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To puzzled observers of this Indian phenomenon it seemed that Nehru had said absolutely nothing but the obvious—that India would defend itself if attacked. And in a sense, Nehru agreed with them. His position had not changed, he insisted. It was an optical illusion that he had formerly been lagging sulkily behind his nation and had now run up to the front rank to lead it. In Nehru's terms he was being completely consistent: by practicing "right actions" against Red China he must necessarily gain "right results"—if not at the moment. It was the same with the cold war, argued Nehru. For years he had been preaching against it and refusing to align India on either side. And now—lo, and behold!—the great leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union had come around to his view.
Last week India appeared to be a harmonious whole, astir with a new sense of its own nationalism. At the west coast city of Ahmedabad, 400,000 people had thronged together to hold darshan with Panditji Nehru and hear him speak. Said Nehru, grandly: "I am trying, and will try, to reciprocate your love." Up in the Himalayas, winter was closing in. As deep snows and raging blizzards block the high passes, there is a widespread feeling in India that there will be no more trouble with China until next spring or summer. Suppose that then the Red Chinese grab off even more of India's northern border regions? No one was ready with an answer, but no one seemed to feel the need of one just now. Having blown off steam, the Indian Parliament, press and public was back in the comforting and protective shade of the big banyan tree.