Leadership in many countries around the globe suffers from selective memory loss and have changing purposes, goals, and opinions. We refuse to learn the lessons from history and embrace our enemy based on his sycophantic behavior which includes public flattery, appreciation, money pumping, false promises, and the like. The Indian leadership just sounded the death knell for India's security and has paved the way for Chinese aggression into Indian soil very soon.
These are the highlights of the Modi-Jinping treaty at the BRICS Summit in South Africa recently.- Modi and Xi held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS summit.
- Modi expressed concerns about the “unresolved issues” along the LAC during his meeting with Xi.
- The two leaders have agreed to “direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation” of troops at the border.
- The prime minister underlined that maintenance of peace, and tranquility in border areas and that respecting the LAC was essential for the normalization of India-China ties.
- De-escalation talks have been taking place between military commanders along the ALC, with the latest round – the 19th of its kind – taking place last week.
- The two leaders had not met since the current border standoff began in May 2020.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the deployment of troops, armaments, and missiles by both India and China along the LAC. Starting in April 2020, China amassed a large number of troops and armaments along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and other areas along the border, leading to stand-offs and skirmishes at Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso (lake), Gogra-Hot Springs, and other areas. In response to this build-up by China, India has redirected at least 50,000 additional troops to its border with China. India currently has around 200,000 troops focused on the border, a rise of more than 40% from 2020.
Both India and China have also been upgrading their border infrastructure. India has been fortifying its border defenses with fighter deployments, infrastructure upgrades, and real-time vigilance. Under its “Xiaokang" or “well-off” villages program, China has developed over 600 settlements along the border with India and Bhutan, some in territory claimed by New Delhi and Thimphu. To convince Tibetans to move to these villages, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has invested in infrastructure such as roads, railways, and the power grid.
The construction of new villages by China along the LAC is seen as a move to bolster its claim to the area and is part of a broader push by China to build civilian settlements in disputed frontier areas. This has raised concerns in India about China altering facts on the ground to reinforce its territorial claims. In response to this development by China, India has announced that it will work on improving connectivity to its northern border under the Vibrant Villages Program. While details of this program have not been released yet, reports suggest that it is meant to improve infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China in states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Despite agreements to respect the LAC, there have been numerous instances of Chinese encroachments and skirmishes along the border. In 1960, based on an agreement between Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai, officials from India and China held discussions to settle the boundary dispute. However, China and India disagreed on the major watershed that defined the boundary. In 2020, China’s moves to enforce its LAC claims sparked border incidents and marked a shift from what Beijing told India in 1960 about where its boundaries were, both in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake.
There have been several instances of Chinese military incursions into Indian territory. In December 2022, troops clashed for the first time in more than a year near the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh state, the eastern tip of India. In June 2020, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a skirmish with Chinese forces in the Galwan Valley, a contentious territory in the high-altitude Ladakh region. Another face-off in January 2021 left troops on both sides injured. It took place near India’s Sikkim state, between Bhutan and Nepal.
China has also been accused of not honoring its commitments along the LAC. As a compromise, India agreed that Chinese ‘unarmed’ patrols could visit Barahoti in summer till the case was solved; Beijing never kept its promise and repeatedly sent armed soldiers to Barahoti. Sixty-two years after the negotiators agreed to be unarmed, the Chinese still cross the Tunjun-la and walk into the desolate area.
When you look at the last 65-year history of Sino-Indian relations, you can safely conclude that Xinping is doing another Zhou Enlai on Modi. China is untrustworthy, and India has ample proof of this. What purpose does India's membership of BRICS and SCO serve its security interests? Zilch!! India would be more secure by joining the US-suggested NATO membership, strengthen QUAD, and I2U2. Dont depend on old ally Russia which is now a China stooge and can be arm-twisted by China economically. The Bhavishyapuran, an ancient Oriya text, has prophesized that China along with 11 Islamic nations will attack India within the next 1-2 years. Don't take these prophesies lightly. India should bolster its associations with democratic nations like the US, EU, Japan, Australia, and Israel. Any further dilly-dallying will make India another Ukraine. There is no choice left now. India has to take sides. It would be better if India is on the side of those democratic nations which can ensure its security. Given the historical perspective, there is no question of troop, armament, and missile withdrawal from the LAC by India. If the Chinese intentions are genuine, let them withdraw, but India should stay put.
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