China Cannot Be Trusted
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-03-21 01:14:07
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The renewed
chatter about China's activities at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) raises
concern. Both External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Army chief Manoj
Pande have issued statements last week that show that an uneasy calm prevails
at the LAC, both in Ladakh and in the eastern sector. While EAM S Jaishankar
said that going by "military assessment" the situation at the LAC in Ladakh was
very fragile and dangerous. Army chief Manoj Pande said that China is building
infrastructure along the LAC at breakneck speed and has not reduced its troops
in the disputed sectors near the LAC. This in addition to the non-resolution of
the situation at several sticky points along the LAC after the conflagration in
2017 despite several rounds of military commander level talks between the two
countries.
It is now
increasingly clear that China is up to its old trick of keeping the Indians
engaged in talks, withdrawing at some inconsequential or less important points
as a diversionary tactic, and simultaneously building infrastructure and
beefing up troop and equipment deployment, if not at the LAC then very near to
it as the troops and equipment can reach conflict points in a flash using the
news roads being constructed. This is also a pointer that China will once again
try to penetrate into India-held territory on the sly, like it tried in 2017.
The Chinese cannot be trusted and their actions along the LAC suggest that they
are planning something big.
As counter
measures, India has to beef up infrastructure in all sectors where the Chinese
are active. It also needs to station additional troops and advanced surveillance
and combat equipment at previous conflict points and also at some new points
where Chinese activity is seen. At the same time, talks must continue at all
levels and efforts must be made to ask the Chinese to restore the status quo as
it existed before 2017.
