Roving Periscope: 32 months on, India knocks out China a second time

Virendra Pandit 

New Delhi: Ever since the “White (Paper) Revolution”—angry but silent demonstrators holding aloft white, blank A-4 size paper as a symbol of their anti-Communist and anti-Xi Jinping campaigns—started in over 100 Chinese towns and cities in November, India was alert as if waiting for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s fresh attempts to disturb the borders to divert attention from mounting domestic crises.

Since the US frustrated the Chinese claims in the South China Sea and openly warned it against any misadventure in Taiwan, Beijing dared not attack Taipei. It looked at India for a controlled frenzy at home. Despite New Delhi giving a bloody nose to Beijing in May 2020 in the East Ladakh sector of the 3,700-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC), it tried to have another go. Minor skirmishes, like the PLA abducting villagers to terrorize them, have often marked this irregular border where China claims the entire Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.

The McMahon Line is different. This time, therefore, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tried to intrude near Arunachal Pradesh on December 9. And got knocked out again.

Cartography is China’s ancient favorite diplomatic tactic to claim foreign territories. It often silently publishes, even withdraws and edits, controversial maps about its so-called territory (ies) and uses these concoctions as “proof” for its claims in the future. During border talks, it never submits these “maps” to the other country—for, if it did so, its expansionist claims would become untenable in the future.

With India also, China never submitted proof of its territorial claims, lest New Delhi preserved those maps and deny the advantage of ambiguity to Beijing later. Its PLA soldiers are trained to throw waste materials—empty water bottles, etc—into the enemy territory to later claim that area as “proof” of its being Chinese territory!

That’s precisely what is happening in the two countries’ multiple rounds of border talks to resolve the Galwan Valley issue.

In China’s fresh, no-cost misadventure along the McMahon Line, where the PLA troops tried to erect new structures, the alert Indian Army pushed them away. The PLA soldiers did not open fire nor lobbed grenades as they would not leave proof of their attack. So, they threw stones at the Indian Army jawans, who returned stones effectively.

According to reports, eight Indian and 20 Chinese troops suffered injuries.

The more the Chinese masses rattle their unelected, dictatorial government, the more would the PLA try to stoke fires on the international borders China shares with over a dozen countries, including Russia and Japan, to whip up a patriotic frenzy to cool down Covid-19 generated domestic fires.

Not seeing through this Chinese game plan, the Opposition parties in India, as they did in the past, resorted to their own favorite blame game and walk out, which gives them respite from the rigors of homework and democratic debate.

Seeking an explanation from the Defense Minister over the Tawang incident, various opposition members created an uproar in Lok Sabha, alleging that they were not being allowed to speak, and promptly walked out of the House. They included those from Congress, NCP, DMK, and AIADMK.

But the government patiently handled this sensitive issue.

The Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA’s attempts to unilaterally change the status in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang Sector on December 9 and confronted it with firmness, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.

In a statement in Lok Sabha, he said no Indian soldier has died or was seriously injured in the faceoff.

“The Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from encroaching on our territory and forced them to withdraw to their posts. Some soldiers from both sides were injured in the skirmish,” the Defense Minister said.

“I would like to assure this House that our forces are fully committed to safeguarding our territorial integrity, and are always ready to prevent any attempt against it,” he said.

The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquillity along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, Singh said.

“I am confident that this entire House will stand united in supporting our soldiers in their brave effort,” he added.