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Event Report

In the webinar “Dynamics of India-China-Pakistan: Contestations and Implication” organized by NIICE Nepal dated 18 Sept 2020,  Major General BK Sharma gave a talk about neighborhood studies, which examine a variety of intersecting issues, including political development, economic activity, cross-border activity, issues related to foreign affairs, and security, involving India and China, as well as its extended neighbors, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Dr. Pramod Jaiswal served as the session chair. The events on the border between China and India are discussed by the major general. What is the main source of the tension between India and China, what is the current situation, and what scenario is likely to play out are the main topics of the lecture, which largely focuses on India and China because the two nations have been engaged in a border stalemate for months? To understand the situation better, General Sharma briefs us on the developments which are taking place on the India and China border and states that much of it lies in the DNA of China and the DNA of China is that Middle Kingdom mindset.

Much of the trouble that is brewing up on India China border seeds lie in China's middle kingdom mindset, which it had practiced with a certain degree of subtlety and sophistication which had elements of confusion wisdom sun Tzu, Mao's pragmatism and Danzao king’s patience but there comes president Xi Jinping a man in a great hurry and turned everything on its head and followed that in socialism with Chinese characteristics, authoritarianism, ultra revisionism, ultra-nationalism, and opportunism. The reason behind opportunism because he has picked up the most opportune moment in human history to show Belligerent and that is the covid pandemic which is the strategic shock that has come forth rest of the wind where the nation should have in China as a great park should have put its shoulder to the wheel to deal with this humanitarian crisis. However, it has seized this window to pursue its so-called core interest. Therefore, whatever happened on the Indian border cannot be linked with china's overall belligerence and strategic behavior in the western pacific and South China Sea.

So, it is part of that series that started flexing its military muscle on the line of actual control by throwing all the accords and agreements it had signed with India since 1993 to the winds. It resorted to a significant build-up and military aggression at the line of control to assert its claim to a so-called 1960 claim line, espoused by Chavan Lai, and after that lot of water had flown. We had settled into an understanding of LAC based on 1993 and the following agreements.

Major B K Sharma explains that these multiple incursions are, first and foremost, to politically and militarily embarrass India thinking that India is in the throes of a corona pandemic. Therefore, it will not be able to size up to china's Belgians at the border, and it will deliver India a freight accomplishes of its 1960 claim line. Also, to take some heat off Pakistan because India had taken a firm and assertive position towards Pakistan to call its bluff of cross-border terrorism, and China has de facto emerged as a third party in the J&K dispute because the whole Sea pact is passing through Gilgit Baluchistan and India was getting more research. Hence, it did something in an area where it would take some hate of Pakistan. Furthermore, as the situation stands today, according to major Gen, there are four areas where India have severe problem lies; one is disengagement in Galway, second is in a northern area where Chinese continue to be in finger four area whereas up to finger eight is Indian territory, but Indians have also gone occupied higher heights in that area and checkmated Chinese. A third was at the beginning of august 2021 when the Chinese were trying to capture some more heights along the line south of Pagongso Lake in a susceptible area called sphango gaps, which would have opened an avenue of approach toward Indus Valley, which led to Leh.

Nevertheless, India occupied 20 heights at the line of control on the Indian side. Moreover, the last one is an uneasy kind of truce in the area of devising, which is further to the north, in the vicinity of Karakoram Pass and that advanced land landing round, where Chinese have come about 15 kilometers. They are blocking off India’s patrolling to specific petroleum points there, and as a result, the situation is agitated. So, at the moment, we are in a dire situation, but India’s political leadership and the military have taken a firm stand. They are not going to bug, now, hereafter India expected to have another round of core commanders level talk but does not visualize any primary outcomes of military level talk, and it is more helpful at the political level talk whether it is the particular representative group or at the very highest level. Because India is more than prepared and does not want war but should China only take requests for a military option, then India would be more than prepared both at the military level as a nation to call the Chinese bluff and to stand up to their bullying behavior.

Prepared by Mrinmoy Routh, Intern at NIICE, Nepal