and friendly relationship with its neighbouring country China.
• Both India and China had a great long history and some social-cultural ties for quite a long time.
• Both the nations were rebuilding themselves and defining their official borders with this they had a border tension with Aksai Chin in Ladakh, Western front (Johnson line) and Arunachal Pradesh, North- Eastern front (McMahon line)
• Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (The Panchsheel) was signed between India and China in 1954.
• With this India recognized and supported Chinese Rule in Tibet.
• China was represented by India at International Meetings and conferences.
• It was this time when former Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave the slogan “Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai“
• In 1958, Aksai Chin was officially marked by India as its territory.
• In 1959, India gave asylum to Dalai Lama after the Tibet uprising which increased the tension among both the countries.
• China believed India as its threat over the Tibet rule and this was one of the main reasons behind the Sino-Indo war.
• In 1960, India was asked to surrender its claim over the territory of Aksai Chin, if it did so, then China would not claim anything from North Eastern Frontier Agency.
• Be that as it may, Nehru dismissed these offers saying that China has no genuine right to claim any of the territories as the disputed area belongs to India officially.
• After this India with its ‘Forward Policy’ started sending troops and patrols on the borders of disputed territories.
• It deteriorates the relationship between India and China when a portion of these troops crossed the border and entered the Chinese territory.
• On 22nd October 1962, China attacked India with almost 80,000 armed forces. India was not prepared for the war and came up with approximately 10,000 soldiers.
• On 21st November 1962, China announced a ceasefire and took Aksai Chin as its territory.

The consequence of the defeat in the Sino-Indo war, India realized the significance of military, armed forces and modernized the weapon, the advancement of the defence technologies, nuclear weapon tests, and more which improved the Indian defence.

It also taught that government and political leaders should be more careful and cautious with regards to issues of national security.

In 1966 a renowned advisory committee was set up comprising of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and other eminent dignitaries, who choose and declared to dedicate 20th October as National Solidarity Day every year as a token of Indo-China war.

On this day, the considerations of the entire country go to our Armed Forces who nobly watch our broad borders and who have, from the beginning of time, been popular for their bravery and stamina.

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