New Delhi Times, 14 November 2016
In a further sign of tense border, Indian and Chinese troops have been on a stand-off in Ladakh since 2nd of November. The incident happened at Domchok – an area on Tibet border 250 Km east of Leh. At an altitude of around 11500 feet, Demchok marks the entry of Indus river into India from Tibet. The local administration is constructing an irrigation canal under the rural employment guarantee scheme to link a village with a hot spring. As around 55 Chinese troops arrived at the scene and aggressively asked to halt the work, seventy Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Indian Army personnel rushed to the spot. The Chinese and troops took position on the Line of actual Control (LAC) and demanded immediate stoppage of work as both sides need to seek permission before undertaking any construction activity. Indian contention was that such sharing of information is required only for defence constructions, not for irrigation constructions. Incidentally Demchok has witnessed too many Chinese incursions in the past, the last being a similar incident in 2014 over digging of irrigation canal at Nilung Nalla under the MNREGA. An earlier prolonged Chinese incursion in 2013 had led to a protocol on improving communication. Chinese authorities then told a lie that they were unaware of actions of local units. India’s brush off with China is occurring at too many fronts.
The China Pakistan Economic corridor passes through Shia Chin area which Pakistan had illegally transferred to China in 1964. India rightfully claims ownership of the area which has unsettled China as issue of legality of land puts the grand connecting corridor into jeopardy. Balochistan is another hotspot. The Balochs are protesting against CPEC and Pak transfer of huge land to China forcing Pakistan government to offer on an average two security man for each Chinese worker. When Pakistan PM dragged the alleged human rights violation issue in Kashmir to international forum, Modi was forced to raise human rights violations in Baluchistan. This has irked China. Incursion into Indian border areas has been China’s compulsive behaviour. It routinely follows the drill like a somnambulist. Of late India has been protesting and boldly standing up to such provocations. To guard against Chinese misadventures Modi government has spruced up defence at the border with deployment of over hundred tanks in Ladakh. Moreover, Brahmos missile units have also been installed. India has operationalized as many as five Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) for prompt movement of troops and military equipments to geographically inaccessible border posts within a short span of time.
China cruelly occupied Tibet – the idyllic Himalayan Kingdom – in 1960. Emboldened by lack of protest, again repeated the feat in South China Sea. After gobbling up Tibet greedy China now claims Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and in the teeth of Indian objections continues to grant stapled visa to residents to buttress such claim. China strongly objected to the visit of Richard Verma, the US Ambassador to India, to Arunachal Pradesh. It also protested against Indian decision allowing Dalai Lama’s visit to Tawang in the state where thousands of Tibetan Buddhists have been living for decades.
India stood its ground without succumbing to Chinese pressure. Even Indian public is not willing to accept Chinese hegemony.They have shown their intent through boycott of Chinese goods this Dipawali with signs of further snowballing in future. All these steps have irked autocratic China- the traditional bully in Asian neighbourhood for decades. The big brother has gone out of the way to help Pakistan on NSG and even on support to terrorists. At other times India would have acquiesced to Chinese plans but not now. India under Modi has been steadfastly pursuing NSG issue. Modi’s policy is to see eye-to-eye with China. The Asian giant was not used to such parity before. India under Modi is a new India and the sooner China realises it the better. China can no more persist with behaving like a bull in China shop. World is changing. It can no more scratch history to discover and claim land it owned many centuries ago. International Court of Justice rightly slammed China on South China Sea issue for its outdated view of history. Sino-Indian relations are in dire need of re-calibration. Modi has done just that. Will China step up to the plate?
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