The Chinese under Chou En Lai and Mao was an emerging communist nation. India and China both vast countries with big populations signed the Pansheel agreement with a popular slogan – Hindi Chini Bhai bhai. Jawaharlal Nehru trusted the Chinese but they betrayed him by launching an attack on India in 1962, to teach India a lesson for sheltering the Dalai Lama who fled from Tibet ......
A few years ago, a retired senior army officer who was
posted on the volatile India-China border narrated in a television interview –
The morale is high of the Indian forces. Indian soldiers are well-equipped to
face any eventuality. The Sikhs, Jats and other soldiers are big compared to
the shorter Chinese soldiers. In jest, they call them – Chinky, smiled the army
officer. And further assured 1962 will not be repeated again. If the Chinese
attempt any misadventure, they will get a bloodied nose for sure as done in
1967 and 1987.
And this was proved in many brief skirmishes with the
Chinese along the LAC periodically, especially in Galwan and recent Tawang
clashes. Indians responded in their own language and they retreated and ran
away with a bloodied nose. Defense experts suggest China wont dare a full scale
war with India but will try to provoke the Indians on the LAC in different
sectors to keep them in check. Some feel it to be a ploy to make India avoid
focus on the South China sea and the sea route where Chinese oil and shipment
pass through and very vital to China. Another possibility being, due to
internal strife in China, to divert attention of the Chinese people they may
create some trouble on the LAC. Surely a limited local clash knowing well India’s
response recently.
The Chinese like to remind India of the 1962 debacle.
It happened just 15 years after Independence from the long British rule.
Independent India in the initial years was busy in keeping all the states
united and occupied in development programs and implementing the new policies
and planning and construction of new mega projects like dams, roads, expanding
the railways, creating major public sector units, academics, colleges and
institutions. The new nation, the people and the government was settling down
and getting a foothold in governance and administration of a vast country.
The Chinese under Chou En Lai and Mao was an emerging
communist nation. India and China both vast countries with big populations
signed the Pansheel agreement with a popular slogan – Hindi Chini Bhai bhai.
Jawaharlal Nehru trusted the Chinese but they betrayed him by launching an
attack on India in 1962, to teach India a lesson for sheltering the Dalai Lama
who fled from Tibet as the Chinese occupied Tibet claiming it to be part of
China. Nehru was a broken man and never fully recovered from this betrayal and
died a broken man.
The Chinese from time to time do aggressive posturing
and like to remind India about the 1962 defeat. Just before independence in
1947 the Indian army was divided with a part of it, most Muslim personnel
opting to join the Pakistan army. The army was taking stock of the new situation,
of men, regiments, armaments, postings and were not prepared for mountain
warfare with no adequate clothing, special equipment, guns, weapons; and an
ill-prepared army had to suddenly face the Chinese assault as the Indian forces
had been involved in driving the Pakistani forces and tribesmen from Kashmir in
1948. And as they were coming to terms with Kashmir issue, soon after another
war was thrust on the nation.
The Chinese at every opportunity remind India of the
1962 debacle but conveniently forget the 1967 and 1987 defeat at the hands of
the Indian army. The Indian forces retaliated and the Chinese suffered heavy
causalities and had to run for their lives. And the Chinese never dared to
encroach on these areas again. And for decades LAC was quiet until the coming
of the new geo-political situation and realizing that India could choke the Chinese
shipments which they depend heavily for oil, raw materials and other
commodities bringing China to its knees. Hence the ploy to distract and keep
India occupied in the Himalayas.
Since then, India has come a long way with mountain
warfare, training, clothing, equipment, guns and this led to the formation of a
special Mountain division trained to fight in high altitudes and difficult
conditions. This mountain division is considered to be the best in mountain
warfare. Few skirmishes have been taking place along the LAC, at Ladakh and
Arunachal Pradesh, mostly testing the India’s preparedness and response. The
Indian response has been tit for tat upsetting the Chines plans. There is a
visible show of aggression from the Indian side too since they have been given
a free hand to deal with local situations. In the pushing and shoving between
the Indian and Chinese soldiers, you often get to hear the choicest abuses in
Punjabi and at times saying – gol gappa kayega!
Some years ago, the Doklam standoff happened. It was
an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, a battle of nerves as to who will blink
first. There was no let down by the Indians and finally the Chinese had to back
off after a series of talks. But they continue to provoke the Indian forces all
along the LAC with aggressive posturing and walking into Indian territory. The
alert Indian forces push them back with force. And this mostly happens as the
borders are not demarcated and the perception on both sides vary.
Some months back an incident that happened on the LAC
boosted the Indian spirit and fired up the nation, the Chinese realized it’s
not going to be easy with India any more. It also changed the Indian approach
making the Chinese wary of India. During one such skirmishes at the
Sikkim-China border, the Chinese came close to the Indian forces and declared –
Sikkim is not Indian territory and argued with the Indians. A young Indian
officer posted there for a few weeks standing nearby was so enraged and
instantly punched the Chinese Colonel, the impact was such that he fell down
with a broken nose. This tells the mood of the nation. A clear warning to the
Chinese not to mess with India.
The incident at Galwan and the recent clashes at
Tawang, the Chinese were trying to prove a point that they are superior and
wanted to teach Indians a lesson, but they never expected the Indians would
retaliate so forcefully and brutally attack the Chinese soldiers; they were
stunned by the Indian reaction. They ran to save their lives. Both sides
suffered casualties, but the Chinese side suffered a large number of
casualties. It forced them to make changes at their command like shifting the demoralized
troops with fresh troops. Now the Chinese know the Indian response and will be
vary before making any wrong move. Military experts expect the Chinese to
needle India from time to time to divert India’s attention and slowdown India’s
progress and development and also distract India on its focus on world affairs.
They are upset many major global brands have shifted manufacturing to India.
The internal political strife is pushing them to do things which they would
normally avoid. But one can never trust the Chinese, they say one thing and do
just the opposite. India needs to be on its guard.
Economic Survey 2022-23: What does it say about
inflation
Economic Survey said that RBI's inflation projections
for FY23 are neither too low nor too high.
The management of inflation in India has been "particularly
noteworthy", in contrast with advanced economies, the Economic Survey
2022-23 released recently said. It said that in 2023-24 (FY24), the inflation
challenge is expected to be "less stiff" than it was in FY23.
"Due to the anticipated slowdown in advanced
economies, inflation risks coming from global commodity prices are likely to be
lower in FY24 than in FY23. However, in terms of overall risks to the benign
baseline view on inflation, upside risks to India's projected rates may
outweigh the downside risks," it said. It also said that the Reserve Bank
of India's (RBI's) projection of retail inflation at 6.8 per cent in the
current fiscal is neither too high to deter private consumption nor so low as
to weaken inducement to invest.
However, entrenched inflation may prolong the
tightening cycle, so borrowing costs may stay "higher for longer", it
said. "In such a scenario, the global economy may be characterised by low
growth in FY24," it said. However, the scenario of subdued global growth
presents two silver linings, low oil prices and better than projected CAD
(Current Account Deficit). "Overall external situation will remain
manageable," it added.
Among the events that lead to high inflation is the
re-emergence of Covid-19 in China, which can trigger supply chain disruptions. "On
the other hand, if China returns to normalcy from Covid-19, there can be a
surge in commodity demand - thus reversing the recent slump in commodity
prices," it said.
Also, a soft landing in the US economy might keep up
the US demand for oil. It can also have an impact on India's imported
inflation, the document said. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),
India's retail inflation will grow by 5 per cent in the first quarter of FY24
and at 5.4 per cent in the next quarter.
Retail inflation fell to a year-low level of 5.72 per
cent in December, while wholesale inflation was at a 22-month low of 4.95 per
cent.
If
you feel that Aneela Nike Post is making a difference to your life, do take a
minute to consider a comment or contribution. We would also value your
suggestions as how to make ourselves more relevant to you. Please write to akn929@yahoo.com to give
your valuable feedback.
India believes in co-existence, so no country has any qualms of India, while Pakistan believes only Muslims have the right to live and all others are Khafirs. Pakistanis must realize that Indian Muslims are different from them in many ways, in their thinking, mindset, exposure, education, etc. They don’t face any hassle while travelling abroad with an Indian passport. They are respected as Indians. In India, irrespective of religion, all are treated as equal citizens of India.
Pakistan’s favorite propaganda is the lopsided Pakistani view on
Indian Muslims. They believe in India Muslims are suppressed and ill-treated.
Majority of the local Pakistanis, educated or illiterate have the same opinion.
Pakistani public, media and government allege that the minorities in India,
especially Muslims are a suppressed lot, they have no rights and are not
allowed to perform namaz and other religious rituals or celebrate festivals
like Id. They allege, the Muslims are not allowed to move freely, study, work or
do business. They say this as if it is the truth, with most of them not realizing that India has equal
if not more number of Muslims in India than Pakistan. They are not aware that
the Indian Muslims enjoy equal rights and have full freedom as other Indians. They can’t
digest or even believe that in India, nation comes first and religion is a
private matter. And people from all religions enjoy equal rights in every field
and call themselves Indians irrespective of religion.
India believes in co-existence, so no country has any qualms of
India, while Pakistan believes only Muslims have the right to live and all
others are Khafirs. Pakistanis must realize that Indian Muslims are different
from them in many ways, in their thinking, mindset, exposure, education, etc.
They don’t face any hassle while travelling abroad with an Indian passport.
They are respected as Indians. In India, irrespective of religion, all are
treated as equal citizens of India. In fact, Indian Muslims are much better off
in various aspects, education, lifestyle and freedom. In India many Muslims
have made themselves, the community and the country proud in different fields,
from academics, sports, music, medicine, science, politics, defense, business, entertainment
you name it.
India has had three Muslim Presidents in Dr Zakir Husein, Fakhurddin
Ali Ahmed and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Who does not know AR Rehman in the world of music,
Zakir Hussein, the table maestro, Bismillah Khan, the legendary shenai maestro.
The film industry boasts of AR Rehman, top actors like Shahrukh Khan, Amir Khan
and Salman Khan and old heroes and heroines like Dilip Kumar Madhubala, Meena
Kumari, Waheeda Rehman. In cricket names like Salim Durrani, Abid Ali, Abbas Ali
Baig, Syed Kirmani, Mohammad Azzaruddin from the earlier years and later Zaheer Khan,
Kaif, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan and now Mohammad Shami, Siraj, Umar Malik and
others from the present lot have made the nation proud. Many young and talented
Kashmiri cricketers have been picked for IPL. In hockey we have had players
like Aslam Sher Khan, Zafar Iqbal, the Mohammad Shahid and others who were
proud to don national colours. Apart from them there many names among men and women who have done in their respective fields and sports.
In defense services we have had many Muslim army officers and
generals. Brig Mohammad Usman in 1948 to Havaldar Abdul Hamid in 1965, have
laid down their lives for the nation The Indian Army has had eight Muslim major
generals so far, while the Air Force was once commanded by a Muslim air chief
marshal, the chief of Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Latif.
And in fact Muslim officers have graduated from the country ‘s three
army academies and have gone on to become high ranking officers. The Indian
Army has had eight Muslim major generals so far, while the Air Force was once
commanded by a Muslim air chief marshal. The Indian Military Academy has had
one Muslim commandant, while the National Defense Academy has had two.
Years ago a friend’s cousins’ family visited
Pakistan. And there they stayed with their relatives in Karachi for a month. On
his return he made some interesting observations of his experiences of what he
saw and heard there.
The Pakistanis first reaction was how could they live
in India being a Muslim? They felt Muslims in India lead a difficult life. They
are a suppressed, abused and tortured. They are not allowed to move freely,
pray and the women are harassed and not allowed to wear hijab and burka.
Further, they said, India was a dirty, crowded and a poor country, under
developed and behind Pakistan in all fields, and are scared of Pakistan and its
army. My friend was surprised and amused to hear all this talk.
They were shocked to know Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs,
Jews, Jains and others can be friends and visit each other’s home and
participate in the marriages, festivities and share each other’s joy, sorrow
and problems. The present generation of Pakistanis can’t digest this. They were under the impression that each community lived separate. This is their mind set due to their school text books, propaganda by media, army and politicians.
From all these comments, one can clearly make out the
influence of fake news and propaganda spread by the Pak authorities and media.
Apart from the illiterate and madrassa-educated, even the educated Pakistanis
believe all this as the gospel truth. Children in schools are taught and even
their text books mention, India is their enemy, and Hindus are khafirs and worship
ghosts. They shouldn’t be trusted. The hate India campaign is very much
visible.
Since he was on a visit to his close relatives, he
just heard them and didn’t try to contradict their statements and allegations on
seeing their mindset and belief. He casually tried to explain the facts, about
the progress and development made by India; but seeing the way they were
brainwashed, their hatred for India was put into their minds in schools, books
and media, they were not willing to believe what he said. There ignorance is
bliss and most of them are not aware what’s happening around the world. They
believe Pakistan is a powerful country with a lot of influence around the
world and leader of the Muslim world without realizing their country is in deep
trouble and in a financial mess.
One can understand the attitude of the
madrassa-educated people and the illiterate masses, but even the educated Pakistanis
hold these views. The women are worse in their knowledge. They feel Pak is
ahead of India in every field without realizing their Prime Minister visits Muslim
countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia and China for loans and grants to save the country as it is in the
doldrums and going the Sri Lanka way.
He said, at the first look gives an impression that
the people there look the same as here, but when you go close you realize, most
of them have been radicalized. They bring in religion in almost everything.
They feel and proclaim, they are true Muslims, an atomic power, leader of the Muslim
world, though most Muslim countries look down upon them. They are of the view
the world is jealous of their progress. The womenfolk, with their limited
knowledge speak highly of Pakistan and caution India, if they don’t behave, Pak
will teach them a lesson again, not realizing Pak has lost all wars with India
and in 1971Bangladesh war 93,000 Pak soldiers were taken prisoners and released
after a year, after signing the Shimla agreement by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi.
They proudly talk about the four wars with India. The general perception among the masses, the
illiterate and the educated alike is that India initiated all the wars and
attacked Pakistan in the night. And Pakistani forces retaliated and hit back at India and
Pakistan won all the wars. And claim Indians are born losers and can never beat Pakistan
as they have jazba and read kalma. This is the thinking of most Pakistanis. A country believing in such lies is hiding history and facts from it's own people. And what more can one expect from them.
Here is the video by Pak Air Marshal who speaks the
truth about all the Indo-Pak wars. He clearly states Pakistan started all the wars with India. And lost all of them causing problems to the Pakistan people, economy and the country's image
Pakistan loves to target India on the bad condition
of Indian Muslims but acts ignorant and are not aware about the bad condition
of Uyghur Muslims in China where men folk are arrested and packed off to jails
and concentration camps, their womenfolk are forced to live with Chinese men. The
men are not allowed to wear caps or grow beards and certain Muslim names are
banned. Pakistan media, establishment and army tend to act ignorant because
they are in no position to accuse China or complain about the Uyghur Muslims as
China is their godfather. One does not get to hear about it in OIC either.
As long as Pakistan doesn't tell the true history to the people, they will be confused of their ancestry; recently many young and old Pakistanis are talking about the common history with India which they find it difficult to believe.
Digital currency to further bolster digital economy, says RBI's Ajay
Kumar
Digital currency will further bolster the digital economy, make
payment system more efficient, reduce cost involved in physical cash
management, RBI Executive Director Ajay Kumar Choudhary said
Digital currency will further bolster the digital economy, make
payment system more efficient, reduce cost involved in physical cash management
and also contribute to further financial inclusion, RBI Executive Director Ajay
Kumar Choudhary said on Wednesday.
Chaudhary was addressing an outreach seminar on 'Central Bank
Digital Currency: The India Story' organised by the Reserve Bank of India. The
event was organised ahead of a two-day International Financial Architecture
Working Group meeting of G20 slated to take place on January 30 and 31 here.
The RBI has already launched pilots of CBDC (Central Bank Digital
Currency) in wholesale and retail segments last year.
Chaudhary said the CBDC is just a digital form of the physical
currency and will have all its characteristics.
It is non-remunerative that is it does not carry any interest like
any currency, noted Choudhary, adding, "E-rupee is also expected to offer
features of physical cash like safety and settlement of transactions."
If
you feel that Aneela Nike Post is making a difference to your life, do take a
minute to consider a comment or contribution. We would also value your
suggestions as how to make ourselves more relevant to you. Please write to akn929@yahoo.com to give
your valuable feedback.
The 9 December clash between soldiers of the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) took place around 25 km from Tawang town and roughly 178 km from Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar......It has been a long running Chinese policy, to talk peace and when the guards are down and do just the opposite on the ground. India is now well aware of this old trick.
Since the recent violent clash
atTawang many reports and some
videos were posted on the media. But there’s some confusion about what actually
happened. Different versions were put forward, all of which said the same - the
Chinese were thrashed and were forced to withdraw taking many casualties and
the Indian side too taking a few casualties. This happens every year; the
Chinese come and forcibly try to occupy forward Indian army posts, testing the
Indian response. Skirmishes take place and the Chinese would return. Especially
after the Galwan incident, the Indians have learnt a lesson and are on the
vigil for any Chinese intrusion. We bring to you the actual story from reliable
reports and narrate what actually happened in Tawang.
The 9 December clash between
soldiers of the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) took
place around 25 km from Tawang town and roughly 178 km from Arunachal Pradesh’s
capital Itanagar. According to the information accessed by The Sunday Guardian,
Indian Army got the first whiff of something amiss in the last week of
November, inside 10 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President
Xi Jinping coming face to face at Bali on 15 November during the G-20 summit.
It has been a long running Chinese policy, to talk peace and when the guards
are down and do just the opposite on the ground. India is now well aware of
this old trick.
“Since the last week of
November, an increase in the sightings of the PLA patrol party in their respective
areas of responsibility was reported by battalion commanders. This was followed
by an increase in face-offs with Chinese patrols, after which our men on the
ground were reinforced,” a senior source aware of the matter told The Sunday
Guardian.
The Indian Army, alarmed by
these developments, increased its focus on the probable points through which
PLA soldiers could enter the territory held by India to establish its
dominance. On the night of 8-9 December, Indian soldiers, armed with hand-held
thermal imagers present around these ingress points at Yangste—reported a
steady accumulation of PLA soldiers taking place near the Indian posts. This
was an indication something fishy was cooking on the Chinese side. It was not a
preparation for the usual intrusion but something bigger, surprising the Indian
troops and driving them away and occupying the dominant heights.
The PLA had started accumulating
under the cover of fog. The fog cover had increased substantially at night, a
fact that the Indian Army too had taken into account while preparing for the
Chinese incursion. At around 6 am, acting on the information that was being
supplied at regular intervals, the Brigade Headquarters directed the commanders
on the ground to mobilise the Quick Reaction Team (QRT), which had already been
in position since November last week. The Indians were on their guard and ready
for any eventuality.
The Chinese thought it to be a
cakewalk with very little resistance. As per the PLA’s estimates, based on the
headcount that it had carried out, it had come prepared to encounter 50 Indian
jawans, for which it had already assembled 300 PLA soldiers. However, PLA strategists
did not factor in the members of Indian Army’s QRT, who were waiting in the
rear. At a decided time, the PLA troops moved in towards the Indian area in an
attempt to take control of Indian territory, they were resisted by the 50
Indian jawans present there. After a few minutes of pushing and shoving, the
watchers observed that the rest of the PLA men, who were waiting at the rear
with electric taser sticks, nail-studded clubs and gloves, rushed forward to
join their team, who were engaged in physically tackling the Indian contingent.
At this moment, the Indian QRT,
which was divided into multiple small teams, ran towards the fighting group and
surrounded the Chinese soldiers, who now found themselves facing more men than
they had come prepared for. They were taken aback by this sudden change of
numbers. Unlike in Galwan, the Indian troops comprising the QRTs, were this
time fully prepared carrying clubs and spiked sticks and soon it dawned on the
PLA troops that they had been outnumbered. They were taken aback by this rush
of Indian troops.
Sources who spoke to The Sunday
Guardian, recalling the fight, stated that a large number of Chinese weapons
were snatched from them and used against them. “The Indian troops came rushing
in a small contingent, with each wave coming down on the Chinese with new
energy. The PLA troops, within a few minutes, were moving back. At least 10 PLA
men (the number is likely to be around 15) suffered serious spiked-club induced
injuries on their head and it is unlikely that any of them have survived. The
retreating Chinese men were beaten until the PLA commanders, who were directing
them from the rear, were forced to fire in the air to save their men,” a senior
Indian Army officer told The Sunday Guardian.
The Sunday Guardian emailed the
Chinese embassy in India and the Chinese Ministry of Defence with a detailed
questionnaire seeking, among other details, the number of Chinese troops that
were involved in the clash and the number of PLA soldiers who were injured. No
response was received until the time this report went to press.
On 13 December, Senior Colonel
Long Shaohua, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the PLA released
a statement on the clashes. According to him, “On 9 December, the border troops
assigned to the PLA Western Theater Command conducted a routine patrol on the
Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Dongzhang area in Eastern
Sector of the China-India border, and encountered obstruction from the Indian
troops who illegally crossed the LAC.”
“The Chinese troops made a
professional, normative and resolute response, bringing the on-site situation
under control. Up to now, the Chinese and Indian troops have disengaged,” Shaohua
said. Indian Army sources have dismissed the claims made by the Chinese about
Indian soldiers illegally crossing the LAC as blatant lies.
As is the Chinese policy to
always blame India and the Indian army for crossing the LAC and their troops
reacting to the Indian adventure. They never speak about the intrusion by the
Chinese troops.
But after Galvan, the Chinese
are cautious about the strong Indian response to any Chinese adventure and try
to disengage quickly instead of taking heavy causalities. And India now
responds tit for tat knowing well that they talk about peace and does just the
opposite on the ground. They are well aware of the aggressive Indian response
as the government has given a free hand to the local commanders to deal with
the given situation.
The New Year
looks gloomy in India's political neighbourhood
Three key countries with which India has economic
ties - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal - are facing risks that appear to be
worsening by the day. The New Year looks
decidedly gloomy in India’s political neighbourhood. The three countries — Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal — are facing a bad time
Political activity has intensified in Dhaka; Kathmandu has finally got a
government almost two months after general elections but Sri Lanka’s crisis
continues. Though the new year looks gloomy, some miracle is needed to turn the
tide for the better. To add to this situation, news of financial crunch,
exorbitant price rise, shortages and violence is coming from the western side. Pakistan
is on the verge of defaulting, which many observers say has already happened
but are waiting for an official announcement.
The 2022 car
sales have zoomed 23%; 14% higher than 2018 peak!
The 2022 Indian car sales have zoomed 23% to record
high of 3.8 mn; 14% higher than 2018 peak. This is mainly on pent-up demand and
better semiconductor chip supply.
The auto industry posted its highest-ever annual
domestic passenger vehicle (PV) sales in 2022 at 3.793 million units on the back
of pent-up demand and better semiconductor chip supply. The figure was 23.1 per
cent more than that of 2021. The highest growth in annual domestic PV
sales was seen by Tata Motors, Kia India and Toyota Kirloskar at 58.2 per
cent, 40.2 per cent and 22.6 per cent, respectively, according to data shared
by the companies. Auto companies count wholesales, the units dispatched to
dealers, as sales.
India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki posted a
15.4 per cent growth in annual domestic PV sales at 1.579 million
units. Shashank Srivastava, executive director, sales, Maruti Suzuki, said, in
2022, domestic wholesales of the Indian auto industry was 3.79 million units
against last year’s 3.08 million units, a growth of 23.1 per cent in the
calendar year.
“This calendar year’s wholesale growth of 3.79
million units is the highest ever in the Indian auto industry in a calendar
year. The highest was last in 2018, which was 3.38 million. So, 2022’s figure
is about 14 per cent higher than the previous highest,” he told reporters at a
virtual conference.
If
you feel that Aneela Nike Post is making a difference to your life, do take a
minute to consider a comment or contribution. We would also value your
suggestions as how to make ourselves more relevant to you. Please write to akn929@yahoo.com to give your
valuable feedback.
