Fact File 5/2017 - Wake up India (23-07-2017)

Arrest the slide in ties with China – We need an agreement on restraint the aims to address mutual interests and concerns

            At the strategic level, the current standoff serves China’s wider objectives along the border. In recent years, Beijing has sought an agreement with India that would freeze the operational status quo on the border. Having built impressive military infrastructure and capability in Tibet, China seeks to prevent India from catching up. During the incursion in Deposing in 2013, for example, the Chinese wanted India to dismantle its bunkers in Chumar. In agreeing to stop military construction in the Doklam area, China may insist that India should extend that principle to the entire border.

            We must abandon the notion that our grand strategic choices boil down to either balancing against China in concert with the United States or bandwagoning with China.

The history of international politics suggests that this is too simplistic a reading of the options open to us – especially in the current global conjuncture. It is time we demonstrated strategic creativity and diplomatic agility.   

We are not in 1962 and we are militarily strong, But India can’t afford a piecemeal approach to Doklam style events

            China has fished in India’s troubled northeast since long and our internal governance has not helped matters – This involves planning at the strategic level and a coordinated implementation of an action plan by all arms of the government. A piecemeal approach, and feeling happy on termination of each individual crisis, would only be detrimental to India’s long term strategic interests.

            We can easily conclude whatever is happening close to our borders either with PAK or China is due to our lopsided and incoherent foreign policy initiatives. Here we should not forget it was the EXHUBERANCE of first NDA government (Under ABV) to sortout PAK forever resulted it in KARGIL WAR. We sacrificed nearly 550 soldiers. Now ill founded and lack of vision we are near a warlike situation with China, which would result in the annihilation in thousands.     

We have to decide

Stakes are high, are we the people of India Vigilant.