On both sides of the border between India and China, seek and hide game is going on in melodrama style. After India got a bashing in 1962 Indo-Chinese war that exploded the Nehruvian myth of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai, New Delhi drew implicit conclusions, and has been sticking fast to them. ‘Do not trust them’ is the desk book formula that Indian foreign office should never miss. Chinese rulers are subtle in almost everything they do or want to do. Territorial expansion has been the hallmark of Chinese history. She has laid claim to Arunachal Pradesh arguing that she never accepted McMahon Line. The reality is that whether they accepted it or not, they remained silent during the entire British Raj and never made it a bilateral dispute. It means that realizing they were no match to the British power then, Chinese leadership ate the humble pie. However, when the British left and India was not strong enough during the early days of her independence, Beijing revived its age-old policy of coveting more territories. Chou En Lai, the then Chinese Premier used Bandung Conference to hoodwink India, and before the ink dried on Panchsheel, China was preparing for an incursion into Eastern India. She never relented in her claim over Arunachal. Additionally, China is uncompromising about settling the LAC in Ladakh sector.
In Ladakh, Chinese PLA has adopted seek and hide tactics. PLA soldiers enter Indian Territory in that sector on the pretext of non-delimitation of the Line of Actual Control, and put up temporary tents as if they are in occupation of the area. When confronted by Indian security men, the Chinese wind up and withdraw. This has happened many times and each time the tactics is the same. They are able to do it because it is a vast borderline running over rugged mountains and plains and neither of the two countries can deploy forces in strength to monitor the entire region in one go. Prime Minister Modi repeated the offer of previous Indian Governments to settle the border issue through negotiations and put a final seal on a negotiated agreement. Nevertheless, what we see is that China has been avoiding and making vague statements, the usual policy of Chinese diplomats. When Chinese President was on a visit to New Delhi, PLA intruded into Ladakh caring least for the fact that their President was a guest in New Delhi at that time. This shows the dichotomy of China’s border policy with India. A Chinese army patrol last month entered into Indian Territory in Ladakh twice leading to face offs with the Indian Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). PLA came to Burtse and Despang areas in north of Ladakh, on March 20 and 28. It tried to push Indian Army back from its position. After noticing a PLA patrol in Indian Territory, army displayed the banners in Chinese asking the PLA to return to their side. After initial resistance, they responded and returned to their controlled area. China has been using this tactics repeatedly only to test the strength of Indian Army. It has dangerous implications and very vicious intentions. If Indian Army does not notice the intrusion, the Chinese would stay on and then claim it their territory. China lays claim on 38,000 square kilometers of Indian Territory in Ladakh, and in Despang it is eyeing territory as this area gives advantage to India to overlook the Karakoram highway linking China with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.
However, things are not what Chinese think would be. India has vastly improved her military strength along the border in Ladakh sector. There is logistical and infrastructural improvement of considerable level. India has a forward airfield at Daulat Beg Oldi from where she can keep a watch over the movement of the Chinese troops. The fact is that Chinese strategy for Sino-Indian border in Ladakh sector is oriented to her interests in Pakistan. India has made it clear that she has to take care of her border with both, meaning China and Pakistan. China is indirectly evincing interest in Siachin Glacier region where India and Pakistan stand in confrontational posture. In view of all this, we have to continue to upgrade our military strength along the border with China in Ladakh and at the same time, we have to be aware of what Pakistan plans to do. For a couple of years in the past, Pakistan has allowed China full freedom of making inroads into Gilgit and Baltistan region under the pretext of raising developmental infrastructure. However, India cannot overlook security ramifications of Chinese PLA presence in Gilgit and Baltistan area. Beijing should not be under any misunderstanding that she could repeat 1962. That is past story. She will have to re-visit her Indian policy especially the border policy and recognize the rising image of India in the Asian Continent not necessarily as a rival power to China but as a power in the region.
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