The violent face-off in Galwan Valley, Ladakh between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China troops on Monday has shocked the conscience of the entire nation. There is growing resentment and outrage against the People’s Republic of China, and now the biggest statement of intent has come from Prime Minister Modi himself.
The Prime Minister has issued a strong, no-holds-barred warning to the Dragon. He said, “I want to assure the nation that the sacrifice made by our soldiers will not go in vain. India’s integrity and sovereignty are supreme for us, and no one can stop us from defending it. Nobody should have any iota of doubt about this. India wants peace. But on provocation, India will give a befitting reply.”
He added, “Desh ko is baat ka garv hoga ki hamare sainik maarte maarte mare hain (The country will be proud of the fact that our soldiers have died fighting).” In his address, Prime Minister Modi made it clear that India is a peace-loving country but when instigated, “India is capable of giving a befitting reply, be it any kind of situation.”
#WATCH India wants peace but when instigated, India is capable of giving a befitting reply, be it any kind of situation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/rJc0STCwBM
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2020
These are ominous signs for China, because whenever Prime Minister Modi makes such tough statements about giving a befitting reply to the enemy forces, they are invariably followed by even tougher military actions.
Similar remarks were also made after the Uri terror attack in 2016, and later the Para Special Forces troops of the Indian Army crossed the Line of Control (LoC)- the effective Indo-Pakistan border, and inflicted heavy casualties on the country’s ISI-terror network.
Three years later, Pakistan orchestrated a dastardly suicide terror attack on the CRPF troopers in Pulwama.
PM Modi vowed to take revenge, and days later the Indian Air Force fighter jets went into Pakistan’s airspace and bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) madrasas (read ‘terror training camps’) in Balakot, Pakistan. Five out of six bombs had hit the intended targets causing heavy casualties.
Ever since the violent face-off between the Indian Army and PLA troops caused heavy casualties on both sides, there have been reports of all three military services- the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy being put on high alert. This is very much in line with what Prime Minister Modi said.
According to TOI, forces are almost on a war-like alert and sources say, “days of walk-in options for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are over.” Top official sources have also been quoted by TOI as saying that India will now impose costs on China whenever it tires its favourite ‘salami-slicing tactics’- the Chinese strategy of territorial expansion in the South China Sea and the Himalayas. This marks a paradigm shift in India’s border management vis-a-vis China.
Beijing is likely to draw severe punishment, because Prime Minister Modi never issues empty threats- whenever he says “befitting reply”, it is followed by disproportionate damage on the adversary’s side.
