Befitting reply

The tactical gains achieved by Indian troops in eastern Ladakh in recent days demonstrate the high level of military preparedness that is desirable at all times to confront a persistently hostile and provocative neighbour. India has managed to occupy several strategically important hilltops and other locations, thwarting the Chinese military’s brazen attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. India has often been held guilty of adopting a reactive rather than a proactive approach to national security. But the firm handling of the current situation through aggressive posturing, pre-emptive action and military build-up shows that the winds of change are blowing. The Indian Army has been quick to ramp up its presence around the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake, which witnessed a Chinese incursion on the intervening night of August 29 and 30, by deploying additional troops and bringing in more weaponry such as tanks and anti-tank guided missiles.

Even though China had lost an unspecified number of soldiers in the Galwan valley violence in mid-June, its evasiveness over the incident and the death toll has laid bare its embarrassment over being hoisted by its own petard. On August 31, the Chinese troops resorted to another misadventure even as the ground commanders of the two sides were holding discussions to defuse tensions. Such happenings underscore the gross mismatch between Chinese assurances and actions. No wonder, all the military and diplomatic talks held in the past two-and-a-half months have failed to produce any tangible outcome as the situation on the ground remains sensitive.

China has been harping on the normalisation of ties, though it has done precious little towards this end of late. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has asked ‘both sides to stick to the facts and have goodwill to maintain overall bilateral relations’, while conceding that there are some communication issues. It’s imperative for India to keep all channels of communication open so that China finds it increasingly difficult to hide behind the smokescreen of lies and cover-ups. If India keeps acting resolutely, it will continue to have the upper hand on the ground as well as at the negotiating table.