Former Army Chief Gen V N Sharma, who stood firm in 1987 Wangdung standoff, dies at 96
General Vishwa Nath Sharma, the 15th Chief of the Indian Army, passed away on Friday in New Delhi. He was 96. A cavalry officer, Gen Sharma served as Army Chief from June 1988 to June 1990. He will be cremated at Brar Square Crematorium in Delhi Cantonment on Saturday at 10.30 am.
Known in Army circles as 'Tich' Sharma, he is remembered for his firm handling of the 1987 Wangdung crisis, also called the Sumdorong Chu standoff with China. As Eastern Army Commander, he refused to order a withdrawal of Indian troops facing the Chinese Army, a decision widely seen as crucial in the peaceful resolution of the standoff.
In an interview in 2025, Gen Sharma recounted the events. He said the Army Headquarters had set a patrolling limit of 15 km on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) under the direction of the then government led by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. However, Lt Gen N S Narahari, then General Officer Commanding of 4 Corps, had moved ahead and occupied a ridgeline. A battalion had even fired a machine gun over the heads of Chinese troops, according to Gen Sharma.
Before formally taking over as Eastern Army Commander, Gen Sharma had assessed the situation, including a helicopter survey of the area. He gave orders that there would be no withdrawal. When the Army Headquarters questioned his decision, he responded that the orders were not lawful. He told then Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Bipin Joshi that under the Army Act he was obliged only to obey lawful commands. To then Army Chief Gen K Sundarji, he suggested that the Supreme Court should decide whether he should defend the border or follow what he called 'the idiocy of the Rajiv Gandhi government'.
The standoff eventually resolved, with both armies moving back under a mutual agreement.
As Army Chief, Gen Sharma oversaw the orderly withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) from Sri Lanka. He later said he had planned a naval demonstration with an aircraft carrier to send a message to Sri Lankan President Premadasa. He also recalled telling the Sri Lankan navy chief about arranging a proper sendoff for the IPKF at Trincomalee.
Gen Sharma's role in the Wangdung crisis remains a defining moment of his career. His death brings to a close a chapter in India's military history, marked by his commitment to defending the nation's territorial integrity.
