The ongoing India-China border stand-off provides the opposition a perfect opportunity to corner the Narendra Modi government on national security, widely considered its trump card. You can hardly blame the Congress for giving in to the temptation of returning the compliment paid by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Jawaharlal Nehru following the debacle of 1962. Yet, the opposition must resist this temptation. National interest must trump party interest. PM Modi must be let off the hook, not because he deserves to, but because not doing so would hurt all of us, collectively.
I am no expert on strategic affairs or India-China relationship. Thankfully, there are many clearheaded, uncensored accounts, explanations and analyses of what’s happening on the ground and its larger implications for India-China relations. The need of the hour is to learn from expert views and come to a political judgement. This is a moment to look beyond this crisis, to look beyond petty partisan gains, to look at the long-term national interest, before things go out of hand.
There is a Chinese design
The big picture is fairly clear. India faces the most serious Chinese incursion in the last few decades. This is not one of the routine summer standoffs in this region between the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Nor is it an acute but localised standoff like Doklam in 2017, triggered by a local provocation. This is a premeditated intrusion at multiple points falling in different army zones. Thousands of Chinese soldiers (about 10,000 by this estimate) have entered our side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including areas that were so far routinely patrolled by Indian troops and acknowledged by China to be on the Indian side. The Chinese have displayed an unmistakable intent to stay put. They have dug trenches, put up tents, brought vehicles, built roads, and fortified themselves on their side of the border. This is a calculated move to alter the LAC in some critical sectors by the sheer force of adverse possession.
We don’t quite know why. Unlike in the case of Doklam standoff, the Chinese have not cared to acknowledge their incursion, let along spell out its reason. But we can be sure that the Chinese state does not take such steps in a fit of absent-mindedness or as a knee-jerk reaction to some provocation. This must fit into a long-term design. It is lazy to see this as an expression of Chinese expansionism. Is this a focused warning to India against building infrastructure on its own side of the LAC to catch up with China’s build-up? Are the Chinese responding to the new map of Ladakh post the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir? Or is it a much larger message to warn India against joining the US-led anti-China coalition? Or a bit of all of the above?
Perhaps, we will never find out, because the Chinese state does not believe in spelling out its intent. So, we have to go by its actions. And the actions must invite worry. The real long-term national security threat to India comes not from Pakistan or any other unfriendly neighbour. The one entity we must worry about is the Chinese state with its economic and military might and a capacity to think and plan long-term and with whom we share a long and fuzzy border.
Also read: The Chinese are so predictable, Modi & Shah should’ve seen them coming on 5 August 2019
There is a goof-up on the Indian side
It is also clear that there has been a goof-up at the Indian end. We don’t know who exactly, but either the local commander or the higher-ups failed to anticipate and quickly respond to the Chinese incursion on time. Chinese troops now have the first mover’s advantage. Although the Indian Army has responded by increasing its presence, the PLA has more legs and better infrastructure on the ground.
Frankly, there is little that Indian forces can do now to eject the Chinese troops, and gun-battle is not an option. China enjoys ground advantage besides its undeniable overall military and economic superiority. China is not Pakistan; you cannot think of a Balakot-like surgical operation. The only option is negotiation and persuasion, something the Chinese are not overly keen on. Diplomatic pressure does not work on China. In any case, the Modi government has managed to annoy almost every one of India’s neighbours, including traditional friends such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. A mix of ignorance and arrogance is taking its toll on India’s relations with its neighbours.
Faced with this hard reality, the political leadership is all thumbs. No matter who has goofed up, the buck must stop with the Defence Minister, if not the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The Indian Army is trying to live in denial, pretending that the Chinese are not changing the status quo of the LAC. The usual hawkish nationalist brigade has its lips sealed, except a silly call to boycott Chinese goods.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh appears to have weakened the Indian case by first saying that the LAC is not clearly demarcated and then making a convoluted acknowledgement of the Chinese intrusion. He is yet to object to the Chinese troops crossing the LAC or assert India’s claim on the area being usurped. PM Modi has maintained a stony silence and appears to have done what he does in any such crisis: depute National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to sort out this mess. Fortunately, for the PM, the media is not asking hard questions, not yet. But this cannot go on for long. Someone is going to ask the uncomfortable question about the Modi government acquiescing to a Chinese ‘occupation’.
This is exactly what Atal Bihari Vajpayee had indicted Jawaharlal Nehru for, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on 9 November 1962, just after the humiliation in Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress could return the compliment. Rahul Gandhi has already demanded that the government “come clean” on the situation on the border. He is hitting Modi where it would hurt his carefully crafted image of an iron man. This displays neither courage nor competence. This mess also attests to a personal failure of the PM’s famous ‘jhoola (swing) diplomacy’, with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The comic intervention by his friend and US President Donald Trump should also embarrass Modi, notwithstanding the latest phone call.
Also read: No Chinese ‘occupation’. Geolocated images show fast in-and-out intrusions by India and China
‘National interest’ must come first
Yet, this is one moment when the Congress-led opposition must resist the temptation to attack the Modi government. We are in the midst of a national health emergency brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. A political attack on the government on the issue of national security cannot but distract the government from whatever little it is doing to address this emergency.
We are also in the middle of the biggest economic crisis any single event has induced in the history of post-independence India. Any military engagement, or even preparation for military engagement, would bleed the Indian economy in a way that the country cannot afford. Above all, a pressure from the opposition would force the Modi government into a knee-jerk reaction or an amateurish adventure that can only hurt our national interest. The only way to respond to this long-term design of China is to give our government the room to come up with a well-thought-out response at a time of its choosing.
This is one of the rare moments to safeguard a much-abused term: national interest. PM Modi must demonstrate his commitment to national interest by taking key opposition leaders into confidence. The opposition must demonstrate it by letting him off the hook.
The author is the national president of Swaraj India. Views are personal.
Bring back Nirmala Sitharaman as the Defence Minister, she’ll handle the case as efficiently as she’s handling the finance ministry. The problem will be solved overnight.
In the current situation where China has taken the first step perhaps part of a bigger program, the country including opposition parties and armchair commentators should back the Govt fully and not show any divisive trend. The matter has to be only settled diplomatically. Without conceding any part of India, China is facing problems in their relationship with Trump as well in their economy. India has a large equation with China and there could be some grounds of trade off. We seem to treat the issue as a military one but ultimately the solution could be only done diplomatically in Beijing
Author has done well to underline the serious dimensions of the crisis. However, for some explained reasons he has omitted to discuss the role played by Rajiv Gandhi during his historic 1988 historic visit to the PRc. RG had then agreed to resume the long suspended trade relations between the two countries on the highly debatable and unfavourable justification that economic relations between the two can not be kept hostage to the long pending unresolved border disputes. Hence, without any corresponding reciprocal concession from the hosts he paved the way for flooding the Indian markets with Chines merchandise of cheap and inferior quality, to the utmost detriment of local manufacturers and the huge loss of jobs resulting therefrom. This monumental blunder has , over the years, emboldened our northeren neighbour that they can take us for a ride with very little difficulty… We are now running a huge trade deficit of over US& 50 Billions per annum. It converts into huge job loss to our workforce and dents our economic growth very signic=ficantly. I wish the author would have also touched upon this aspect also while discussing culpability of one or other entities connected with the genesis of the current crisis situation. Under the given circumstances, in the current scenario, discussions/negotiations appears to be more appropriate recourse inspite of our experience of no expected outcome seen flowing hitherto from such engagements.
Statesmanly put agree fully. But one big small ? ??? where is the external affairs minister in our country. We have only only 56-58” breasting. Who should Be blamed and who should accept responsible . What happen to all those bhakths & tweeters, history ignorant Heroes, who bragged and tom tom’d about 61 china aggression. Now no aggression hugging is-it. ???
Quite a large number of commentators appear to be generalists in their knowledge of ground situation. Blinded by ignorance of situation they are avoiding asking probing questions from Govt. How could Chinese come and stay put? Why don’t now we throw them out as we jingoistically boast against Pakistan? Don’t we give impression that we can show courage only against small neighbors? Author has lot of maturity in analyzing the situation. But opposition parties must not let Govt off the hook. It’s a national shame that we are begging for talks against aggressor. Will we do such thing against Pakistan if it dares incursion? Col RN Padmasenan views and Ashwins views are quite balanced. Number of areas have come under Chinese boots and we are taking only? Accountability has to be fixed as it has shown us in very poor light within and outside the country. It’s the job of opposition parties to comer the govt and question it on the lapses, Author is a mature and widely respected personality with wide spectrum of knowledge and his views needed to be considered rather than he be attacked as anti modi or anti Govt.
Clever cunning communist China is nothing but Colony of termites making it’s way into foreign lands with an day night infestation and a clear focused agenda of slowly eat up this whole planet one day…
Now to destabilize any obstructions in its global agenda,, indirectly china has been funding mostly for all Chaotic protests riots in the globe including India, US and instigating India’s neighbor’s hence creating grounds for military confrontation from all sides.
the day first bullet gets across,, China knows the consequences as it has more infrastructure to protect then India will ever have to,, so enough of fear mongering in this country, if we citizens as indian don’t stand-up for our land in this shrinking india then eventually we won’t have it anyway.
it is not clever cunning china over night;; Indian forces Govt were sleeping like in Kargil . here if Kargil is attempted it may be 1962… when u have incompetence abound surfeit nothing will work
Abe yeh aadmi har media outlet par kaise pahunch jaata hai?
Just a failed politician turned columnist.
A man who fights for everything is a man who fights for nothing. We still have the roads we can build, we can deploy army to safeguard interests. This is barren land where nobody can live. We should look towards the Western borders. Hit where it hurts CPEC, WHO, economics, Hongkong. Remember this is all to ensure CPEC is smooth and connectivity to Tibet through aksai chin. This is a Chinese knee jerk reaction to fears of losing Tibet and connectivity to Iran for oil…
Our country is full of thinker and suggestion maker….. feed back giver……
We are lacking pure doet…..
Stop trying articles and start using indian things…..
Today everybody realise the importance of social unity and it should be but then majority remain silence on social division and we must underethe hatred of pakistan and anti muslim wave is of no use in the progress of a developing nattion like India, anyway we are with our leader our Army and ready to do everything to protect the dignity of our soil
This person has lost his mind..
Talking like a Chinese agent.. If some one invades our motherland we are ready enough to give tough fight back..
Truth is whole planet see china as enemy but few chamchas in our won land lift bucket to china..
Ask Rahul Gandhi why the hell he was meeting the Chinese Ambassador when our forces was standing tall against Chinese army in Doklam . Did he hold any authority at that time ? What was the matter behind meeting the Chinese Ambassador ,was he suggesting him how to take doklam like his grandfather let Chinese to take aksai chin . Why only aksai chin when Manmohan Singh was pm after 26/11 air force proposed the plan like that of balakot but he said no what was the reason behind that . Do you have guts to ask them that . That time airforce chief have said this in his book. Pakistan killed a lot of our soldiers during UPA 10 years but no action against them was taken . Do you have any guts to ask Congress why was it like that. And for cherry on top infrastructure in such terrain cannot be made in one day or 5 years ,so whom you should hold accountable for that . First have balls to ask the people who brought us in this situation .
The print has succeeded in undermining the credibility of this author by publishing this article. Mainly the article equals the 1962 China vs India war. In 1962, it was a full pledged invasion against India by China. India fought the war and utterly lost. In the present case there was no war. . Of course China feels desperate because of the present world situation against it and wanted to show some strength of its own by crossing the LAC. It is reported that India has already resisted and now talks are going on for maintaining peace. The author must have waited till the entire process takes place. Instead it was an exercise to jump into the well where there was no well.
The situation is tense, no doubt, govt in back foot no doubt, but cant help made few observations about the author.
1. He probably heads a political party with equal protest rights as of congress party. Would love to see the author protest not just writing columns after columns but in a more substantiative way.
2.Its good author do acknowledge the issues pertaining to national interest.
Otherwise agreed on the facts highlighted
Mr Yadav’s opinion is the last one that any true Indian will take into consideration as my opinion is that he is the least bit of a patriot.he will sell the nation at the first opportunity if given one
Tough call for the Government. Some would say the Indian army should push them back. Some would want a diplomatic stand off.. As rightly said by the author the opposition needs to support the government in this case instead of fighting it.. The opposition and apoliticals can blame the government for all its internal short comings but when it comes to an external threat in the form of a mighty uncompromising bully, we must get together and fight him off. If we fail to do so we may end up compromising a part of our motherland.
Yet “fighting” anyone off is the exact opposite of what the author implies. Guess people who like war will always like war regardless of its results.
This is called Killing it softly. Sanctimonious writing based on preconceived notions. Author is correct about everything like our Covid preoccupation, nefarious Chinese and their material superiority. But is his analysis on Ground Situation correct or impartial? There is a whisper that this fracas is going to cause more embarrassment to China than to India, knowing the humongous PR disaster China faces. After 1962 humiliation, Indian Army has bested China in every situation where push came to shove. China which has been given almost godly status for their so called advanced planning and foresight seem to be unraveling like any dictatorship does. So Mr.Yadav, please don’t start rejoicing too early. Abhi to aur picture baaki hain.
When has India “ever” embarrassed China. 😀
And don’t you think you are talking too soon and with too much of a nationalistic bias about the “great unraveling” of China. Its unbelievable how reality is so difficult to digest by Indians.
We hear LAC transgression in scraps. Dont have an authentic information on the ground reality. The media as usual is trying to be on the official line but is finding it difficult without a clear official communication.
Now RG asks govt to come out clear on the current situation. How is this attack on the govt. Critics should hold their pen and tongue in the middle of a crisis. The govt we trust will have the best interests of india in its handling. But issuing a statement if the LAC transgression is there or not or the extent of transgression is essential. It would even bolster india’s case in international community.
It is very sad commentary on media if it has to learn from loose canon like Trump on what’s happening at home.
Congress loves China & Pakistan so don’t expect Congress do anything.Just seat back and let Rahul screw it up.
The Chinese have a habit of drawing a map of their choice like they did about Tibet and recently their claim of the whole of South China sea. Not to mention arunachal pradesh. The only time they got a bloody nose was when they tried to encroach part of land from Vietnam they suffered humilating milltary defeat.i think India should raise about million groups just at the Chinese border and at least 2 squardons of fighter jets and bombers.once we are in par with them they will not wag their tails.
That’s right brother. ..No cold feet syndrome. Let’s face the rascals.
This is an anti national article. Who knows there could be opposition conspiracy joining hands with the neighbours. May be a sponsored article.
Mr.Venu are u a politician? or present govt sympathizer? as for everything u blame congress or nehru oh! I forgot that people like u&present govt feels that our India got Independence with effect from 24 May 2014.People must have nerves to speak truth
Is it not that because if Nehru’s incompetence we lost the 1962 war and akshai chin… whether you like it or not truth does not change …Nehru screwed up Kashmir by taking the issue to United Nations by listening the lord Mountbatten go and read India after Gandhi by Ramchandra Guha who is BJP critic
The author has taken a mature view of the situation and is commendable.
The government must get its act together to resolve the problem through all means that are acceptable, and which should not compromise on national interests.
Mr Yadav how did such a clear thinking person whose views I looked forward to hearing on TV on myriad subjects lose plot so completely. Has political ambition gotten the better of you or some lesser mind got monopoly over your ear. Everytime I read you now I know why a majority of my friends who support the government do so. Because Modi is the lesser of all evils. Your 7 point program was so simplistic and Shekhar Gupta was spot on when he says there is a pandemic of bad ideas.
This man has untramelled power and needs to be reined in, not be given a free hand when national security is at stake. You are advocating that the opposition abdicate their responsibility at such a crucial juncture?
Oh, it is not such a silly idea to boycott chinese goods , it is a powerful idea and should it take root, they WILL hurt. Make no mistake that is yhe one language they understand and fear.
Everything else you said was great. Except of course export to India accounts for 3% of Chinese export income. Not even 3% of their whole income as their domestic economy is in itself extremely strong and beyond reproach. So stopping imports from China will be like a fart to them. They won’t hurt. There is no logic in that.
In fact India will have a massive problem at hand, because while people think they are taking about xiaomi phones (which also spends lots of money in India to gain customers) when we are talking about Chinese imports, we are talking about raw materials “we need” to manufacture stuff that is competitively priced to sell domestically and abroad. So we are in effect hitting our own economy more than even what bjp has done.
The saner idea would be a “soft call” to increase local capacity bolstered by government initiative and sector friendly policies. Not a hung-ho senseless “ban this ban that drive”.
Mr. Yadav please be clear in your thoughts . On one hand you exhorts —-{{ Extracts from your article }} — The Congress could return the compliment. And then at end you say—-this is one moment when the Congress-led opposition must resist the temptation to attack the Modi government. And at the end of article you gave sermon to opposition—- opposition must demonstrate it by letting him off the hook. It seems all leftists in India since ages have soft corner for China and when ever there is any episodic encounter with China, most of leftists are at wits end— what to write about ? Be some what clear. But be ASSURED MODI GOVERNMENT KNOWS — HOW TO MEET CHINESE CHALLENGE.
The article followed a very clear logic. Maybe the language was misunderstood by you. To simplify : the author said – Congress “could” return the compliment that atal bihari did with Nehru (which is crib about India’s altercation with China) but they “should not” in national interest. He is saying Congress could do what bjp did but should not.
Whether you believe in the advice or not (I dont as I think congress should kick bjp between the legs right now), you can’t in all seriousness think the logic is confusing. Its as clear as the day. Again, maybe its the language you aren’t very comfortable with.
In 1962, when the Chinese attack started, Mr Nehru went abroad to attend a conference. After losing territory in Ladakh, he commented in the Parliament that it did not matter as ‘ not a blade of grass grew there, only stones’. Our defense unpreparedness started from 1947 and posing as a goody, goody peaceful, ahimsak country. We disregarded Mao’s doctrine,’ political power grows out of the barrel of the gun’.
The author trying to find a parallel between 1962 and now is pathetic. How is it even comparable.
In the article he is trying to tell subtely to whoever is willing to listen to ask more questions( exactly opp of what he professes) at this crucial time reveals his motive.
With citezens like these we don’t need enemies.