The border dispute between India and China since May 2020 has taken the form of a sudden violent clash. If fast political and diplomatic steps are not taken, it will not take much time to convert it into a war-like situation.
The border dispute between India and China has been there for decades, but after 1975 it never happened that so many soldiers deployed on the border of the two countries were killed in a mutual fight. The last such violent clash was in 1967. It is also a matter of concern that in this recent skirmish in the Galwan sector of Ladakh, Chinese soldiers have shown the shocking barbarity. An Indian colonel and 19 soldiers were martyred in the incident on 15–16 June. 40 Chinese soldiers are also reported to have been killed. Efforts are being made from both sides to avoid such situations. At the same time, the Indian government has also indicated that if China remains aggressive, India will give a befitting reply to China.
Things have been confused between a lot of rumors coming from different sources and some news. At the moment, it is difficult to say clearly in a credible manner how exactly China has executed these incidents or what action the Indian Army is taking on the ground? So are India and China moving towards war and should India try to teach China a lesson, as some Indian media channels are pleading?
War last option
Experts of foreign policy, international relations, and strategic policies have believed that war is the last way for any country to preserve its sovereignty and integrity. No matter how weak the enemy is, both sides suffer losses in battle. It is the responsibility of diplomats that there should be no direct war between the armies and resolve the issues in non-military ways. That is why foreign ministries and ambassadors working in them are needed. As far as India and China are concerned, there are also platforms for negotiating and resolving issues related to diplomatic relations and borders on many levels.
Meetings at the level of Lieutenant General and Major General between officers posted along the border after the incidents in Galvan and Sikkim failed. The work of negotiation and reconciliation agreement is with the diplomats and it is better to hand over the command to them and the National Security Advisor. This work was also happening. On May 5-6, Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla spoke to the Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidang after the Panagong-So incident. According to the news, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and this week Foreign Minister S.K. Jaishankar also clarified India's stance in a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. However, no positive results are yet to come in this connection.
The role of media on national security issues should also not be underestimated. In the last few years, in the exercise of sensationalizing its prime-time programs, the Indian media has not respected any criteria of diplomatic conduct. Viral videos, unconfirmed news and fruitless debate have only put unnecessary pressure on governments. This is also happening this time. The media should be informed about these incidents in a responsible manner. All-round criticism and pressure has put the Indian government under pressure that the government should take any major steps quickly and effectively. Friday's all-party meeting is also a result of this.
Need for restraint
China is trying to harass India by adopting new tactics, but until India is able to do two or two hands on every front from China, it will not be right for it to get entangled with China. It is China, due to which policymakers have started to believe that India needs to increase military cooperation with countries like America, Japan, and Australia. The recent India-Australia Virtual Summit is a proof of this. Cooperation on several issues related to the strategic and military sector was approved in the meeting. The strengthening of quadrilateral co-operation with the US, Japan, and Australia, or the quadrennial Malabar maneuver - both of these issues now seem to be gaining consensus among the nation's policy-makers.
On the economic front, the boycott of China, especially on the issue of investment and 5G technology, is relevant and possibly meaningful. For this, the products and technology made in the country will need to be taken to international level. All the countries of the world are taking such decisions today. The way China is pushing countries like America, Britain, Taiwan, Australia, Vietnam, and Japan towards hostility with its aggressive attitude, it is clear that China is soon close to being isolated at the international level. It is important for India to increase its strategic capability rapidly and systematically attract the attention of the world to the black exploits of China. After the all-party meeting, the formation of a consensus of all the parties on these matters will be an important step in this direction.
(Rahul Mishra is Senior Lecturer of International Politics at the Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya )
Article was first published on DW.com Hindi version
Last Update: 11/11/2021