SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
EXCLUSIVE: We had taken on China
               By R. Prasannan, Chief of Bureau, THE WEEK

                        SALUTE THE
               SOLD ER
JANUARY 2021

           CHINA CAN
          WE TAKE ON?
SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
editorial
                                             Learning from the
                                             Galwan Valley
                                             incident
T     here are some lessons of history that we forget at our own peril. One of them is the famous saying attributed to the US
      politician William Clay: “There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” In
other words, to establish foreign relations or politics on the basis of emotional or personal factors is the height of foolishness.
Yet, this is exactly what India’s recent China policy appeared to do. Afters years of rivalry, a few years ago China suddenly
was accorded the status of India’s friend. China’s president Xi Jinping was seen being hugged by our Prime Minister and was
invited to India as a special guest to flag waving Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met 18
times between 2014 and 2019. India also supported China at various international for a and voted for its favour.
In April 2020, India and China celebrated 70 years of diplomatic ties - India being the first non-socialist country to have
recognised China in 1950. President Xi Jinping issued a statement claiming the two countries have established a strategic and
cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity, and are endeavouring to build an even closer partnership of development.
India’s President Kovind declared the two sides have made considerable progress, especially in the last few years, in enhancing
their bilateral engagement in a number of areas, including political, economic and people-to-people ties.The Chinese
leadership had supposedly been turned around and now viewed India favourably.
Then came the bad news about the sudden Chinese military incursions in eastern Ladakh. From the first week of May 2020,
Chinese and Indian troops clashed at many locations along the Line of Actual Control (the de facto border between India
and China in Ladakh), including near the Pangong Lake. On the night of 15 June, a group of India soldiers led by their
commanding officers approached a group of Chinese troops who were building permanent structures on the Indian side of
the LAC and asked them to desist. In response, the Chinese troops attacked the Indians with roods and sharp instruments,
killing twenty of them including their commanding officer. The enraged Indian troops retaliated and subsequently killed over
35 Chinese troops and injured many more. This was all out war. And the only force that prevented a humiliating defeat for
India were a handful of unarmed Indian Army soldiers.
Overnight China became an enemy. All this while it was supposedly a dear friend. What is worse, this erroneous perception
was responsible for complete lack of political action on shoring up our military preparedness against China. The friendly
view of China at the highest levels of our government had completely clouded our judgement. We failed to anticipate China’s
rising belligerence. While we were shaking hands, China was baring its fists at every neighbour, including Japan and the
countries of southeast Asia.
China had decided to unilaterally change the status quo wherever it could in Asia with the view of sending the message
that no one ought to challenge its pre0-eminence. Even Japan was cowed down by China’s claims and aggressive military
posture near the disputed Senkakus islands in the eastern South China sea. Repeated incursions by China’s coat guard vessels
and military aircraft have thrown off Japan’s defence forces. The idea is to browbeat every Asian nation to accept Chinese
hegemony and never challenge its expansionism in the future.
It was the same message for India. No amount of hugging and state visits could alter the course of China’s geo-strategic
outlook. The Chinese leadership have always been clear about their long term aims and interests. It is time, we too recognise
our long-term interests and develop the means to secure those interests.

Indranil Banerjee
1 January 2021

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
contents

                                          We had taken on China 04
               In 1962, when we fought the war with the Chinese, it was a fight between peers. We lost territory
                                because we were taken by surprise - we were not prepared.

                                               Salute The Soldier 08
               ‘Salute The Soldier’ is the vision of a decorated former Army officer, who has been trying to raise
                   awareness about the armed forces and their contribution to society. Ever since Army Day
                 15 January 2011, this officer has been releasing a publication to celebrate the armed forces.

                                                Army Day 2021 12
                          ‘We Honour The Indian Soldier By Recalling His Achievement On Army Day.’

                  The Battle of Rezang La Veteran’s War Account 1962 16

                                          China: A Swot Analysis 18
           Recently, there has been disturbing escalation in China’s aggressive behaviour towards India and others.
                                   China’s relations with the United States is at a new low.

      Managing An                                    Can we take on                            Regd Office: SALUTE THE
  Expansionist Power 21                                China? 36                            SOLDIER, T-10, Usha Chambers,
                                                                                               Central Market, Ashok Vihar,
                                                                                                                                In the past, China has largely agreed that the Galwan valley from LAC towards India belongs to India.
                                                                                                                                But now China is claiming that Galwan valley belongs to her due to its renewed strategic importance.
                                                                                                      Delhi-110052
                                                                                                                                Glawan valley is formed by 80 km long Galwan river, which originates in Aksai China on China side and
     Countering China: A                             The Journal of                         P: 011-27417230 / 011-47025690
                                                                                                                                crosses the LAC and joins Shyok river. The point where it crosses LAC is known as Patrolling Point 14.
                                                                                              NCR Office: 1073, Sector-15,
     Salute To The Indian                            “Disabilities &                        Part-II, Gurgaon, Haryana-122001.   It is here that China has made military build up to claim Galwan valley. Recently India has built a road
      Armed Forces 24                               Impairments” 42                                  P: 0124-4209510
                                                                                                    M: +91 81307 61968
                                                                                                                                from Durbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO Road) which runs from Eastern Ladakh to western
                                                                                                                                Ladakh till the Daulat Beg Oldie, where India has also developed an Air strip. This 323 km road runs
                                                                                                 Published by: AKSHAT
                                                                                                                                parallel to LAC along the Shyok river. India can reach to the LAC at any point through this road with
      The Chinese knot!                       Behind The Headlines                                PUBLICATION For
                                                                                                   Salute The Soldier           short notice and utilize the air strip at Daulat Beg Oldie for quick military supply. China is worried about
        A reality check                      Restoring The Dignity 43                      Email: mail2chatterjees@gmail.com;   the strategic utility of this road and wants to control the movement at the road as and when required.

      required, now! 30                                                                      salutethesoldier16@gmail.com

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
in the last round, let us not deceive     China. Indeed, we have had, and the
                                                                                                                                                                     ourselves thinking that the next          Chinese remember it more than we
                                                                                                                                                                     round too will result in guaranteed       do. Just as we are yet to recover from
                                                                                                                                                                     triumph. We ought to view these           the nightmare of 1962, the Chinese
                                                                                                                                                                     experiences more holistically, and        in Tibet are yet to recover from the
                                                                                                                                                                     across a longer and larger timespan.      shock and trauma of the 1904 Young
                                                                                                                                                                          This leads to an imminent            husband expedition from India and
                                                                                                                                                                     question as to whether we have ever       of the 1914-16 invasion which led
                                                                                                                                                                     had a triumph or victory or success       to the drawing of the McMahon
                                                                                                                                                                     or at least an upper hand in a military   line. As the Chinese look at it, an
                                                                                                                                                                     confrontation with the state of           army of just 3000 simply walked

                                                                                                                                                                                                        “
                                                                                                                                                                       There is a perception that India had
                                                                                                                                                                        been neglecting its China border,
                                                                                                                                                                      especially in terms of building military

    We had taken on China                                                                                                                                                      infrastructure there.

                                  In 1962, when we fought the war with the Chinese, it
                               was a fight between peers. We lost territory because we
                                   were taken by surprise - we were not prepared.
                                              by R. Prasannan, Chief of Bureau, THE WEEK
                                                                                                                            to the contrary assumption. Since
                                                                                                                            our last military confrontation with
                                                                                                                            China had ended in a bad drubbing
                                                                                                                            for us, we assume that the next one
                                                                                                                                                                                                        ”                  Indian Army Guns at Ladak

                                                                                                                            too, if at all and when it happens,
The Doklam stand-off three years               The problem, however, of being       (in 1947) and were confronted by        may not be a very happy one for
ago and the current stand-off in          guided by historical experiences          superior military ware (1965), and      us. This has led to a sort of China
Ladakh have brought back memories         is that we often choose the most          barely managed to stop the enemy        Syndrome in the Indian strategic
- or shall we say nightmares? - of        recent experience to guide us in our      on his tracks. We tend to be guided     mindset, whereby we assume that
the 1962 debacle in the minds of          current contexts, and ignore the          by the 1971 or the 1999 Kargil          China is an adversary to be dreaded.
several people, including even some       earlier ones. The memory of the           experience when we triumphed                 There is an element of falsity
of our strategic thinkers. This is        last war dominates our thoughts to        over the enemy. This has led to         involved in these assumptions.
not an uncommon phenomenon,               such an extent that it overshadows        assumptions - probably very right too   Just because we have had a bitter
considering that nation-states are        or even erases the memory of earlier      - that in the next confrontation too,   experience with an adversary in
guided by their historical experiences,   wars. This works both positively and      we ought to triumph.                    the last confrontation, there is no
and the last military experience that     negatively. In the case of Pakistan, we        However, in the case of China,     certitude of another bitter experience
we have had with China was not a          often forget the 1947-48 or the 1965      this phenomenon - of being guided       in the next round. And just because
happy one for us.                         experience when we were surprised         by the most recent experience - leads   we had triumphed over an adversary

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
“
across the Himalayas and overran the
entire territory upto Lhasa. The fact         Military convoy on newly constructed Shyok River
is that the Chinese strategic thinking
on India is still conditioned and
influenced by the experience they had
at the turn of the last century.                                                                                                                                             An attacker on the mountains need
     In 1962, when we fought the
war with the Chinese, it was a fight
                                                                                                                                                                             eight times more strength than the
between peers. We lost territory
because we were taken by surprise
                                                                                                                                                                           defender. If that is so, PLA would need
- we were not prepared. Otherwise                                                                                                                                          20 divisions to launch a credible attack
there was some kind of a military
parity between the two, and there are                                                                                                                                               on the Indian positions.
many who believe - that includes me

                                                                                                                                                                                                             ”
- that the outcome of the war would
have been different if we had used our
superior air power.
     Anyway, that is not the case
today. China has been growing                                                                                                                                              at least three months. Even to travel    wings of Sukhois close to the borders,
and modernising on three fronts -                                                                                                                                          by that much-dreaded train.              plus deep-strike Jaguars in Gorakhpur
economically, technologically and                                                                                                                                               A word about this railway line. I   and Kalaikunda. They can bomb out
militarily. We are also growing - but                                                                                                                                      saw it during my recent trip to Tibet,   it the line till kingdom come.
our growth is at a fast pace only          Krishna Rao launched Operation              byways were built and upgraded.          for them. Now the situation in the         and I concede, it is a marvellous             But we have vulnerabilities - on
economically and technologically.          Falcon with the concurrence of Prime        They converted their 149 division        eastern sector of the northern border,     engineering feat. But I think, its       the western sector of the northern
China’s strategic profile is today that    Minister Indira Gandhi. And it was          into a rapid action division and         I am told, is quite comfortable. An        strategic value is zero. Most of it      borders. That is where the Chinese are
of a world power, which has the            the intensity and extent of that build-     moved a brigade or two into Tibet.       attacker on the mountains need             runs through open, treeless, plateau     trying to pinprick us now. Here too
capability to extend its strategic will    up that culminated in the Sumdorong         Today, we believe that the PLA can       eight times more strength than the         country, and a good part of the          we are making the necessary logistic
over large parts of at least the eastern   Chu incident during Rajiv Gandhi            move one full mechanised infantry        defender. If that is so, PLA would         mountain stretch is built on perma-      investments of roads, bridges and
hemisphere, whereas we are still only      regime. But since we stood firm             division into Tibet in 48 hours in an    need 20 divisions to launch a credible     frost. Forget the Sukhois and the        what not that can take even battle
a much challenged regional power.          then, the Chinese backed off from a         emergency. There are also reports that   attack on the Indian positions. How        BrahMoses, a strike using our aged       tanks.
So the strategic parity that used to be    confrontation, and even invited Rajiv       it can move about 10 divisions in one    would they do it? It will need at least    MiG-27 can take it out. And one can           In short, we are building towards
there between India and China no           Gandhi to that famous meeting with          month.                                   two campaign seasons to bring about        only imagine how long they will take     tactical parity again in every sector,
longer exists.                             Deng Hsiaoping.                                  But we have also been building      that many troops into Tibet. And           to rebuild one bridge bombed out by      and that is what seems to have
     But that is not a reason for               There wasn’t much of activity on       up. We have moved deep-strike            they all need to be acclimatised over      us. Let us not forget, we have three     provoked China.
worry, though we ought to be               the northern borders throughout the         Sukhoi-30 squadrons to Bareilly,
concerned. This disparity in strategic     rest of the 90s and early 2000s, when       Tezpur and Chhabua, stationed
                                                                                                                                   An Apache Attack IAF Helicopter During Night Operation in Ladak
profile is not actually a reflection       we were fully engaged on the western        BrahMos regiments closer to border,
of the tactical military situation         border. There was the Kargil war,           upgraded the roads and built advance
obtained on the border between India       the military mobilisation following         landing grounds, raised two new
and China. There is a perception           the attack on Indian parliament, the        divisions. We were even raising
that India had been neglecting its         post 9/11 developments, and so on.          a mountain strike corps which,
China border, especially in terms          We were fully engaged in the western        however, is said to have been put on
of building military infrastructure        theatre.                                    the backburner.
there. I would disagree. We had                 China used this opportunity                 In short, in case the Chinese
been thinking of building up, and          of the respite to build their own           attempt any kind of adventurism
actually building up, the border           infrastructure. Work on the rail line       on the Arunachal-Sikkim sector, we
infrastructure, ever since General         to Tibet was initiated; highways and        would have enough forces waiting

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
‘Salute The Soldier’                                                                                                                                                                                             from pre independence times to the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   post-Independence years, is replete
     is the vision of a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   with instances of the Indian soldier’s
    decorated former                                                                                                                                                                                               conspicuous bravery and acts of
Army officer, who has                                                                                                                                                                                              valour. They have fought in East
 been trying to raise                                                                                                                                                                                              Africa, in North Africa and southeast
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Asia where they took on two of
awareness about the                                                                                                                                                                                                the finest armies of the world – the
    armed forces and                                                                                                                                                                                               Germans and the Japanese - and
their contribution to                                                                                                                                                                                              proved their worth. Indian soldiers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   won nearly 6300 awards in World
   society. Ever since
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   WarII;the tally included 31 Victoria
Army Day 15 January                                                                                                                                                                                                Crosses, which was the highest
    2011, this officer                                                                                                                                                                                             military gallantry honour, seven
  has been releasing                                                                                                                                                                                               George Crosses, which was next in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   order, 252 Distinguished Service
     a publication to                                                                                                                                                                                              Orders, 347 Indian Orders of Merit
celebrate the armed                                                                                                                                                                                                and 1311 Military Crosses.
 forces. The aim is to                                                                                                                                                                                                  In December 1971, the Indian
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Army had overrun erstwhile East
   raise awareness of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Pakistan [Bangladesh] and taken
  the soldier’s role in                                                                                                                                                                                            93, 000 prisoners-of-war (POWs).
warfare as well as in                                                                                                                                                                                              It was one of the swiftest military
        peace time.                                                                                                                                                                                                campaigns in military history which
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   resulted in the creation of new
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   sovereign republic after a lightning
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   13-day campaign. This was the

                                             Salute The
The unmatched bravery of                                                                                                                                                                                           famous 1971 Indo-Pak War. The
Indian soldiers at Galwan Valley in                                                                                                                                                                                Indian Army’s finest hour was when
eastern Ladakh on the night of 15                                                                                                                                                                                  the “Instrument of Surrender” of
June 2020 was the stuff of legends.                                                                                                                                                                                Pakistan’s Eastern Command was
The clash, which was fought without                                                                                                                                                                                signed by Lieutenant General Jagjit

                                              Soldier
any firearms because of an India-                                                                                                                                                                                  Singh Aurora, GOC-in-C of the
China 1996 agreement baring                                                                                                                                                                                        Indian Eastern Command, and
guns & explosives from the area,                                                                                                                                                                                   Lieutenant General A.A.K.Niazi,
was a sobering lesson for China.                                                                                                                                                                                   Commander of the Pakistan Eastern
Skirmishing at an altitude of over                                                                                                                                                                                 Command, at Ramna Race Course
14,000 feet in sub-zero temperatures,                                                                                                                                                                              in Dacca at 16:31 Hrs-IST on 16
Indian soldiers proved their mettle     gallant soldiers. Demonstrating           of our talented Indian soldier, drawn    cannot win or live to see another          and extended code of conduct; and            December 1971. For the Indian
and surprised the enemy intruders.      exemplary values - unmindful of           mostly from the country’s rural areas,   day. From this is born an intense          it subconsciously imposes a moral            subcontinent, the Indo-Pak War was a
The world stood up and took note        any divisions of caste, creed or          and selfless young officers is a sense   motivation that guides our young           responsibility. A soldier believes in        historic milestone. This event forever
of the incident and the astonishing     religion -they unhesitatingly entered     of camaraderie and commitment to         military leaders,who are taught to         a higher cause, a belief that makes a        changed the geopolitics of South Asia.
commitment of the Indian soldier.       the fray to safeguard the country’s       the country. These feeling forge the     lead from the front. The Indian Army       man sacrifice even his life if required.     Indian’s eastern flank was purged of a
     The fear psychosis of China        sovereignty. This was the result of       tenacious fighting edge of the Indian    has the highest officer-man casualty       He readily puts himself in harm’s way,       malicious power, making it possible
that had been embedded in the           years of training, honing of skills and   Army.                                    ratio in the world. Military service is    and is ready to risk his life for a cause,   for a future “Look East” policy
minds of common Indians for over        strengthening of values. Among the             The Indian soldier knows that       clearly not a job but a calling in life;   not for profit.                              that sought to connect the region’s
three decades, was erased by our        many virtues inculcated in the minds      if they donot work collectively, they    it comes with its own inexplicable              The history of the Indian Army,         fortunes to the rapidly growing

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
India-Pakistan 1971 war

                                                                                                                                             Tapash Chatterjee
                                                                                                                                               Tapash Chatterjee is the founder of ‘Salute The
                                                                                                                                          Soldier’. A decorated officer of the Indian Army, he was
                                                                                                                                          commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles. His professional
                                                                                                of the Internet. Never has the need       career in the military was marked by the mastery of
                                                                                                for honest,clear and committed            strategic innovation aligned with grassroots tasks for
                                                                                                work on this subject of national          effective and efficient implementations of objectives.
                                                                                                importance been greater than today.       He has always striven to uphold the pristine values
                                                         Historic surrender Indo-Pak War 1971
                                                                                                Times have moved on and much has          of the Indian Army while at the same time providing
                                                                                                changed but soldiers remain men of        succour to the common citizen. He is a strong advocate

                                                                         “
                                                                                                character,devoted to fulfill the pledge   of social entrepreneurship and adding positive value to
                                                                                                made to our constitution and nation.
                                                                                                                                          society through empowerment and development. He
                                                                                                Thousands of them have shed their
                                                                                                                                          combined his vision with his man management skills to
                                                                                                blood for the nation during our
                                                           When you go home                     tumultuous history and continue to
                                                                                                                                          conceptualise and implement the mission ‘Ability Beyond
                                                                                                                                          Disability’ in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Justice
                                                          Tell them of us & say                 do so at our borders and troubled
                                                                                                                                          & Empowerment, Government of India. This mission was
                                                                                                areas. Yet, they are not always
                                                           For your tomorrow                    remembered or accorded the respect        aimed at restoring the dignity of persons with disabilities,
                                                           We gave our today.                   they deserve.                             who happen to be the most neglected and marginalized
                                                                                                      Every citizen is a soldier in       sections of our community, often residing in remote,

                                                                         ”
                                                                                                his own professional sphere,be it a       under-served and border areas of the country. The mission
                                                                                                medical doctor, a public servant,         found its mention in the Niti Ayog reports for outstanding
                                                                                                chartered accountant, advocate,           achievements. He is a regular contributor to the “Behind
progressive nations of southeast Asia.                                                          media reporter, cable operator or         The Headlines” column of the Journal of ‘Disabilities &
     The Kargil conflict of 1999 was     Galwan Valley                                          whatever. The point is that each          Impairment’ established 1987.
one of the hardest fought battles of                                                            citizen must learn to conduct himself
modern times. Conducted under                                                                   or herself as a soldier. They must
incredibly difficult conditions,the                                                             adhere to the same standards of
Indian Army once again proved that                                                              honesty and integrity. They must
years of involvement in low intensity                                                           unhesitatingly strive to uphold the
conflicts and counter insurgency                                                                higher national cause. They must
operations had not blunted the                                                                  share the commitment of ‘Nation
fighting edge of the forces. It was                                                             First’ and emulate the values,
a righteous battle won with selfless                                                            ethos,the soldier demonstrates.
leadership of young officers of the                                                                   ‘Salute The Soldier’ is a small
Indian army with close strategic inter                                                          step in the larger, noble effort to
service cooperation, professional                                                               disseminate correct, unprejudiced
higher direction of war and cogent                                                              facts about the Indian Army’s past,
political, strategic directions.                                                                present and future. The aim is to
     We are living in the era of                                                                make the public at large as well as
misinformation, disinformation                                                                  policy makers acknowledge the great
& downright lies that dominate                                                                  debt owed by the nation to the men
Twitter, Facebook and the dark lanes                                                            in arms.

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
Army Day 2021
                                                                                                                                                                           ‘We Honour The Indian Soldier By
                                                                                                                                                                        Recalling His Achievement On Army Day.’

                                                                                                                                                                   the Indian Army, was also the                   evident in every theatre of its
                                                                                                                                                                   quintessential soldier’s general and            operations.
                                                                                                                                                                   his ability to bond with them both                   During the 1971 India-Pakistan
                                                                                                                                                                   during peace and war remains a                  War, not only did the Indian
                                                                                                                                                                   quality worthy of emulation. General            Army demonstrate its war fighting
                                                                                                                                                                   Manekshaw, became the first of only             capabilities but also its essentially
                                                                                                                                                                   two Indian Army Generals to be                  humane side. At the end of the
                                                                                                                                                                   conferred the rank of Field Marshal             13-day conflict, the Indian Army
                                                                                                                                                                   (in January 1973), the other being the          was left with 93,000 Pakistani
                                                                                                                                                                   late Field marshal K M Cariappa.                Prisoners-of-War (POWs) and a

                                                                                                                                                                      It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle.
                                                                                                                                                                      It takes a hero to be one of those men who go
                                                                                                                                                                      into battle.

Indian Troops At Galwan

   The year 2020 taught us we are           demonstrates that soldiers remain        life for a cause, not for profit. Salute        On 15 January 1948, General        The Indian Army through its                new vulnerable nation. The POW’s
   as vulnerable as we are powerful.        men of honour who are committed          the Soldier, to commemorate the            K.M. Cariappa became the first     three fundamental principles of                 were treated with utmost respect and
   As we step into the new year 2021,       to fulfil the pledge made to our         sacrifices of our men at arms as we        Indian commander-in-Chief of the   professionalism, secularism and                 the bravery demonstrated by them
   we must resolve never to forget the      Constitution and nation even at the      step into thenewyear2021.The year          Army. This day is now celebrated   apolitical mindset is not only worthy           in military action against Indian
   exemplary values and unmatched           cost of their lives. It is the higher    of loss and learning provided lessons      every year as ARMY DAY. General    of emulations within the country but            positions were acknowledged. There
   bravery demonstrated by Indian           cause that makes a man sacrifice his     to strengthen the institution of the       Sam Harmusji Framji Jamshedji      also elsewhere in the subcontinent.             were no atrocities or revenge killings.
   soldiers at “Galwan Valley” in eastern   life. The soldier readily puts himself   Army with its commitment to place          Manekshaw, the architect of what   The Indian Army’s professionalism               The Indian Army accepted the
   Ladakh. The ongoing standoff             in harm’s way and is ready to risk his   the ‘Nation First’.                        is considered the finest hour of   and inspiring leadership has been               unconditional surrender honourably,

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SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
“
prevented the POWs from being
slaughtered by the enraged locals,
and safely transported them to POW
camps in India. This epitomises
the spirit of true professionalism in
                                               The POW’s were treated with utmost
                                                                                                                                             A Tribute to a Soldier
the Indian Army where there is no
room for hatred against enemies or
ideological enmity.
                                              respect and the bravery demonstrated
     In the finest traditions of the
Indian Army, outstanding bravery
                                             by them in military action against Indian                                             Lt Colonel Ved. Prakash. Airy, Commanding Officer 3 GRENDIERS [later become Lt Gen V.P. Airy
                                                                                                                               MVC], admired & acknowledge the raw courage shown by his adversary, Lt Colonel Mohd Akram
by the adversary has always been                  positions were acknowledged.                                                 Raja, Commanding Officer 35 FFR, died while leading the counter attack on position captured by 3
respected and acknowledged. One                                                                                                GRENADIERS. A one page hand written note by Lt Colonel Airy titled ‘A TRIBUTE TO A SOLDIER’ was

                                                                               ”
such incident occurred during the                                                                                              handed over to Pak Army along with the Officers Body. Based on this note Pakistan Government
1971 War in the Shakargarh sector                                                                                              honoured Lt Colonel Raza with an gallantry award Hilal-i-Jur’ at; equivalent to MVC.
where one of the bloodiest battles
of that war was fought. Leading the
Indian battalion into the attack was          fighting and held onto them despite     FFR), Lt Col Mohd. Akram Raja,was
Lt Col Ved Prakash Airy (who later            massive counter-attacks by the enemy.   killed while leading his men. Lt Col
became Lt. Gen.) of the 3 Grenadiers.         In one of these counter-attacks the     Airy acknowledged the conspicuous
His battalion captured enemy                  commanding officer of the enemy’s       bravery of his Pakistani counterpart
positions after hard and bloody               35 Frontier Force Regiment (35          and while returning his body added
                                                                                      a hand written note titled “A Tribute
                                                                                      to a Soldier” where he detailed Lt Col
                                                                                      Raja’s bravery. This led to Pakistan
                                                                                      conferring the Hilal-I-Jur’at award
                                                                                      (equivalent to our Mahavir Chakra)
                                                                                      on Lt Col Raja.
                                                                                           Individual acts of valour
                                                                                      generally receive public acclaim but
                                                                                      the sacrifice of the Unknown Soldier,
                                                                                      who lays down his life ungrudgingly
                                                                                      in some remote battlefield, often
                                                                                      remains unacknowledged. By
                                                                                      bringing out this commemorative
                                                                                      pamphlet we hope to raise some
                                                                                      awareness of the Unknown Soldier to
                                                                                      commemorate the lives and sacrifices
                                                                                      of our men at arms. The soldier walks
                                                                                      calmly in the line of fire, knowing
                                                                                      fully well that he may lose his life.
                                                                                      He faces terrorist and unseen enemies
                                                                                      from across the borders. He carries
                                                                                      unlimited liability for the safety
   Field Marshal Manekshaw, confirming SENA MEDAL [Gallantry] to No;                  of citizens and the progress of the
   5837748,Lance Naik Indra Bahadur Sahi of First Battalion The Nineth                nation. In short,he deserves to be
   Gorkha Rifles [1/9GR] for his conspicuous bravery in the face of enemy at
   the battle of Dera Baba Nanak [DBN-Battle] of Indo-Pak War 1971.
                                                                                      saluted and respected.

14 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | JANUARY 2021                                                                                                                                                                 JANUARY 2021 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | 15
SOLD ER - CHINA CAN WE TAKE ON? - SALUTE THE - Sanjha Morcha
The Battle of Rezang La
   Veteran’s War Account                                                                                                                 On the Occasion of
                                       This battle of Rezang La
                                 is listed in the series of eight
                                 stories of collective bravery
                                                                           Major Shaitan Singh as ‘C’ company commander
                                                                    leading from the front demonstrated conspicuous bravery
                                                                    in the face of the enemy and repeatedly repulsed Chinese
                                                                                                                                          Army Day 2021
                                 published by UNESCO.               attacks. He was seriously wounded by a sniping Chinese

                                                                                                                                             Salute the nation’s Paramilitary
                                 Rezang La (La means a              MMG but continued to fight along with his men. The
                                 mountain pass in the Tibetan       Chinese army then directed heavy machine gun fire on
                                 language) is a tactically          his position and he was incapacitated. Unmindful of his
                                 important feature on the
                                 Kailash Range; it is about
                                                                    personal safety and sensing danger to his life, he ordered his
                                                                    subordinate to place him behind the cover of a boulder at the
                                                                                                                                             Forces and Health Professionals
                                 3,000 yards long and 2,000         place of action and continued to fight. He died at that spot,
                                 yards wide at an average           still gripping his weapon. The ‘C’ company lost 114 soldiers
altitude of 16,000 feet with intervening heights that allow         in the battle of Rezang La while 5 soldiers were seriously
deep observation into Chinese Territory but at the same             injured and captured by the Chinese Army as Prisoners-
time restrict close artillery support to Indian positions. This     of-War (POWs). Only one soldier returned to Battalion
falls under the Chushul Sector of Ladakh, as designated by          HQ. Maj Shaitan Singh posthumously won the Param Vir
the Indian Army.                                                    Chakra [PVC] for his actions in defending Rezang La. A
      During the 1962 India-China War, Rezang La was                war memorial built in Rewari, claims that 1,300 Chinese
held by ‘C’ Company under Major Shaitan Singh of the                soldiers were killed in the battle of Rezang La, which it is the
13 Kumaon Regiment. On the 18th of November 1962,                   only bravery story of the Indian Army listed under the title
this Company fought the battle of Rezang La in subzero              collective stories of bravery published by UNESCO.
temperatures with scant resources and in extremely difficult               Brigadier Raghunath V Jatar was born on 05th Oct
circumstances. At that time, Brigadier Raghunath V Jatar            1932 in Dhulia in Maharashtra in a family having very
[IC-6445H], the then ‘B’ Company Commander of 13                    strong military ties. His uncle Lt Col Sir Nilkanth Jatar had
Kumaon Regiment was holding Magar Hill, a prominent                 served with distinction in the British Indian Army in World
feature on one flank of the Spanggur gap and dominating             War I and in the North West Frontier province (NWFP).
the Chushul airstrip. Lt Colonel H.S. Dhingra was the               He was the first Indian to get DSO and Bar for bravery.            Let us come together to acknowledge the myriad sacrifices made during years of unremitting services by
Commanding Officer of 13 Kumaon Regiment located                    On 7th June 1953 Brigadier Jatar was commissioned as               the personnel of the nation’s paramilitary forces including Border Security Force (BSF), Indo Tibetan Border
on the high ground at the foothills of Magar Hill. The              2nd Lt in the 13 Kumaon Regiment. He commanded                     Force (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Railway Protection Force
Battalion was placed under HQ 114 Infantry Brigade                  the 13 Kumaon Regiment during the 1971 Indo-Pak war                (RPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Assam Rifles and the state police forces.
commanded by Brigadier T.N. Raina [who later became                 in Rajasthan [Longewalla Sector] which had witnessed                    In 2020 during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these forces as well as the country’s healthcare
Chief of Indian Army staff].                                        the retreating Pakistani Army after its humiliating defeat.        personnel, including doctors, nurses and others, went the extra mile to keep millions of Indians safe. They
      The Chinese Army attacked Rezang La in the early              The 13 Kumaon Regiment under Lt Colonel R.V.Jatar                  toiled under the most trying circumstances, often at great personal risk, to fulfil their commitment to the
hours of 18th Nov 1962. The first attack was ‘silent’ with          successfully launched battalion level attack in broad day          nation’s ill and vulnerable. Hundreds gave up their lives while providing succour to the ill and dying. We
the intention to surprise ‘C’ company of 13 Kumaon                  light and ousted the Pakistanis from Border Pillar No-             salute and honour them for their dedicated services during this extended crisis.
Regiment. However, the Chinese failed in their designs and          638 in the Indo-Pak Border. The attack resulted in 51
                                                                                                                                            All of them have shown exemplary commitment to their duty, laying down their lives when
the attack was stalled by the brave soldiers of 13 Kumaon           Pakistani soldiers killed while the remaining fled towards
                                                                                                                                       needed without reward or recognition. Maytheir sacrifices never go in vain. May their memory serve to
Regiment. At the crack of dawn, the Chinese once again              own territory. This veteran officer, while narrating the 1962
                                                                                                                                       strengthen the nation and may our future generations keep the flames of honour, sacrifices and love of the
attacked Rezang La; this time too, the attack was thwarted          incidents, express his deep gratitude to the Indian Army for
by accurate small arms fire from our positions. The Chinese         the opportunity to serve the nation in all operations of war       motherlandburning at all times forever.
then modified their attack plan and started shelling Rezang         since his commissioning in 1953 to till the day he retired
La heavily while encircling the post. Finding ‘C’ company           in 1984 including the liberation of Goa [1960], Mizoram            JAI HIND
surrounded, Major Shaitan Singh re-organised the position           insurgency [1968] and actively involved in the Indo-               TEAM SALUTE THE SOLDIER
and re-sited the automatic weapons to take on the enemy             Pak 1971 war. Thus, I have the satisfaction of serving my
attack.                                                             country in various military operations.

16 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | JANUARY 2021                                                                                                                                                                                  JANUARY 2021 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | 17
power,economic power, technology            analysis. China’s strength is its
                                                                                                                                                                     power, natural resources, quality of        economic growth in the last twenty
                                                                                                                                                                     leadership and soft power.                  years after it joined the World Trade
                                                                                                                                                                           In terms of military power, we        Organization for which it had to
                                                                                                                                                                     do not expect any land war between          wait over fifteen years as the U.S.
                                                                                                                                                                     China and United States. It will be         Senate objected initially as it found
                                                                                                                                                                     air and sea. In both areas China is         China lacking in qualifications to be
                                                                                                                                                                     way behind its adversary. There is, as      a member of W.T.O. Its weakness is
                                                                                                                                                                     we know, a MAD (mutually assured            its autocracy that suppresses freedom
                                                                                                                                                                     destruction) between United States          of thought and expression without
                                                                                                                                                                     and Russia as between them they hold        which no society can progress.
                                                                                                                                                                     90% of nuclear weapons. China will                The opportunities are weak and
                                                                                                                                                                     not be able to catch up with either in      muddleheaded U.S. leadership under

China: A Swot
                                                                                                                                                                     terms of nuclear weapons.                   Trump, Covid-19 related economic
                                                                                                                                                                           Coming to economy, the                weakness of the West and the rest
                                                                                                                                                                     GDP of United States is $21.44              of the world. This has been rectified
                                                                                                                                                                     trillion whereas China’s is $14.14          with Biden’s election.
                                                                                                                                                                     trillion. We need to take note of the             Threats include the near

Analysis
                                                                                                                                                                     population. China has a population          universal disapproval of China’s
                                                                                                                                                                     of 1404.33 million as against               aggressive behaviour towards India,
                                                                                                                                                                     332.6 million in United States. In          Australia and others.
                                                                                                                                                                     short, with one fourth of China’s                 The Indian Army has a glorious
                                                                                                                                                                     population, United States produces          tradition. The other day the
                                                                                                                                                                     50% more than China.                        BBC carried a programme : Has
     Recently, there has been disturbing escalation in China’s                                                                                                             Some scholars have wrongly            India’s contribution to WW2 been
                                                                                                                                                                     argued that the autocracy that China        ignored?(16th June 2015) by Yasmin
      aggressive behaviour towards India and others. China’s                                                                                                         practices enables it to have a higher       Khan. Yasmin is right.
         relations with the United States is at a new low.                                                                                                           GDP and a stronger military. We all               While I was serving as
        by Ambassador K P Fabian, Professor, Indian Society of International Law                                                                                     know what Mao Zedong’s absolute             Ambassador to Italy I was invited in
                                                                                                                                                                     power did to China. It created a            1998 to speak at the inauguration of
                                                                                                                                                                     massive famine with a grim toll             Mahatma Gandhi Piazza in a small
                                                                                                                                                                     running into millions. Xi Jinping has       town. After my speech an elderly lady
In business we all do a                   relation with a country that chooses       that it belongs to China. India does         Coming to China’s aggressive       amassed absolute power in his hands,        came and hugged me. She started
SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-               not to have such relations with us.        not claim the Indian Ocean. By the     behaviour at the border, we need to      but it can prove injurious to China.        crying. I was slightly embarrassed, but
Opportunities-Threats) analysis of             Recently, there has been              by it was the Portuguese navigators    understand why China is doing what             Coming back to the SWOT               did not show it. Greeted her in Italian
our competitors to help us plan our       disturbing escalation in China’s           who set out from India to China        it is doing. China realises that India
strategy to win the competition.          aggressive behaviour towards India         starting from the 16th century who     is the only power that stands and can
While it is not our intention to          and others. China’s relations with the     coined the noun “South China Sea”.     stand in the way of China’s ascent as
have an adversarial relationship with     United States is at a new low. There       Vietnam calls it “East Sea”. The       the hegemon in Asia, a necessary step
China—and we have demonstrated            is an across the board consensus in        brazen acts of aggression by China     to realise China’s ultimate ambition
it beyond doubt that we want to           the United States that China’s rise        has united the rest of the world       to co-equal and then overtake the
have good neighbourly relations with      has to be stopped as it is no longer a     against it.                            United States.
China and that at the same time           peaceful rise. It is an aggressive rise,        The European Union, the largest         At this stage it is important to
we expect and demand that China           based on violations of International       market in the world, has recognised    raise the question: Will China ever
complies with the agreements it has       Law as in the South China Sea.             the danger of permitting China to      equal United States in composite
signed with us—it is crystal clear that   Incidentally, just because it is called    buy up companies in distress. China    power? The answer is clear. The                         GETTY IMAGES

                                          South China Sea, it does not follow        has been found stealing technology.    composite power includes military                       More than two million Indian soldiers participated in World War Two
we cannot have a good neighbourly

18 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | JANUARY 2021                                                                                                                                                                              JANUARY 2021 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | 19
“                                               Managing An
and asked her whether she had visited
India and seen Mahatma Gandhi.
She said no. She continued, “When
the war (WW2) was ending, in 1944,

                                                                                                                              Expansionist Power
Indian soldiers had come to my town.
I was a little girl. A tall soldier with      Coming to 1962, much has changed
                                             since then. India has modernised and
a turban gave me chocolates. I shall
never forget him. I wanted to hug
you and tell you this.”
     What a human interest story!
                                                     equipped its military.

                                                                              ”
In Italy, I have come across similar
stories of the kindness and goodness
of soldiers.
     Let us look at what is happening
at the border. I say the border and
not LAC, a Chinese phrase we should
stop using. The argument that the
border is not delineated on a map
acceptable to both and therefore
we should adopt the LAC is wrong.
Because LAC also is not drawn on
a map. China treats the LAC as a
movable line to suit its aggressive
ambition. In Galvan our brave
soldiers stood firm and China had to
withdraw. We salute the bravery and
patriotism of our brave heroes and
shall never forget them. They shall
inspire us for all time.
                                                                                                                                    Recently, there has been disturbing escalation in China’s
     The soldier is the only
professional who makes the ultimate                                                                                                  aggressive behaviour towards India and others. China’s
sacrifice for the country. We the                                                                                                       relations with the United States is at a new low.
public are eternally beholden to them.     India has not lost any war.               supports the soldier. Sooner rather                            by N. V. Subramanian, Writer, Analyst and Journalist.
Without them we are not safe.                   Coming to 1962, much has             than later, China will realise the
     The Indian Army has a glorious        changed since then. India has             march of folly it has undertaken and
history. Take Pakistan. It invaded         modernised and equipped its military.     sit down with India across the table     New Delhi: There is a quotation              known but not articulated with his       Allies only marginally. The Germans
Jammu and Kashmir shortly after            There is no question about our ability    and sort out matters in a civilised      which is attributed to the French            simplicity. Without Clemenceau’s         surrendered. But the French supreme
independence and the Pakistan Army         to take on China if need be. While we     way. But we cannot afford to bring       premier, Georges Clemenceau, who             leadership in the last make-or-break     allied commander, Ferdinand Foch,
was about to capture Srinagar when         know that China knows our ability to      down our level of vigilance.             rallied the Allies in the last year of the   phase of the conflict, it was possible   had no stomach to carry the battle
Indian Army stepped in and made            stand up to them and therefore China           Dear soldier, please remember       First World War to victory against           that the German war machine,             into Berlin. That lack of stomach
them retreat. In 1965 Pakistan started     is unlikely to start a war, prudence      that for the entire nation from          Kaiser’s Germany. “War,” he said,            although bedraggled, would prevail.      provided the psychological advantage
the war and was badly beaten. In           requires that we should be ready and      Kashmir to Kanyakumari you are our       “is too serious a matter to entrust          This is not the place to go into the     to Hitler when he overran France and
1971 also Pakistan started the war         prepared for all eventualities.           hero and we stand behind you. We         to military men.” Variations of that         details of the last fighting which saw   conquered Western Europe save the
and it resulted in the dismemberment            There is confrontation in            are convinced that your valour and       quotation often make their way into          some of the bloodiest trench warfare     British Isles twenty-two years later
of Pakistan and the birth of               Ladakh. Our hearts go to our brave        diligence will send the aggressor back   publication now and then.                    of the conflict.                         only to be doomed by his own lack of
Bangladesh. In short, but for the          soldiers facing the cold weather and      to where he came from.                         Clemenceau was putting into                  But Clemenceau’s intervention      strategic purpose.
1962 war with China, independent           the difficult terrain. The whole nation                                            words a truism that was always well-         tilted the balance in favour of the           This small portion of potted

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history acquires relevance when           affairs is also considerable. Besides,    This cannot be done by the army or        China? Even if I should think so,          India seeks. It must absolutely be        few all-weather friends. Hostile
considering India-China relations.        nuclear powers don’t go to war; not       by diplomats. Disengagement talks         I would hesitate to say so. Not            clear about its priorities and shed       relations leading to a no-war-no-
They have been rough this year like       even limited war. This is not the         have to happen at the level of top        being a democracy, China does              prestige where it comes in the way        peace situation in the entire eastern
never in recent decades and the time      Ussuri River of 1969 for prolonged        political leaders of both countries       not understand how a democracy             without abasing itself. The priority      and northern sectors of the frontier
ahead does not appear promising.          clashes to occur under the nuclear        and, even then, it will take months       works. It imagines every expressed         for India is to lift the masses out       joined with historical hostilities in the
In the Galwan Valley clashes of           overhang. And India faces nuclear         before anything is discernible on the     opinion as official policy or thinking.    of poverty and escape the middle-         west will put a huge military strain
June, about twenty Indian soldiers        weapons on two coordinated fronts         ground.                                   It has no notion of the concept of         income trap. Prestige today comes         on India and on the economy which
and their commanding officer were         which somehow escapes hawkish                   Countries have to realise what      freedom of expression. Relations are       not from having nuclear weapons           needs every available resource to
killed. Presumably some Chinese also      calculations. While the country           they lose by going to war. Such           already fraught. I have no interest in     (which are unusable anyhow) or large      propel growth. There is no guarantee
died in the fighting but that is no       obviously can’t lose more territory,      realisation will prevent rivalries from   making them worse. Strategists know        standing armies (wars are outmoded)       that political-level talks will lead to
consolation.                              disengagement is equally imperative.      spinning out of control. India turned     something else. Countries base their       but from possessing a powerful            quick disengagement but a military
                                                                                    the corner with the 1991 economic         counter strategies on capacities of        economy and a vast technical and          solution will only leave deep and
                                                                                    reforms. India rose to become a lower     rival countries. Intents are secondary.    industrial base. What really spooks       unhealable wounds behind. More
                                                                                    middle-income country because of          It can also happen that intents are        Western powers and especially the         than anything else, India needs peace
                                                                                    reforms. It would have regressed to       expressed not commensurate with            United States about China? It is not      to find its feet and grow. Too much
                                                                                    worse without. A lot of hard work         capacity, making the other side            so much its hypersonic weapons, its       has gone wrong. For the satisfaction
                                                                                    is necessary to make it to a middle-      take countermeasures which prove           expanding inventory of warfighting        of its long-term interests, India has to
                                                                                    income country, and even more             ultimately shocking and demoralising.      platforms, etc, but things like the       reach an honourable accommodation
                                                                                    perseverance is required so that it             I would skirt that trap altogether   MIC 2025 (Made in China 2025)             with China and remove the spectre of
                                                                                    escapes the “middle-income trap”.         by making the proposition that India       programme. It frightens them. The         a two-front war.
                                                                                    Few countries do.                         and China are too important for            United States is the world leader of            There is a sense of disbelief
                                                                                          In this situation, any rivalry      one another and for the peace and          innovation; its leadership position       on the Indian side that relations
                                                                                    with China has to be economic. It         prosperity of southern Asia and that       actually derives from there. It is        with China have plummeted so
                                                                                    cannot be territorial and military        war is simply not an option. China         China’s aim to displace America in        dramatically and disastrously but
                                                                                    even while preserving the possessions     knows its priorities absolutely. Being     that realm. Its ambitions and choices     there were all the signs of a storm
                                                                                    and the advantages, if any. Rivalries     a Great Power, China has a certain         are extraordinary. If there is anything   breaking out since the Doklam
                                                                                    of a non-economic nature are simply       prestige it is keen to preserve. But       India can learn from its neighbour,       crisis. While indulging in a blame-
                                                                                    unaffordable. The ends of revanchism      in the immediate post-1949 phase           it is to think big, shed shibboleths,     game helps no one, a degree of
                                                                                    cannot be happy. Fortunately, India’s     and for several decades thereafter, it     and make democratic party-political       introspection is necessary. The
                                                                                    predicament is not unique. World          remained humble or at least played         competition not an end in itself          Galwan Valley tragedy could have
                                                                                    history abounds with examples of          the humility card. On his first visit to   but an ally and servitor of nation-       been averted had diplomats kept
                                                                                    neighbours who overcame bitterness        Moscow upon gaining power, Mao             building.                                 their eyes and ears open and not
                                                                                    to forge a new future. Britain, France    Zedong was slighted by Joseph Stalin              This is easier said than done.     bought into the propaganda.
                                                                                    and Germany were at the centre of         who did not permit the Korean War          But a beginning has to be made.           Threatening Pakistan on a daily
                                                                                    some of Western Europe’s enduring         to cease in his lifetime. Mao bore the     Politics has to seize the high ground     basis is not the same as throwing
   Galwan Valley
                                                                                    troubles. They were joined towards        insults till China was in a position       in India-China relations leading to       revanchist challenges at China – and
                                                                                    the close of the nineteenth century       to strike out. A variant of that was       a negotiated disengagement and            from the floor of Parliament no
     While both sides are                 that: jingoism. The Clemenceau            in the league of Great Powers by the      Deng Xiaoping’s rise-by-stealth policy     eventually to a border settlement. The    less. Expansionist powers are always
locked eyeball-to-eyeball on the          principle has come to bear on             United States, Tsarist Russia and         which had the United States eating         annus horribilis of 2020 must remain      difficult to deal with. Ask Russia’s
undemarcated frontier, chances of         political authority rather aggressively   Imperial Japan. Their rivalry was so      out of his hands. Xi Jinping reckons       one of a kind. While China has a          neighbours and especially Ukraine in
active hostilities have diminished with   and unwantedly. For all the talk, war     great that they fought two world          the time for stealth and humility are      stake in good relations with India        the present day or acquaint yourself
the cold of winter being the greater      is not an option.                         wars (total wars) and the Cold War        over. But even he needs allies. Thus,      and must ensure that it does not drift    with the strains imposed on the states
adversary for soldiers outdoors. The           Nor should it be. I have no          (in a thermonuclear environment).         the deepening relations with Vladimir      into the US orbit, India has an even      contiguous to Nazi Germany by
earlier jingoism to rout the Chinese      desire to get into war-gaming.            Differences persist among them but        Putin’s Russia.                            bigger one in making the most of          Hitler. Managing expansionist powers
from the occupied one thousand            Not just are the known unknowns           war is unthinkable now.                         There is no escape for India         the world’s number two economic           is an art and science and it’s time
square kilometres of territories          vast; the unknown unknowns are                  I have often come across            from the historical cycles. There are      power in the north and not getting        India immerses in a long and arduous
claimed by India have remained just       prodigious. The revolution in military    the question: Can India take on           no shortcuts to rise, if rise it is that   trapped in geopolitical rivalries with    study of it.

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Countering
    China: A Salute
    To The Indian
    Armed Forces
       India should have no hesitation in revoking its stance
      about Tibet’s status and should go even one step further
             and link it with China’s recognition of J&K.
                                     by Lt Gen C A Krishnan

Decades of negotiations and                    China rolled out the Wuhan        benign Chinese rise’ and exploited
Joint Working Group meetings have         virus in December 2019. Even           the crisisby adopting a tough stance
not made any worthwhile progress          now, after a year, the whole world     on trade with countries like US and
towards settling the long standing        continues to reel under its impact     Australia, attempting aggressively
border dispute along the3488 Km           with China being the only exception.   to gob-ble up companies in the
India China border. China has             Detection of new mutant strains is     strained global markets and blatantly
shown no desire, over the past sixty      only making things worse.              using a “debt trap strategy” against
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Mobilization Indian Army
years, to resolve the dispute, and             At the dawn of twenty first       third world countries. This hurry
in fact,their multiple claim lines        century, China was already well on     to establish an economic monopoly
including some outrageous ones            track vying for the numero uno         seems to have been dictated by the      and perceives a desperate need to        Pakistan in 2016 and the Balakot air   unexpectedly, the changing trend
and their inconsistent stance have        position in the world order. As 2020   ruling Chinese Communist Party’s        break the stranglehold in the Malacca    strike by Indian Air Force in early    continued and in August 2019, the
actually resulted in an increase in the   panned out, the situation looked       (CCP) professed goal of transforming    strait. The China-Pakistan Economic      2019 had demonstrated a renewed        Indian Parliament, through a two
number of contentious points along        tailor made for China to come to       China into a ‘fully developed and       Corridor (CPEC) provides China           Indian resolve to shift gears in       thirds majority, passed a resolution
the border. China uses the disputed       the world’s rescue in fighting the     advanced nation by 2049’and the fear    a gateway into the Arabian Sea and       Jammu &Kashmir, these incidents        for abrogation of Article 370 and
border as a convenient pressure point     virus and its painful economic         of “Growing old before growing rich”.   Middle East, and a viable alternative    were not really inconsistent with      reorganization of J&K state. This
against India. Border Stan-doff in        disruption. But instead of availing          In its relentless pursuit to      to get around the Malacca strait         the periodic spikes witnessed in the   took China and Pakistan by surprise.
Chumar in 2014, Burtse in 2015            the opportunity to earn global good    become a High Income Country            strangle-hold.                           India-Pakistan border dynamics, and    These developments, combined with
and Doklam in 2017 were typical           will and enhance its soft power,       (HIC), China feels constrained by             Although Indian Army’s surgical    China, therefore, had no reason to     India’s renewed Border infrastructure
examples of this.                         China shed all pretense of the‘        its inadequate access to the oceans     strike across the Line of Control with   be unduly disturbed by these. But,     push, especially the Darbuk – Shyok

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– Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO)road with         that an earlier resolution to unify       Depsang plains, Galwan Valley and                                                                                                 professional, combat oriented Air
an additional link under construction    Kashmir,which had looked insipid          the Finger area along the North                                                                                                   force and a Navy, which,either alone
from Nubra valley via Saser La,          and meaningless when it was               Bank of Pangong Tso. PLA cleverly                                                                                                 or with allies can cause considerable
suddenly altered the existing equation   passed by the Indian parliament in        combined these actions with                                                                                                       disruption to Chinese Shipping,
in Ladakh. Indian armed forces now       1994,suddenly shed its insipid looks      aggressive overtures along their border                                                                                           makes the overall Indian position far
                                         and seemed within the realms of           with Nepal and Bhutan also, in an                                                                                                 stronger than something that China

              “
                                         possibility. In the backdrop of these     attempt to convey the impression of                                                                                               can run roughshod over.
                                         developments, China perceived a           activating the entire northern border                                                                                                  It is also a fact that while its
                                         certain degree of vulnerability to        of India. On 15 June 2020, PLA                                                                                                    economy may be on very sound
                                         its critical lines of communications      troops violated all protocols and                                                                                                 footing, the Chinese armed forces
                                         in Aksai Chin and even the CPEC.          norms and attacked unsuspecting                                                                                                   may not be so. The last successful
    On 15 June                           It had to act fast and chose the          Indian Army personnel with rods and
                                                                                                                                 An army convoy carrying military material on its way to Ladakh
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     battle it fought was in 1962 where
                                         time tested salami slicing strategy       sticks killing 20 Indian soldiers in                                                                                              the PLA was actually given a walkover
     2020, PLA                           to remove the newly manifested            Galwan valley. In the Indian response,
                                                                                                                                 amid border tension with China, at Manali-Leh highway
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     except in isolated pockets. Thereafter,
                                         vulnerability.                            China reportedly lost over twice the                                                                                              whether against the Indian Army
 troops violated                               Over the years, a number            number. All these happened without         they faced.                                  makes India’s overall position in the     in Nathula in 1987 or against the

   all protocols                         of border agreements such as the
                                         1993 Border Peace and Tranquility
                                                                                   any exchange of fire! The entire
                                                                                   country mourned and honoured
                                                                                                                                    It was under these circumstances
                                                                                                                              that the Indian Army sprung a
                                                                                                                                                                           sector far more balanced than it has
                                                                                                                                                                           ever been after the 1962 war.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Vietnamese in 1979, PLA’s record
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     has been poor. Another major factor
    and norms                            Agreement and the 1996 Agreement
                                         on Confidence Building Measures
                                                                                   the death of India’s martyrs. In
                                                                                   sharp contrast, in order to claim a
                                                                                                                              surprise on 29/30 August 2020. For                 What can China do now?              which is generally glossed over is the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     fact that the Chinese armed forces
                                                                                                                              the first time since 1962, Indian            Evicting the seasoned Indian troops
   and attacked                          have been signed between India and        moral victory, PLA felt compelled          troops made a total departure from           from the Kailash Range may not be         are in the midst of a prolonged
                                         China to deal with any incidents          to hide its causality figures and deny     their established pattern of response        an option. The rugged,treacherous,        transformation mode, transforming
   unsuspecting                          that may take place along the Line        its fallen soldiers the honour and         to Chinese incursions and carried            high altitude mountainous terrain         from a force structured, equipped,
                                         of Actual Control (LAC). Although         recognition they deserved. Although        out a counter move and occupied              imposes severe restrictions on            manned and trained to guard its
   Indian Army                           border incidents involving hand to        the Corps commander level talks            the Kailash mountain Range, South            employment of equipment and               borders to becoming a professional

  personnel with                         hand scuffles to physically block the
                                         other side’s patrols from moving
                                                                                   which followed prevented any further
                                                                                   flare up, China refused to pull troops
                                                                                                                              of Pangong Tso. It was a perfectly
                                                                                                                              legitimate action as the features they
                                                                                                                                                                           use of high tech gadgets and war
                                                                                                                                                                           fighting equipment. The single
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     global military super power with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     focus on the oceans, space, cyber,
  rods and sticks                        beyond agreed limits was not an           behind mutually agreed limits and          occupied are well on the Indian side         biggest asset under such conditions       power projection and acquiring out
                                         uncommon occurrence, protocols            restore status quo ante. Instead, it       of the LAC. In its sheer audacity            is human resource, the high altitude      of area and expeditionary capabilities.
 killing 20 Indian                       laid down in the agreements               unleashed its propaganda machinery         and far reaching implications, this          oriented, acclimatized, seasoned,         A great deal of PLA’s human expertise
                                         successfully prevented these incidents    claiming that Indian troops had            perfectly legitimate action took the         experienced and motivated soldier.        and experience in the mountains has
soldiers in Galwan                       from flaring up into use of fire          triggered the turmoil and China had        Chinese and many critics of the Army         This is the asset that India cashed       been traded for acquiring a different

       valley.
                                         arms or attempts to cause any injury      only acted in defence and taught           even within India,by total surprise.         on to successfully counter the PLA.       set of skills while embarking on this
                                         during such ‘scuffles’. It is, however,   India a proper lesson in the bargain.      It had made the Chinese incursions           Rotation system of the Indian Army        journey of becoming a global super

              ”
                                         important to note that almost             In the garb of free press, surprisingly,   along the North bank of Pangong Tso          ensures that at any point in time,        power, and at the moment, the PLA
                                         always, such incidents were triggered     handful of Indian media houses and         irrelevant and unviable while giving         at least one third of all soldiers and    looks unsure of its capability to
                                         by seemingly deliberate actions by        even some of the self proclaimed           Indian troops domination over the            officers of every combat unit of the      execute a classical offensive operations
                                         Chinese PLA and every time it was         Indian strategists also subscribed to      Maldo area, Spangur Gap, Pangong             army are high altitude trained and        against any well en-trenched
                                         Indian troops that walked the extra       this Chinese propaganda. Through           Tso and also created certain degree          possess a high degree of high altitude    adversary in the mountains. It is also
                                         mile to prevent any major flare up.       this widespread false propaganda,          of vulnerability for the Xinjiang            experience and expertise. High            a long way short of acquiring the
had access to Highway 219 across         This had become an established            Indian army, Indian government and         highway. Altogether, in many ways,           altitude expertise does not come with     status of a global super power with
the LAC as well as to Aksai Chin and     pattern.                                  the country as a whole was being           it turned the tables on the Chinese          training alone as it requires prolonged   glaring voids in requisite leadership,
the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous                 Summer of 2020 saw the              projected in poor light. For the Army,     and for once India retained the              stay and exposure to the extreme          experience, credible allies, and proven
Region. Equally significant is the       Chinese repeatedly indulging in           the false propaganda of ‘China having      initiative in the sector. Although PLA       weather and terrain conditions.           ability for coordinated action by
fact that Gilgit-Baltistan,through       incursions and retaining troop            taught India a lesson so easily’ by        continues to be in an advantageous           India can rightfully boast of the best    globally dispersed forces. Further,
which CPEC runs,lies just to the         presence beyond mutually agreed           some people within the country was         position in the Depsang plains to the        mountain troops in the world. This        some critics of PLA even say that for
West of DBO. It is also significant      limits in Ladakh, especially in           far more hurting than the hazards          North, control over Kailash Range            capability, combined with a highly        far too long the Chinese have focused

26 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | JANUARY 2021                                                                                                                                                                                 JANUARY 2021 | SALUTE THE SOLDIER | 27
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