A couple of days after new reports came in the media circles that stated that China had desecrated the holy site of Hindus, Kailash Mansarovar, to deploy surface to air missiles, the Indian Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat has hit back saying that a military option to deal with transgressions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Ladakh is on the table, but will be exercised only if talks between the two armies and the diplomatic option are unfruitful.
“Transgressions along the LAC occur due to differing perceptions about its alignment. Defence services are tasked to monitor and carry out surveillance and prevent such transgressions turning into intrusions,” said Rawat about the transgressions of the Chinese troops in the LAC. He further continued and said, “Whole of government approach is adopted to peacefully resolve any such activity and prevent intrusions. Defence services always remain prepared for military actions should all efforts to restore status quo along the LAC do not succeed,”
Rawat might not have explicitly mentioned the insidious developments in Mt. Kailash by the Chinese but his reaction and the timing of it reflect clearly on the recent Chinese skirmishes in the region.
A report had been published in India Today where it had been revealed that the site of religious importance to Hindus now resembles a war zone due to heavy deployment by the People’s Liberation Army.
However, the sites which are being desecrated are not only important to Hindus but to Buddhists also–as Buddhism is among one of the largest religions in China.
Mt Kailash and many areas along with Manasarovar, including Rakshastal and Gauri Kund, are therefore revered places in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Beijing is behaving like the typical high-school bully which if not given its way would do anything to get the attention on himself. Morals, ethics, and religious tolerance are alien concepts for the wussies of PLA who are desecrating a holy place that has a deep meaning amongst the Buddhists.
PLA has no affinity or respect towards citizens of its own country and it is more of a private militia owned by a political party which in turn owns a country.
China is using the religious sentiments of Hindus and Buddhists as a shield to push its vile expansionist ideas in the region. China understands that India might not go on an all-out offense in the region given the sanctity of the place and therefore is testing the Indian side’s patience.
However, Bipin Rawat has subtly insinuated that if a push comes to shove, the Indian Army will not hesitate for a moment to protect its sovereign boundaries and its principles.
According to him, while India is still working towards acquiring round-the-clock capabilities to monitor its areas of interest, there is regular interaction between all agencies responsible for the collection and collation of information.
The apex multi-agency centre has been meeting on a daily basis, he pointed out, and constantly keeping everyone informed of the situation on the ground in Ladakh or any other area of interest.
India and China have been at loggerheads ever since the bloody June 15 massacre in the Galwan valley of Eastern Ladakh near LAC. The Indian party had lost 20 of its bravehearts during the clash whereas China to-date has not come up with the numbers.
Several unofficial reports have suggested that China might have lost somewhere between 30-40 PLA troops in the area and disclosing it would mean losing the face as it was China that had orchestrated the surprise attack.
The Coronavirus pandemic has brought a lot of flak to Beijing, add to it the economic jolts the Indian government has given to it over the last few months and therefore it will be easier to understand China’s queasiness to manufacture controversy every now and then.
Major European think tanks have lauded India’s response in wake of China’s transgression. Reported by TFI, European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) in a report released earlier this month had iterated that “Just like Doklam incident of 2017, the firmness and resolve displayed by the Indian political and military leadership in the face of the Chinese transgressions have surprised China,”
With the winter approaching, India is in no hurry to push China. It is willing to play the waiting game and as a result, has already mounted a massive logistics and stocking exercise, similar to what it does every year to retain its hold over the even more unwelcoming Siachen glacier. New Delhi understands that the longer China continues the standoff the longer it gets to hurt China on the economic front.
However, Bipin Rawat has given the side-eye to China that India can quickly adapt and improvise if Beijing continues its cowardly attacks on the religious sites that have extremely profound significance to the followers of different religions.