Amit Shah says Nehru bid 'bye bye to Assam' in 1962: What was he referring to, what exactly former PM said

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress party for not taking action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism during their tenure. He also slammed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, particularly for giving away Aksai Chin to China, favouring the Chinese seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and bidding goodbye to Assam during the 1962 war. His attack on Congress came after he informed the House that three Pakistani terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who were involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, were killed on Monday near Srinagar in Operation Mahadev by the Indian Army.

Did Nehru really bid goodbye to Assam in 1962?

The Union Home Minister was referring to a speech by the former prime minister in which he said that his heart goes out to the people of Assam but also highlighted that in India's effort to win the war, it may not succeed, and people of the state might have to go through immense pain and hardships. The 1962 war lasted from October 20 to November 21 - when China invaded India from two sides, in the west around the Ladakh region and in the east in the Northeast Frontier Agency (today’s Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam).

Nehru addressed the nation on November 19, 1962, via All India Radio, in Hindi and said, "At this time, there is an enemy above Assam, at the doorstep of Assam, and Assam is in danger. That is why our heart especially goes out to our Air Force brothers who live in Assam, in their support, because they are facing great difficulties… We will try to help them completely and will do so, but no matter how much we help, we will not be able to save them from pain at this time. Yes, we are firm on one thing… we will pursue this matter till the last breath until Assam and the whole of India are completely emptied of the enemy,”

The translation from the Selected Works of a larger section of the speech is, “I can well understand what our friends in Assam must be feeling because all this is happening on their doorstep, one might say. I want to tell them that we feel very much for them and that we shall help them to the utmost of our ability. We may not be able always to succeed in what we are trying now because of various factors and of the overwhelming numbers of the Chinese forces, but I want to take a pledge to them, here and now, that we shall see this matter to the end and the end will have to be victory for India."