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Friday, June 26, 2020

Tutorial for Common Man on Recent China-India Face-off in East Ladakh (By Col Rajinder Singh , Author of 'Kashmir - A Different Perspective')

Tutorial for Common Man on Recent China-India Face-off in East Ladakh

By Col Rajinder Singh
(Author of the currently bestselling book 'Kashmir - A Different Perspective')

PART ONE  
First of all, let me dispel some of the misgivings on recent Chinese incursion in Eastern Ladakh. Some of the scribes created the confusion based on half fiction and half-truth. It is no doubt that the situation has developed like Kargil-99. It seems that Indian intelligence agencies, both civilian and military, have been in a state of deep slumber while China had built up its troops on the LAC. Maybe the Generals were busy with similar activities as was during Kargil-99.  Some funny excuse is being given by Govt sources that Russians misled to say that Chinese were only carrying out an exercise. What rubbish! Russians said, and Indian agencies went to sleep! 

But what is strange is deafening noise by some scribes about the whole incident. It is no doubts that some of them have inside information from intelligence agencies or the army sources, but they had run amuck with their imagination. Half - baked information they acquired either through a deliberate leak or by payment from saleable persons within the Army, is not the real truth. But they have been able to create doubts in the mind of the general public. 

They give the impression that Chinese soldiers were superhumans, and Ladakh would be swallowed by them in no time. They should not lose their sleep over it as nothing is going to happen. India is firmly in Control on the LAC. Scare - mongers are all clueless about the actual situation. It is doubtful if any one of them has really visited these high altitude locations. They might be unwittingly supporting Chinese tactics of intimidation. 

The basic principle of offensive warfare demands a requisite manpower superiority.  Therefore to launch an offensive in mountainous terrain, a minimum superiority of troops needed is 6::1. And in a High altitude terrain,  above 12000 feet, it goes up to a minimum of 9::1. From all sources available information, China has only about 2.25 Lakhs troops with accompanying logistics and arms ammunition are located in Tibet. India has more than matching, if not more troops, to blunt Chinese offensive in Ladakh and elsewhere. 

The nearest military region is Xinjiang which is 3000 Kms away with a driving distance of a single-vehicle for 96 hours. But do not forget the advantage of DBO, which can be a launchpad for blocking reinforcements on the Western Highway. These critics have no idea of High altitude warfare, and they are also not clear about the ground reality of Chinese soldiers. The Chinese leadership knows that Chinese soldiers were “softies” because of one Child family norm. A recent study in China had shown that one child was. Pampered and loved at home, which made mentally and physically very weak. Consequently, as soldiers, they can not face hardships for prolonged periods. This is why China is now advocating more than one Child families. These Indian critics do not know that China was more scared than India. (Galwan incident has proved that despite in a higher ground —- Chinese suffered more casualties —- I will talk in last Part). Indian Army was better trained in mountain warfare and also was more battle-hardened. A recent article in a Chinese magazine admitted this. So, half baked experts, both veterans and journalists, who have never been tonLadakh, should stay away. Do not mislead people. 

“At present, the world’s largest and experienced country with plateau and mountain troops is neither the US, Russia, nor any European powerhouse, but India,” wrote Huang Guozhi, senior editor of Modern Weaponry magazine. He is affiliated to China’s leading maker of equipment for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). He further contends that mountaineering was an “essential skill” for each Indian soldier deployed in the mountains. 

This is what Chinese military minds think of Indian soldiers. They are getting cold sweat and here are so-called defence analyst of these 3-4 magazines and TV channels are making them super soldiers. These clueless experts are a joke. Chinese action could have four-fold objectives in the following order of priority  : —

a) Dissuade India from aligning with the USA in Conflict with China. In so doing, puncture “ Modi Doctrine” of seeking US Umbrella till militarily and economically India comes up at Par with China. In fact,  Modi Doctrine is nothing but a replica of Deng Xiaoping’s (architect of modern China) principle of “Tao Guang - Yang Hui”, meaning bide your time and accomplish your mission over a period of time before challenging your adversary. 

b) Encourage Pakistan to ramp up “Irregular war” in Kashmir to annex it, while holding India with a threat in being in Ladakh and East. If possible capture DBO through Paratrooper action. 

c) Divert US attention from the South China Sea ( SCS), Hongkong, and Taiwan to South Asia and leave SCS  - Taiwan - Hongkong at a platter to China. 

d) a military conflict with India, whatever the scale, would divert domestic attention from internal issues to Nationalism and patriotism. Thus mishandling of Covid-19 and democracy movement in Hongkong would be pushed into the background. 

History and Backgrounder 

Having tackled scaremongers, let me give you a historical backgrounder. Such unsubstantiated comments by these fake  noisemakers on the Chinese troop movement are actually masking the big blunder of the Indian leadership at the time of independence. 

Geographically, high mountains of Himalayas were a great barrier between India and China. With Tibet as a buffer state between India and China. There was no possibility for China coming any way closer to India. And Nepal would not have dared to act funny at Lipulekh- Limphyadhuria - Kalibari. India is paying for that blunder today. 
By accepting Chinese suzerainty over Tibet, India not only lost the advantage of Tibet being a buffer state, but it also compromised the great advantage of the Himalayas as a natural barrier. What is more, we provided logistics support to Chinese troops when they came to Tibet. The noise-making Nehru - Gandhi family and the dying Congress party should first atone these sins. It was Nehru ‘s love affair with the idealism that India had surrendered the greatest advantage of Himalayan defence of our country. Poet Dr Mohammed Iqbal had boasted about this barrier as:—
“ ——Parbat wuh sab se ūṉchā, hamsāyah āsmāṉ kā
Wuh santarī hamārā, wuh pāsbāṉ hamārā—
 
(That highest mountain which rubs shoulders with the  Sky is our sentinel and our defender) 

But we lost that advantage of the Himalayas when China’s lordship over Tibet was accepted by India. Undoubtedly everyone knows that Nehru was a great leader, but he was strung in his Moralistic and Gandhian thoughts and lacked pragmatic vision on international relations. He also had NO IDEA on National security. He thought: IF HE SAID  PEACE; THERE WOULD BE PEACE! He was too confident of his charisma as a self - acclaimed world Leader. In spite of Nehru’s great achievements yet his three great blunders Would haunt him in his “Shanti Van” and his generations of political heirs. It exposes Nehru’s saintly ignorance of a real and pragmatic world. The three blunders of Nehru were: firstly, accepting Chinese suzerainty over Tibet. The second was Kashmir imbroglio when J& K had already acceded to India. There was no need to go to UNO and that too under a wrong chapter. His third biggest blunder was rejection of the US offer of a UNSC  permanent berth to India. He not only rejected it but wanted China instead to get the seat. 

It shows he was too engrossed and tied with moral and ethical strings. He had no idea of the pragmatic world. His investment in ethical and moralistic beliefs led to his conviction that India had NO enemy. Thus he preached Panchsheel and non- alignment. His reply to Army Chief, General Roy Bucher was most absurd when he told the General, “What rubbish! India has NO enemy . We can do with Police; dismantle the Army... “ or words to that effect, gives out his lack of understanding of national security. He was too romantic with the idea of peace and harmony. 
Further, look at Nehru’s confusion! Accepting Chinese suzerainty over Tibet, while  Sardar Patel has written to him to stop him. But then, in 1959, he gave asylum to DALAI LAMA. Two self-contradictory actions! Thereafter, it should have been realised that China would not like it and would seek revenge. Efforts should have been made to equip and strengthen the Army. But nothing was done. 

In fact, as soon as India had accepted the accession of J& K from Maharaja Hari Singh, it should have taken measures to take over Gilgit - Baltistan and Aksai Chin by stationing troops in Gilgit and Fort Shahidulla. However, nothing was done. Instead, the issue was further complicated by going to UNO, on the advice of Lord Mountbatten. 
Despite inaction, India continued to believe in the authenticity of WH Jonathan line of 1865, which ran along the KUNLUN mountains range  and thus included Aksai Chin as part of J& K. It might be noted that in 1899 , British India had brought this line back to Karakoram Range thus excluding Aksai Chin and accepting Tibet’s jurisdiction over it. But it was not published. Then in 1954, Nehru ordered publication of the maps based on Jonathan Line to include Aksai Chin. It is strange while no physical action was taken to control Aksai Chin, but we dreamt of it as Indian territory. 

And when in 1962,  Nehru had resented Aksai Chin loss as something where not a blade of grass had grown, Mahavir Tyagi, another Parliamentarian had retorted: As I am bald   Should I cut my head being useless. It is not that people did not question Nehru on these matters, but his towering image silenced everyone. His dislike of the Army and belief in his Panchsheel and non- alignment had given him no time to have a practical view of the world. 

Unfortunately,  the 1962 Sino- Indian WAR had started with Nehru’s “EVICT THE CHINESE ORDER to Indian Army and rest is history. An Unprepared Army was pitched up against PLA. This is amply brought out in the latest book, “A Chequered Brilliance: VK Krishnamenon” by Jai Ram Ramesh a Congress leader. Nehru had promoted pliable Generals and did not listen to them. General KS Thimayya is one such example. Jai Ram Ramesh reveals the nexus of scheming Generals and bumbling Nehru being the cause of 1962 debacle.

——— To be continued in two more parts ———

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