Chinese media at its business again, they must figure out the drawbacks in their assessment of India
Reports of skirmishes and fights along the Line Of Actual Control (LAC), especially at Ladakh, has become a new flashpoint between the two Asian giants China and India, again after 2 years of Doklam standoff in 2017. Strategic experts still remembers the standoff of Doklam in which the two neighbours were at the brink of a war in between 70 odd days standoff. But, again the Chinese Army in this tragic situation of Corona hit world, tries to bully India by force as they dig tents, brings in heavy armor and deploys thousands of troops to stop the Indian side from building a road in its territory.
On the other hand, just like Doklam, the Chinese media have once again took the baton of spreading venom against India. They have once again started to threaten India by comparing military strength and showing the huge gap between the two nations in the military front (as per them) to build psychological pressure on New Delhi. But Beijing and its puppet media houses assessed the Indian Military posture wrongly, they must re-visit it and dropping their ego must look into this seriously if they really want to fight us. Otherwise, just like Doklam, without firing a bullet victory will be on India’s side…
To understand the posture of India vis-à-vis China at the Himalayan plateau, we have to go back to Doklam crisis, and have to understand, how India handled it calmly.
The world was surprised at the turn of events since late-May in 2017 when the border spat began at a point where the boundaries of India-China and Bhutan meet. For one, the vehemence displayed by Chinese commentators was out of the ordinary and so was the aggressive tone of official statements made by government spokespersons and media houses in Beijing, accusing India of trespassing into Chinese territory and threatening India with military consequences. More unusually however, the calm assurance and panache with which New Delhi has handled the crisis, points to a far more confident India, a point that would be noticed and studied across important world capitals.
What then is the secret behind New Delhi’s polite yet firm stand?
Several factors ranging from India’s better military posture along the contested border to improved economic heft can be cited for the new approach. However, the biggest reason for India to stand up to China ironically is the blatant attempt by President Xi Jinping to force a China-centric order in Asia, a proposition that no government in New Delhi can agree to under any circumstances. Under Narendra Modi, politically the strongest Prime Minister in India for three decades, accepting China’s hegemony was out of the question, given his muscular national security policies. Very early in his tenure Modi had decided to depart from convention on dealing with China. He broke a long standing taboo of not inviting representatives of the Tibetan government-in-exile and that of Taiwan to official functions, lest Beijing feel offended. The Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile and Taiwan’s trade representative were among the select invitees to Modi’s oath taking ceremony in the summer of 2014, setting the tone for a more robust policy towards China.
A border standoff in Ladakh in September 2014—coinciding with President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India—witnessed a rare display of India’s new approach of not succumbing to Chinese bullying. After 1,000 Chinese troops intruded into Chumar, a remote border outpost in South-east Ladakh, New Delhi rapidly built up a 9,000-strong force in two days, forcing the PLA to back off. Another similar face-off at Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh in 2015 with the same result further demonstrated India’s resolve. That resolve is being backed up with an improved military posture. Building on the modest beginning made under the previous government to improve infrastructure all along the northern frontier, the current government is quietly building capabilities to counter China militarily. Consider this:
India’s indigenously developed missiles—Agni, Akash, and Brahmos—are either ready for induction or already inducted into the armed forces, providing potent weapons for use against China.
The development of a family of K-Series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM)—although mostly shrouded in secrecy—is in a fairly advanced stage, keeping India on track to complete its nuclear triad.
After initial reservation against the proposed Mountain Strike Corps (sanctioned by the previous government), the Modi government has revived its support for the project. Five Mountain Divisions meant for the Strike Corps have already been raised and 7 more such divisions are about to complete their raising in Northern and Eastern Commands. More air assets are planned for Strike Corps. The eventual aim is to build flexibility in its deployment and allow swift switching of forces from one theatre to another.
The formation of a Special Forces Division and a cyber and space agency, as prelude to formation of separate tri-services Special Forces, Cyber and Space Commands, has commenced in recent months. The Post of Chief Of Defence Staff will command these newly formed divisions of the Armed Forces.
Moreover, Ladakh, the scene of two prominent standoffs in 2013 and 2014, now has an additional infantry brigade stationed permanently in the area while more elements of Northern Command’s reserve division—39—now exercise regularly in the high altitude desert. From the initial induction of a regiment of T-72 tanks done in 2013, India now has a full-fledged tank brigade in Ladakh, augmented by PM Modi’s Govt after 2015.
In the East, the 56 and 71 Mountain Divisions, raised from 2009 onwards, are now firmly placed and deployed on the ground, making more troops available to defense planners.
The Air Force has also staged forward its assets both in the North and the East by deploying the Sukhoi Su-30MKI planes at bases close to the Chinese border. Completion of the project to revamp eight Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in Arunachal Pradesh will mean improved connectivity and increased capacity to insert troops in the high altitude areas. The reported deployment of Brahmos Missile regiments along the northern frontiers in the past couple of years means India now has additional offensive capability.
Strategically important roads high in the Himalayas, planned almost a decade ago, are now getting a more focussed attention with more tunnels at high altitude passes being built to allow all-weather traffic. Among the 73 planned roads, 62 have been completed making the Indian side much stronger than ever before in terms of movement of soldiers and mechanised brigades. 26 heavy vehicle movement bridges have been constructed throughout the LAC, which is a biggest thing to highlight. 30 strategic railways have come up to carry the troops and armoured brigade to the Chinese border as fast as possible and all these have been done in the last 6 years of Modi Govt rule. That’s why China has been rattled as India has not only matching them in infrastructure but even at some areas outpaced them, which was unthinkable few years ago. Thanks to BRO, Indian Railways and Indian Army for their tremendous hard work to operationalize all these infrastructures.
The Indian Navy, the smallest of the three armed forces, is in the midst of an unprecedented expansion, although the strength of its conventional submarine fleet remains a matter of concern. But the induction of new boats like nuclear submarine INS Arihant, INS Arighat and the conventional boats like INS Kalvari and INS Khanderi augmented our capabilities at sea. Soon, we will get 4 new Destroyers with huge firepowers. Indian Navy is getting 4 more scorpean class boats and 5 more nuclear ballistic missile submarines along with 6 nuclear attack submarines in the near future, making our submarine force 2nd most deadliest in the Asian continent just after China.
There are of course many weaknesses in India’s higher defense management, its procurement systems, and pace of military modernization. Military leaders have spoken about a high degree of obsolescence across the three forces as a result of years of neglect and apathy in military modernization. The Modi government will have to redouble its efforts to overcome the shortages and restructure the management system of the military expeditiously to meet mounting challenges from China and Pakistan.
Overall, however, India’s military strength is right now not only adequate to hold off any Chinese adventurism across the Himalayas, but even it is now strong enough for an offensive posture into Tibetan plateau because of its newly built Integrated Battle Groups comprising of heavy armors like Tanks, Artilllery guns, Armored vehicles, Multi barrel rocket launchers, short range tactical missiles, short range surface to air missiles, attack helicopters, transport aircrafts, helicopters, fighter jets and the huge amount of mountain strike corps soldiers who are highly trained and highly equipped for offensive role. We also have Military analysts argues that a stronger China will think twice before initiating any conflict with India since Indian soldiers are better trained and battle hardened compared to the PLA troops. That said, neither side will gain anything substantial in a possible armed conflict. That perhaps is the only saving grace in the troubled relationship between India and China at the moment. But Chinese media shouldn’t forget the Global fire power ranking, who’s next to them….they should better remember the 1967 too.
JAI HIND !!
