70 years of
India China diplomatic relations was a toast in September 2019 at the New Delhi’s
China mission when the Chinese envoy Sun Weidong called for the elephant and
the dragon to tango to march into the future which belongs to Asia.
India China diplomatic relations was a toast in September 2019 at the New Delhi’s
China mission when the Chinese envoy Sun Weidong called for the elephant and
the dragon to tango to march into the future which belongs to Asia.
On July 11,
2020, 60 days after 20 Indian soldiers along with the Commanding officer Suresh
Babu of 16 Bihar regiment were brutally killed by the PLA soldiers in a
scuffle, Beijing now looking for a face off, demanding trust and vouching ages
old friendship and cultural commonalities, the envoy sounded just the contrary
to the treachery, belligerence and the expansionist aspirations of his President
Xi Jinping. In the brawl at Galwan around 70 PLA soldiers were
causalities yet undeclared by the Chinese state.
2020, 60 days after 20 Indian soldiers along with the Commanding officer Suresh
Babu of 16 Bihar regiment were brutally killed by the PLA soldiers in a
scuffle, Beijing now looking for a face off, demanding trust and vouching ages
old friendship and cultural commonalities, the envoy sounded just the contrary
to the treachery, belligerence and the expansionist aspirations of his President
Xi Jinping. In the brawl at Galwan around 70 PLA soldiers were
causalities yet undeclared by the Chinese state.
China’s
military misadventure at the LAC in Ladakh was sensed since early May 2020 when
MEA had informed that China had been amassing a large contingent of troops and
armaments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and that the conduct of
Chinese forces has been in “complete disregard of all mutually agreed norms”.
Their preparations having started back since March, by this time PLA soldiers
had already ensconced themselves firmly in strategic areas of Galwan valley,
Hot Springs, Depsang and Pangang Tso which would give them control and surveillance
over Indian troop movements at DBO uptill the northern borders along with
furthering their cause of land grab. The intrusion was much within the Indian
land as satellite images clearly zoomed.
military misadventure at the LAC in Ladakh was sensed since early May 2020 when
MEA had informed that China had been amassing a large contingent of troops and
armaments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and that the conduct of
Chinese forces has been in “complete disregard of all mutually agreed norms”.
Their preparations having started back since March, by this time PLA soldiers
had already ensconced themselves firmly in strategic areas of Galwan valley,
Hot Springs, Depsang and Pangang Tso which would give them control and surveillance
over Indian troop movements at DBO uptill the northern borders along with
furthering their cause of land grab. The intrusion was much within the Indian
land as satellite images clearly zoomed.
Contrary to
Prime Minister Modi’s statement on June 19 that no one had intruded and no one
is there on the LAC, India’s top and well respected strategic affairs expert
Ajay Shukla tweeted that the Chinese troops have altered the LAC at Galwan by a
km, at Hot Springs by 2-3 km and at Pangang Tso by 8-10 km occupying Finger 4.
He maintains that the Indian govt has made misleading claims and has been
misleading media on Chinese disengagement along the LAC. In an interview on
July 11, when Indian newspapers and news channels declared that Galwan and Hot
Springs have been vacated by the Chinese, Colonel Shukla claimed in an
interview to a leading daily that ‘China’s PLA has refused to withdraw in the
Hot Springs area and at Gogra Heights….about 1500 soldiers from either side are
in confrontation.’
Prime Minister Modi’s statement on June 19 that no one had intruded and no one
is there on the LAC, India’s top and well respected strategic affairs expert
Ajay Shukla tweeted that the Chinese troops have altered the LAC at Galwan by a
km, at Hot Springs by 2-3 km and at Pangang Tso by 8-10 km occupying Finger 4.
He maintains that the Indian govt has made misleading claims and has been
misleading media on Chinese disengagement along the LAC. In an interview on
July 11, when Indian newspapers and news channels declared that Galwan and Hot
Springs have been vacated by the Chinese, Colonel Shukla claimed in an
interview to a leading daily that ‘China’s PLA has refused to withdraw in the
Hot Springs area and at Gogra Heights….about 1500 soldiers from either side are
in confrontation.’
This is
after the disengagement and the de-escalation that has worked out after the four
Corp Commander level talks, and a Special Representative level talk between NSA
Doval and Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi. Going by the government version, as
the External Affairs Ministry stated on July 12 that ‘íts a work in progress,’ we are yet to hear
about disengagement in the last fort of Pangang Tso as I write.
after the disengagement and the de-escalation that has worked out after the four
Corp Commander level talks, and a Special Representative level talk between NSA
Doval and Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi. Going by the government version, as
the External Affairs Ministry stated on July 12 that ‘íts a work in progress,’ we are yet to hear
about disengagement in the last fort of Pangang Tso as I write.
Therefore
for the country to be informed about the real position at the LAC many
questions remain unanswered. If there were no intrusions as stated by the Prime
Minister what was the disengagement and de-escalation about? Secondly if what
Ajay Shukla says, (confirms by his long cultivated sources at the border), the
Chinese have moved into the Indian side of the LAC few km inside then why is
the govt (PM, NSA, or the Army) not refuting or denying it? And by that count
have we conceded the territory to the Chinese already? Former Foreign Secretary
and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon says that there isn’t enough
information coming out clearly.
for the country to be informed about the real position at the LAC many
questions remain unanswered. If there were no intrusions as stated by the Prime
Minister what was the disengagement and de-escalation about? Secondly if what
Ajay Shukla says, (confirms by his long cultivated sources at the border), the
Chinese have moved into the Indian side of the LAC few km inside then why is
the govt (PM, NSA, or the Army) not refuting or denying it? And by that count
have we conceded the territory to the Chinese already? Former Foreign Secretary
and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon says that there isn’t enough
information coming out clearly.
Drawing
similarity between the Chinese pattern Menon said, ‘India’s Doklam standoff was
a wrong lesson given to Chinese where a withdrawal was negotiated by both sides
from the face off point in 2017 but they finally set up a permanent presence on
the plateau’. They became clear winners by letting India be happy with the
advantage of propaganda victory. Menon called Doklam a political and diplomatic
failure for not changing the status quo.
similarity between the Chinese pattern Menon said, ‘India’s Doklam standoff was
a wrong lesson given to Chinese where a withdrawal was negotiated by both sides
from the face off point in 2017 but they finally set up a permanent presence on
the plateau’. They became clear winners by letting India be happy with the
advantage of propaganda victory. Menon called Doklam a political and diplomatic
failure for not changing the status quo.
So is it
true that have we again given away large swaths of land to China at Galwan, Hot
Springs? Brahma Challaney a strategist and an expert voice on international
affairs says, ‘China has accepted disengagement at the Galwan Valley — but on
its terms, where India has pulled back from its own territory and created a
“buffer zone” on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which creates a
new, China-advantageous status quo that PLA could seek to enforce because it
keeps India out of China’s newly-claimed zone — the Galwan Valley. A mere
disengagement allows China to hold on its core territorial gains and trade the
marginal occupied territories for Indian concessions, as part of its well-known
“advance 10 miles and retreat six miles” strategy.’ He says, ‘Bite by bite,
China has been nibbling away at India’s borderlands, even as successive Indian
PMs have sought to appease it.’
true that have we again given away large swaths of land to China at Galwan, Hot
Springs? Brahma Challaney a strategist and an expert voice on international
affairs says, ‘China has accepted disengagement at the Galwan Valley — but on
its terms, where India has pulled back from its own territory and created a
“buffer zone” on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which creates a
new, China-advantageous status quo that PLA could seek to enforce because it
keeps India out of China’s newly-claimed zone — the Galwan Valley. A mere
disengagement allows China to hold on its core territorial gains and trade the
marginal occupied territories for Indian concessions, as part of its well-known
“advance 10 miles and retreat six miles” strategy.’ He says, ‘Bite by bite,
China has been nibbling away at India’s borderlands, even as successive Indian
PMs have sought to appease it.’
On trying to
reach out to former army brasses on the veracity of the above
claim, no one wanted to answer or speak on it.
reach out to former army brasses on the veracity of the above
claim, no one wanted to answer or speak on it.
Then, like
in Kargil, was it an intelligence failure on our part? Even if the intelligence
knew and reported did we take it lying down? Reports say the incursions were
being observed and reported since February 2020. Experts say the whole build up
by China was premeditated as they came in with not 30 or 40 troops this time,
there were 4-5 divisions in Ladakh which couldn’t have happened overnight.
in Kargil, was it an intelligence failure on our part? Even if the intelligence
knew and reported did we take it lying down? Reports say the incursions were
being observed and reported since February 2020. Experts say the whole build up
by China was premeditated as they came in with not 30 or 40 troops this time,
there were 4-5 divisions in Ladakh which couldn’t have happened overnight.
‘It
is dangerous to speak of disengagement, pullback, withdrawal, buffer zones.
They suggest that we are withdrawing from territory controlled by us
consistently and that we are part of the problem to start with,’ Menon, who’s
been former ambassador to China says. Interestingly he names it as ‘Fog of
Peace’.
is dangerous to speak of disengagement, pullback, withdrawal, buffer zones.
They suggest that we are withdrawing from territory controlled by us
consistently and that we are part of the problem to start with,’ Menon, who’s
been former ambassador to China says. Interestingly he names it as ‘Fog of
Peace’.
China being
an aggressive neighbour as it is, it will be in India’s good to draw some
permanent and clear lines at the borders. India should take lessons by not
forgetting how China has been acting against India’s interests at international
fora like the membership of NSG or the UNSC, designating Pakistan based
militants as terrorists, building BRI projects through the Indian territory of
J&K, intruding into Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh in the east and
J&K in the north, instigating Nepal against India, at the same time
striking an outreach of deceptive bond of Wuhan and Mamallapuram.
an aggressive neighbour as it is, it will be in India’s good to draw some
permanent and clear lines at the borders. India should take lessons by not
forgetting how China has been acting against India’s interests at international
fora like the membership of NSG or the UNSC, designating Pakistan based
militants as terrorists, building BRI projects through the Indian territory of
J&K, intruding into Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh in the east and
J&K in the north, instigating Nepal against India, at the same time
striking an outreach of deceptive bond of Wuhan and Mamallapuram.
Incidentally
with exactly a similar standoff way back in 1965 at the Galwan, this time in
2020 we sure have our strengths to be built upon to look at the dragon in the eye.
Banning apps, reviewing and dumping investment projects, boycotting Chinese
products that gives China huge access to Indian markets is a good measure in
the right direction.
with exactly a similar standoff way back in 1965 at the Galwan, this time in
2020 we sure have our strengths to be built upon to look at the dragon in the eye.
Banning apps, reviewing and dumping investment projects, boycotting Chinese
products that gives China huge access to Indian markets is a good measure in
the right direction.
Very
importantly we have expedited work on the connectivity aspects in the border
area by building roads, bridges, rail network and a host of other
infrastructure mechanisms. What the need of the hour is tactical shift in our
ages old approach to leverage our military, build up on our combat power and
asset bargaining power from the position of strength with China, imposing
substantive costs on Beijing or damaging bilateral relations. To create
military conditions for China by counteroffensive strategic land grab on which
basis we can negotiate from a position of strength would work in our advantage.
importantly we have expedited work on the connectivity aspects in the border
area by building roads, bridges, rail network and a host of other
infrastructure mechanisms. What the need of the hour is tactical shift in our
ages old approach to leverage our military, build up on our combat power and
asset bargaining power from the position of strength with China, imposing
substantive costs on Beijing or damaging bilateral relations. To create
military conditions for China by counteroffensive strategic land grab on which
basis we can negotiate from a position of strength would work in our advantage.
An
aggressive India only can counter an aggressive China. A china that believes in
‘harass, encumber, encircle, deceive and weigh India down,’ as Chellaney puts
it. For that India should get to the negotiating table with China with the
advantage of large chunks of their land with us, a tit for tat. Our cyber
capabilities have to develop to counter their cyber attack. Also this is the
best time to get China around when the world environment is against Beijing.
India should work towards challenging the dragon by becoming economically,
militarily and diplomatically strong.
aggressive India only can counter an aggressive China. A china that believes in
‘harass, encumber, encircle, deceive and weigh India down,’ as Chellaney puts
it. For that India should get to the negotiating table with China with the
advantage of large chunks of their land with us, a tit for tat. Our cyber
capabilities have to develop to counter their cyber attack. Also this is the
best time to get China around when the world environment is against Beijing.
India should work towards challenging the dragon by becoming economically,
militarily and diplomatically strong.
Our
relations with our neighbours should be strengthened and not let to deteriorate
to help create a buffer for our better security. With China it won’t be same
again from this point in time. Its time to rejig our relations and it cannot be
better than of now.
relations with our neighbours should be strengthened and not let to deteriorate
to help create a buffer for our better security. With China it won’t be same
again from this point in time. Its time to rejig our relations and it cannot be
better than of now.
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Wonderfully put Priti .. 👏👏
Excellent writeup. Calling spade a spade! It is time to hold the dragon by its horns.
Very nicely detailed with reference to the recent Indo China stand off especially the facts!
Very well written , a must read !
Deepak Jain
Well written and informative! I would like to believe that we as a nation have finally woken up to Chinese threat and are ready to take measures however difficult they are!
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Dear Priti well written. China learnt their lesson from our reaction in Doklam in 1987. They developed rail link till Tibet, made an base there. Successive govts neglected the need of defense services in terms of infrastructure, arms and ammunition and were also given raw deal in pay commissions. Thanks to China they are getting some new weapons
Very informative. Well put.
It is a very good article.Touched every point with concerns and gives clear picture on the issue.
Very well written priti.
Interesting perspective. We have ignored history to our peril. The British had drawn two lines as the boundary, the Johnson Line (1865) and the McCarthy Macdonald Line (1893). The latter was inwards, along ghd Karakoram range. Neither was signed off China and the Brits started using the Johnson line only after 1930s. Post independence, we declared Johnson line as the border. Sadly, no border posts were made, no patrolling happened and we gog yo know ofa road connecting Xinjiang and Tibet only in 1959, after China published in in their maps.
We need to guard against the expansionism of China not get lulled into a "tango" ….as brought out by Priti
Facts are very nicely put. A lovely article . Keep writing Preeti