India, Nov. 2 -- It was during the gathering chill of October-November 1962 that Chinese troops breached India's northeastern frontiers, forcing the country into an agonising conflict that ended in a searing national setback.

Sixty-four years later, the political cauldron is being stirred again over purported incursions in the same arena - the North East. While the Union government has cleared the air regarding border integrity, faceless keyboard warriors and an anxious Opposition remain up in arms.

The only real departure from the 1962 episode is an ironic twist of political fortunes. The ideological heirs of those who raised hell in 1962 are now at the helm, while the political descendants of that era's ruling establishment occupy the...