- Lots of water has flown under the bridge since May 2020 when the Chinese aggression on the Eastern Ladakh first came into the fore and subsequent ramping up of border areas with men and materials confronting the enemy in the desired manner. Except for a few rounds of diplomatic and military level talks between the two countries, nothing tangible has emerged vis-à-vis de-escalation and/or disengagement to usher in palpable thaw from the ever-rising jingoistic temperatures. The waiting game continues.
PC: TRTWorld
- The ground reality on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) amply demonstrates how fragile the condition stands amidst eyeball to eyeball confrontation. Defense experts describing the prevailing state as razor-edge sums up the tension when two nuclear-armed nations are ganged up against each other. Any small trigger would result in catastrophic consequences which none of the countries desires. However, China’s intransigence and continued aggression along the LAC serves little comforts for obvious reasons.
- On its part, the Indian government has indeed initiated few opposing measures like banning of hundreds of apps, restrictions on foreign direct investment routings, discreet but definite slowing down of several business endeavors and exchanges, positioning the nation as the most preferred destination for potential investors in the face of the pandemic induced international backlash singularly aimed at the dragon nation, and also diplomatically forging influential groups to deride Chinese misadventures.
PC: Abdullah Al-Basha
- One need not be an internationally acknowledged strategist to dissect the Chinese viewpoint in inflicting injuries to our nation from many fronts to compound challenges already faced vis-à-vis the raging pandemic, economic meltdown, distressing unemployment scenario, crying need for long-delayed reforms, and of course, psychologically battered populace desperately looking out for much-needed succor. The country is under the spell of an extraordinarily challenging situation is further asserting on the obvious.
- Imagine a scenario when a perpetual trouble mongering and sworn enemy on our North-Western borders potentially senses an opportunity to further squeeze us by upping the ante, gleefully adopting disruptive means viz. cross-border infiltrations, ceasefire violations, dastardly terrorist attacks, and in a worst-case scenario, unilaterally declaring war on the country sensing the vulnerability/gullibility in these troubled times. Mind you, Pakistan is sworn to create unadulterated trouble bleeding us from multiple fronts.
PC: Bilal Ahmed Shaikh
- In the event of such a scenario emerging on our borders, the Indian Armed Forces will be facing two-pronged military challenges not only testing the fighting capabilities of soldiers but also the resolve and resilience of political leadership. Subsequent repercussions on the domestic front are unimaginable to even contemplate. Make no mistake, the nation is ill-equipped to project comprehensive counterattacks on both frontiers since our resources will be constrained tremendously.
- · As such, it is in the best interest of the nation to speed up diplomatic maneuvers to reach out to all developed and geopolitically significant countries to build-on consensus/alliances forging a pressure group to bear upon the Chinese leadership to ease mounting tension on the LAC. Bravado is acceptable until it succeeds in fulfilling domestic compulsions. Pragmatically speaking, glaring inequality between the Armed Forces would leave us very little scope for misguided adventurism. Time to think!
