India’s Vulnerability at its Borders with Tibet

By Rohini Kejriwal / May 2, 2015;

A bulldozer clears a landslide on the Tezpur to Tawang highway, which runs to the Chinese-occupied Tibetan border in Arunachal Pradesh
Photo: Reuters

In a telling reminder of India’s poor road infrastructure, a report for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by the Parliamentary Standing Committee expressed serious concerns on national security. It stated that in the event of a war, the Indian Army would take more than 24 hours to reach the crucial Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh which borders Chinese-occupied Tibet, while the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could arrive there in two to three hours.

During the 1962 border war, the Chinese descended down the same route to outclass the Indian Army resulting in humiliating defeat and Tawang remains a flashpoint between the two countries. Even today, China covets Arunachal Pradesh, especially Tawang, referring to the state as “South Tibet”.

Reflecting the vulnerability of the Indian Army, the report stated that “the committee is dismayed to note that in Tawang area, the situation is very critical as connectivity is concerned. In case of war, the Army cannot reach there in a day. This is a matter of great concern with regard to our defence preparedness.”

The Committee,headed by Lt Gen BC Khanduri (retd), lashed out on the Border Roads Organisation, now under the MoD, and asked it to construct good roads, especially on the eastern front facing the border, on a priority basis. The report also mentioned how the delay in the procurement process had affected the armed forces’ operational preparedness and made recommendations to ensure that the crucial acquisition of weapons and equipment is not delayed.

The panel also called for a “complete revamp” and reorientation of the Defence Research Development Organisation. It further suggested an immediate all-weather road connection between Zanskar in the western part of Ladakh, and Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh to open up an alternative and shorter route to Kargil and Zanskar where there are also border issues with the Chinese Army. Currently the border areas there are only accessible on foot – often necessitating a trek along frozen rivers – or by air, and army equipment and men can only be moved onboard the daily flights from Chandigarh. In the case of a war-like scenario, air transport will be the only option.