Five
decades ago, on October 7, 1966, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had openly
asserted at the press conference on October 7, 1966 that India was
committed to protect Bhutan from China. Today, a serious situation is developing
at Doklam (also called Donglang), which is part of Bhutan, but is also claimed
by China. It is located at a tri-junction of India, Tibet and Bhutan and is
close to the 14000 feet high Nathu La pass, through which China has blocked this
year's Kailash Mansoravar Yatra, which was much hyped by Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi as ‘his government’s gift of a second route for
millions of Shiva Bhakts.’
A
very delicate and extremely serious situation is developing at the Chinese
boundary adjoining Sikkim. A month long standoff between the Indian Army and
the Chinese Army has taken place- this is the longest standoff between India
and China in last 55 years (since 1962) According to media reports,
China has destroyed 2 bunkers of the Indian Army at Doklam plateau. There
are two key Chinese objectives in initiating the Doklam standoff. First, it seems
to be testing India’s resolve to stand by its long cherished friend Bhutan and secondly,
China is fostering an aggressive attitude towards the delicate and strategic
‘Chicken Neck’ which connects the rest of India to the northeast.
Since the day, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi swung
in a “Jhoola” and relished “Dhokla” in Ahmadabad, Gujarat with his Chinese
counterpart, China has time and again proceeded to break the land
boundary agreement which the then Congress-UPA Government had entered into in
2005 and later signed by both the heads of the state in 2013.
1)
Line of Actual Control in the India-China border
areas, signed in April 2005 and
2)
Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed in
October 2013,
Also, India has underlined that the two Governments
had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between
India, China and third countries will be finalized in consultation with the
concerned countries. Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine
tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding.
We must not forget the fact that Chinese incursions have
continuously increased under the BJP Government.
1.
In the past 45
days, 120 Chinese Incursions have taken place, while 240 such incursions
have taken place till this month in 2017.
2.
The much hyped
second route of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nathu La stopped suddenly by
China has dealt a severe blow to India’s diplomatic image. Despite the Chinese Army destroying the facilities built for the
Indian pilgrims, the BJP Government did not pay any heed to the miseries of the
pilgrims, till they started posting videos and pictures of the Chinese Army’s
destroying them. The stoic silence and inaction by the BJP Government is
for all of us to see.
3.
On June 4, 2017: Two Chinese Army choppers violated
the Indian airspace, by hovering over Chamoli district. On previous occasions, Chinese helicopters had
entered 4.5 kilometres into Indian territory, an area that China claims as its
own in Barahoti ,Uttarakhand
4.
Border disputes
with China have again reached center stage with repeated breaches and
incursions by the Chinese forces along the international border; However, in
March , this year - the MoS Defence in a
written reply to the Parliament says that there were “No
Chinese Incursions, Only Transgressions”
5.
Earlier Home
Minister, Rajnath Singh has said, that “Chinese Intrusion are only Perception”
There
have been multiple occasions where this BJP Government has failed to secure
India’s National Interests, viz-a-viz China:
1.
China vetoes
declaration of Masood Azhar as an ‘international terrorist’ under Pakistan’s
pressure
2.
China blocks
India’s membership of ‘Nuclear Suppliers Group’ asking for parity with rogue
Pakistan.
3.
China opposes
India’s membership of UN Security Council.
4.
On Dec 19, 2016;
Russia extended support to China-Pak Economic Corridor & expressed intent
to connect it with Eurasian Economic Union.
5. China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) worth $54
billion built through PoK/Balochistan connecting Gwadar Port in Arabian Sea to
China with base for Chinese submarines- Does it not compromise India’s
Sovereign right over POK & affect our strategic interests?
6. China renames six places in Arunachal Pradesh on its
official map.
7. Nepal accusing the Government of India of
interference in its domestic matters.
8. Sri Lankan Government refusing to sign the
comprehensive Economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with India. China-sponsored infrastructure developments in
neighboring Sri Lanka offer an instructive lesson. Numerous infrastructure
projects, negotiated in secret by the former Sri Lankan government of Mahinda
Rajapaksa, saddled the Sri Lankan treasury with debts to China estimated at
some $8 billion. Sri Lanka cannot repay what it owes, so it has negotiated a
debt-for-equity swap of the Hambantota Port project.
9. India is feeling increasingly isolated on its stand
with respect to the grandiose One Belt, One Road (OBOR) imitative by China,
which hosted Russian President, Vladimir Putin as its chief guest. The general
perception amongst experts is that India could have been a part of the initial
meetings and then shown its strident opposition to China and Pakistan
constructing road through Gilgit-Baltistan- an integral part of India.
China
has exponentially expanded strategic, economic & defense partnerships with
Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This maximalist position of China to
encircle India and cramp its strategic space has been highlighted time and again
by strategic affairs
expert Brahma Chellaney.
It
is pertinent to note that, during PM Modi’s recent visit to the United States,
he did not raise any issue which affected India-China relations. Be it China
stalling India’s entry into the NSG or China blocking Masood Azhar’s name to be
declared as a ‘global terrorist.
The UPA- Congress Govt approved the raising of
‘Mountain Strike Corps’ along the China border with 90,274 additional soldiers
at a cost of Rs 64,678 Crore . After the
BJP came to power, it has put this project into deep freezer. This
Mountain Strike Corps could have been useful in today's standoff, but the BJP
has lost this opportunity.
This is what happens when you appoint either a ‘Reluctant’
Defence Minister or a ‘Part Time’ Defence Minister
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