Patel predicted India's wars, Dokalam in 1950: Parrikar

Panaji:  India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had predicted India’s wars with China and Pakistan, fought over a decade later, in 1950, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said. In a three-page letter written to India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Patel had also predicted the Dokalam issue, Parrikar said yesterday.

He was speaking at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Patel and the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi.
Parrikar said he got an opportunity to read about Patel when he was defence minister. “I read one of his letters written to Jawaharlal Nehru. In the letter, the subject was about our enemy or adversary along the northern border,” Parrikar said.

“In 1950, Sardar Patel had predicted what would happen in 1965 (India-Pakistan war)…the war that happened with China, even the Dokalam issue, which has come up in the recent times,” he added. “He (Patel) was so accurate and perfect,” the Goa chief minister said.

Parrikar also made a reference to Kashmir and said the current situation exists because Patel’s views were not considered. India and Pakistan fought wars in 1965 and 1971. The India-China war was in 1962. Earlier this year, Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a prolonged face-off in Dokalam near Sikkim.