ous ▁and ▁unclear ▁orders ▁to ▁Path ania . ▁Though ▁General ▁P ran ▁N ath ▁Th ap ar , ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Army ▁Staff , ▁and ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Command ▁army ▁commander ▁Lieutenant - General ▁L . ▁P . ▁Sen , ▁along ▁with ▁Director ▁of ▁Military ▁Oper ations ▁Pal it ▁had ▁arrived ▁at ▁Te z pur ▁to ▁boost ▁Ka ul ' s ▁mor ale , ▁and ▁though ▁Pal it ▁ple aded ▁with ▁both ▁Th ap ar ▁and ▁Sen ▁to ▁conv ince ▁Path ania ▁against ▁withdraw ing ▁from ▁Se - la , ▁neither ▁general ▁wanted ▁to ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁Ka ul ' s ▁corps . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁though ▁Ka ul ▁repeatedly ▁attempted ▁to ▁contact ▁his ▁division ▁commander , ▁during ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁Path ania ▁with d rew ▁two ▁batt al ions ▁from ▁Se - la ▁though ▁neither ▁had ▁engaged ▁the ▁Chinese ▁troops . ▁He ▁also ▁closed ▁his ▁divis ional ▁H Q ▁at ▁Dir ang ▁D z ong ▁and ▁fled ▁with ▁his ▁troops ▁towards ▁Ass am . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁Chinese ▁had ▁rapidly ▁in fil tr ated ▁the ▁Indian ▁positions ▁around ▁Bom d ila , ▁enc ir cling ▁and ▁amb ushing ▁the ▁remaining ▁Indian ▁troops ▁as ▁they ▁cha ot ically ▁with d rew . ▁▁ ▁In ▁almost ▁every ▁book ▁or ▁article ▁written ▁on ▁S ino - Ind ian ▁war ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁for ▁the ▁retre at ▁of ▁ 4 th ▁Div . ▁ ▁Brig ad ier ▁H oshi