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Nagging Boundary Issue:LOOK AT HISTORY, BE OBJECTIVE, by P K Nigam,9 November 2009 Print E-mail

Events & Issues

New Delhi, 9 November 2009

Nagging Boundary Issue

LOOK AT HISTORY, BE OBJECTIVE

By P K Nigam

Tension in relations between China and India over the unresolved boundary question, have been hitting the headlines. However, some of the reports have not been based on truth. The statements of retiring/working Service Chiefs such as incursions had taken place and that coping with China will be a challenge ahead, have created alarm amongst people. It’s a different matter that the Government tried to underplay the events and browbeat the media from “overplaying” the events. Importantly, the question is: Has the right of free speech and expression no limits? Can it be used to plant false stories to destroy good relations between India and a friendly nation?

Both China and India are the biggest nations in terms of population in not only Asia, but also the world.  Both are old civilizations, which fell behind Europe in 18th century and missed Industrial Revolution, resulting in occupation of their lands by European nations.  In the 20th century, both woke up and succeeded in forcing foreign powers to withdraw from most of their lands. Both are trying to modernize and remove poverty. Both have advanced and become nuclear, industrial and economic powers. Yet both have a long way to go to come at par with advanced nations. It is in their interest, as well as the interest of Asia and the world, they live peacefully, and resolve their differences amicably. If they cannot, the story of Asia will become similar to Europe, where France and Germany fought each other to the benefit of others.

Who will benefit, if China and India became enemies? Obviously, the US. Since India became independent, it has been America’s policy to encourage bad relations between India and China. Its ambition of world hegemony requires it to follow the policy of divide and dominate – China against India in Asia, Western Europe against Eastern Europe in the case of Europe. Hence the suspicion needle points to show that reports in India are US inspired.   

An example will illustrate the American tactics and geo-politics. After Pakistan killed 3 million people and drove away another 10 million out of East Pakistan to take shelter in India in eight months in 1971, it bombed India on December 3, 1971. Next day the Indian army marched in E Pakistan. After only four days of war, Army commander in Dhaka, General Farman Ali, got permission from dictator Yahya Khan to ask India for a ceasefire, as the Pakistan army could not fight any more. But both the US and China asked Islamabad to continue as they intended to help. On December 10, Washington asked Beijing to attack India, with the intention that China and Pakistan on one side and the Soviet Union and India on the other would kill each other while it enjoyed as onlooker.  But the Chinese were too clever to fall into the trap. They told the US that the Americans spoke in two voices -- in one they said they would help Pakistan and in another they said they were even-handed. Hence China did not attack India and made only the verbal noises. But the US sent the 7th Fleet to prevent Indian attack on West Pakistan, and saved it.  

Some have suggested that foreign arms manufacturers created the present alarm for their benefit by using their past contacts with the retired/serving military brass. Compared to the big problems facing both China and India, the boundary question is a minor one. The two should not spoil their relations over it.  

China has advanced in production of nuclear weapons and missiles more than India. This gives a wrong impression to many in New Delhi that Beijing is far ahead of India in technology.  However, India is ahead of China in some fields of technology. Even in nuclear field, it is ahead of China in production of nuclear power plants. India made its first indigenous nuclear power plant in 1981 and had its first explosion in 1974, whereas China made its in 1992 and had the first test in 1964.

In the ‘50s China got help in technology from the Soviet Union. After that it got isolated in the world and could not get international help and fell behind India, which was in contact with all foreign countries. It was only in the ‘90s that Russia gave modern military planes and tanks to China.  Even now, China like India has not been able to produce world-class fighters, whereas the IAF has been purchasing modern fighters from Russia and West.

Air Chief Marshall P.V. Naik said this September, that China has three times fighter planes than India. This alarmed people unnecessarily. Out of 3,000 fighters in PLAAF, 2200 are obsolete made by China on Soviet Union’s 50s models. Among modern planes, it has 150 Soviet-made Su27 and 100 Su30. The rest are Chinese-made improved models of old fighters. Moreover, China cannot station all of them in Tibet against us, as it has other long borders to defend. We should not forget that China attacked Vietnam in 1979 to teach a lesson in true Middle Kingdom tradition. In the event, Vietnam proved to be a bad pupil and gave China as good as it got. Vietnam was a small, weak, backward country after terrible bombing by US till 1975. If little Vietnam is not scared of China, why should Indians?

David Shambaugh, an American expert on China’s military strength has written that China was concerned after India’s nuclear test in 1998. One Chinese newspaper, Jaifengjun Bao wrote on the composition of order of battle of the Indian forces. It showed how much more advanced these were than the PLA in virtually all categories of conventional forces. It further wrote, “through 50 years of efforts, India now boasts of a mighty army.”

One reason why many in India are alarmed is the memory of 1962. But things have transformed since. 2009 is not the same. Both India and China have changed and so also the world power balance. We have to be cautious, but not alarmed. An objective assessment of Forces on the Tibetan border has to be made based on good intelligence, so that we will not come out second best in any border skirmish. If more Forces are required on the border, we can easily afford the expenditure now without damage to our economic growth.  

One possible reason of recent statements on China by India’s military brass can be to put pressure on the Government to increase our military strength, as required in their judgment. This is a wrong method. It is the duty and responsibility of the military to give advice and their judgment to Government i.e. defence department. Statements are harmful in as much as they create panic in public mind. What is needed to assure the public is -- yes we can – in Obama’s words.--INFA

                                                                                   

(The writer is author of “Reflections on the History of World in 20th Century”.)

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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