Shiban Khaibri
Why should India lie low and take not very seriously, China’s deliberate attempts of incursions against our territories by land, air and water routes is, all baffling. It appears not without a well thought of a plan by China to have dared a 10 kilometre deep intrusion into our territory on 15th instant and establishing their temporary posts in Daulat Baig sector of Leh in Ladakh region and going ahead with markings in Chinese language on walls and boulders. The intruding Chinese soldiers were given aerial cover by three Chinese helicopters as well. It is an established military strategy to shoot down any intruding non- civilian aircraft when found violating the airspace and that too with clandestine motive of providing cover to its ground forces in an act of unprovoked blatant aggression. There are reports that Chinese soldiers came in rubber boats from Pangoung lake to violate India’s sovereignty with impunity from our side. We unfortunately have been given to the Dragon’s habit of intruding and then going back but this time they have changed their strategy and not only have they not gone back but curiously enough have been totally feigning innocence about any intruding incident having taken place, thus working up to a plan.
Conventional and diplomatic ways to “tackle” the issue, have all along been resorted to by India and accordingly, this time arranged two flag meetings with the belligerent neighbour which however failed and China has appeared to stick to its stand that “it is our own territory” which has been vividly conveyed to India and the meetings ended in deadlock.
Union Defence Minister A. K. Antony has, however, asserted that “all necessary steps would be taken to protect the country’s interests” in the Daulat Baig sector. It is a matter to be believed that there have been as many as 600 transgressions all along the LOC by the Chinese army and India has reasons, quite genuine, to feel concerned over the muscle flexing tactics being exhibited by the Chinese forces over the entire LOC stretched over Ladakh, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunacha Pradesh and Sikkim. Ladakh in particular is being chosen by China intermittently to be intruded into and markings made here and there with the sole aim to stake claims later in consonance with its expansionist strategy.
We know the motive behind Beijing’s policy to help Pakistan sharpen her teeth with sole aim to pose strategic threat to India . Pakistan and China entering into an agreement for the latter constructing a third nuclear reactor at Pakistan’s Chasma area in Punjab province has not only worried India but even the US which has seen in it, Beijing’s blatant violation of International anti nuclear weapons accord. Under the agreement, China is to construct a 1000 Mw power plant in the same area where two earlier Chinese reactors were built . China’s expansion of nuclear cooperation with Pakistan with sole aim to foment trouble for India cannot be brushed aside. About building roads and railway tracks, in addition, with military and strategic manoeuvrings in Pakistan by China, is fairly well known .
Beyond asking China to maintain status quo , Ministry of External Affairs is seen doing practically nothing excepting playing down incursions , a stand which is in conflict with steps required to be taken to defend our interests. There are certain questions worth probing in the whole gamut of the hazy picture about the LOC pending resolution for the last more than six decades. In 2010, the command of the area is reported to have been passed on to the ITBP force thus coming under the charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs who, because of the limited equipment, even could not detect the incursions in time. They are not provided with the devices, modern and requisite ones, to effectively monitor these borders. Moreover, it is reported that the media persons were not allowed to cover the reports near the affected area.
Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid says that what the Chinese have done is against India’s interests but has at the same time advised that the development should not be allowed to dampen relations with China especially ahead of Chinese PM’s visit to this country next month which is important for both sides. “I do not want to go into any amplification of this right now”, Khurshid says.
The statement of the Foreign Minister , on analysis, is leading us nowhere excepting the likely decision of the present UPA2 Government to downplay the incident and keep on cajoling the Chinese, excepting hoping that worst may not be next in store, excepting that our wait and watch policy to be pursued religiously till the trouble troubles us to an extent of we troubling it with the same type of trouble. It also seems prosaic that the FM should say that “the Chinese also feel the same way…”, to which a question to be asked would be in the fitness of things as to when have our troops barged into their territory and established Indian posts or not allowed them construct roads and bridges in their own area just like they have done with us. Instead, they have done it on many occasions and ensured that we did not construct need based infrastructure like roads in our own territory. Have we ever dared do a replica of 1986 Sumdorong valley type of incident with them , then the FM’s contentions do not hold the ground. The same approach is not with this unfriendly neighbour of ours but even with the troublesome Pakistan with whom also after getting bruised , we and not they, seek flag level meetings and hunt for measures to de-escalate the tension. This policy is bound to send signals that this country lacked guts even to repulse enemies’ intrusions and incursions aimed at our sovereignty and integrity.
The countrymen may ask as to why after the failure of two flag meetings convened at our humble requests and they having ended in a deadlock, should we implore for a third one, when China has put conditions which no self respecting nation would ever agree to, like dismantling of our infrastructure to weaken our borders. The second condition put forth by China is that India neutralised its border activities. Is Li Kegiang’s forth coming visit going to make India cough up certain concessions in the Arunachal Pradesh area to ease pressure in Ladakh by China in turn? Is China testing the level of provocation at which India could retaliate even after incurring more air violations of our territory in Ladakh after a week of its (mis) adventure in Daulet Beg area on 15th instant?
It is an irony that it took UPA2 government seven days to come out with a response only after China had spoken as a reaction to the Indian press reports about the incident. Talking peace and making some rare petty compromises for the peace to triumph is not bad but to get hit and humiliated, bruised and wounded on many occasions intermittently, calls for prompt, stern and convincing response. That seems unlikely and ahead of Chinese Premier’s visit, Salman Khurshid, the Foreign Minister has decided to visit Beijing to “defuse the standoff” one of the worst since 1962 because “it does not want the Chinese provocation to cloud the efforts to improve the bilateral ties”. Who is improving bi- lateral ties? And who is clouding the efforts, Mr. Rashid? China is on the contrary, brazenly refusing to withdraw its troops from our territory. When shall India take a tough stand like Israel or even like China itself?
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