What are the Chinese up to?

                                               

The Chinese are at it again, smashed sheds and grabbed cameras. The Chinese army entered Ladakh yet again and raided an Indian post. The Chumar post on the Ladakh-HP border was the bone of contention even during the 21-day military face-off in April-May, which saw two rival armies pitching tents and indulging in banner drills after PLA troops intruded 19km into the Indian territory in the Depsang Bulge of the Daulat Beg Oldi sector. Though Chumar is about 250km south of DBO, Indian observation posts and surveillance cameras there have long irked the PLA since they can look into the Chinese territory and track troop movements. They continue to target it with some excuse or the other. It is high time India responds adequately and sends a strong message to the Chinese, enough is enough.

The PLA continues to needle Indian forces all along the Line of Actual Control – from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh despite the good atmosphere generated during the recent visits of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to India and Defence Minister AK Anthony to Beijing. It has become a pattern, whenever a Chinese or Indian dignitary or senior official is about to visit Delhi or Beijing, there is a definite planned intrusion into Indian territory with the excuse of perception, violating the understanding between the two countries. This is done with an idea of putting pressure on India to agree to Beijing’s point of view on the disputed territory. Or they are still perturbed by the asylum granted to Tibetans, since the sixties, when China annexed Tibet, and Dalai Lama enjoying free speech and travel in India and abroad.

It has been assumed that over-zealous local Chinese commanders are responsible for these intrusions. Given the way the Chinese government and army function, it is certain, there is a nod from the top and has a set pattern. In the recent intrusion in South-eastern Ladakh, a PLA patrol crossed over into Indian territory in the crucial Chumar post area and took away an Indian surveillance camera after dismantling it on June 17. The video camera was returned only on July 3 after Army-ITBP team lodged a strong protest during a flag meeting at Spanggur Gap in Chushul sector on June 19. There was no confrontation or any face-off. Incidentally, India has recorded well over 600 ‘transgressions’ by PLA troops across the LAC in the last three years. Indian troops also aggressively patrol the LAC. India is belatedly trying to counter the Chinese major military infrastructure levels along the LAC for over the couple of decades.

India has to take adequate measures to curtail the Chinese needling from time to time. India is contemplating a proposal to patrol deeper into the disputed territory, beyond the limits observed before the April stand-off.

 

If India and China, the two Asian giants are to be major economic powers, they need to co-operate and respect each other, rather than create acrimony. A peaceful atmosphere can encourage and create wonders for both the countries and its vast population. The world is now looking at Asia.

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