Editor,
The great Himalayan range detaches India from the Tibet plateau. In 1959, Tibet revolted against Chinese occupation. Dalai Lama’s escape from Lhasa to Tawang marks the start of Tibetan struggle for independence. And that led to Chinese misadventure in 1962. Afterwards China got busy in capacity building in Tibet, POK and Myanmar. The recent face- off at Doklam is an enduring sore point between the two countries. India just cannot ignore these harsh ground realities. All of a sudden NE region is in the limelight with the realisation of this strategic significance. The forgotten corner of India is gradually in the process of emerging as a gateway to East Asia. NE region is geo-politically isolated by 20 km narrow route of Siliguri corridor. China’s road construction at Doklam is another undisputed Chinese philosophy of governance and warfare. Like Tibet, China has a geo-strategic plan for Bhutan and Myanmar too.
Taksing is a border village of upper Subansiri dist placed at 8000 feet. A memorial to Arunachalee, Shere Thapa reminds of the heroic act against Chinese charge. Today this frontier land still relies on helicopters. India is battling time and geology to get a 34 mile mountain road stretch. IAF is the only hope for this deceptive mountain. India has left this region untouched. The fear is that a road would help Chinese descend into our territory. Now India has changed tack and accelerated work on strategic roads for troops movement and supply. The 1800 km long national highway to Tawang will connect this sparsely populated hill community to the mainstream. Organic crops and medicinal herbs may open up a new vistas for neighbouring states. Should India agree to develop the BCIM (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar) highway for economic corridor it will help integrate our economies and open up huge opportunities for developing the under-developed frontier provinces.
China opened up an airport at Nyingchi, very close to east Arunachal. Also the rail route from Lhasa is under construction. They reach Gwadar port of Arabian Sea through POK. To thwart Chinese imperialism, now India has moved to the mountains. The billion-dollar infrastructure project intends to strengthen India against China. India has to develop airports in Arunachal Pradesh other than the existing ALGs for choppers. India’s bid to take the trains to the Himalayan heights has inched closer to reality with the start of a survey. India must act otherwise China will continue to arm-twist it at the borders. After the 1962 debacle, the Indian Army enhanced its self esteem at Nathu La in 1967. But the stand-off near Doklam opened up the Chinese cobwebs of fresh tangled territorial incursion. Instead, if China joins India in developing infrastructure in SE Asia the cooperation could result in a win-win situation for both nations. Opening of Stilwell road could be the answer to India’s economic corridor to SE Asia.
Yours etc,
Kamal Baruah
Guwahati
Faux pas, gaucherie and gaffes by Pakistan
Editor,
It is another faux pas for Pakistan after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav. The violation of the court’s order may attract UN sanction. The ICJ has directed Pakistan to open consular access. Earlier the Pakistan argument was that Jadhav being a spy denied any legal help. But the Vienna Convention has provisions for consular access to an accused even in cases of terror and espionage. They convicted Kulbhushan in military court and forced him to declare voluntary confession. The
interim order of ICJ is a significant win for India. But Pakistan however refused to change the status of Jadhav’s case in any manner This is not the first time that Pakistan committed real gaffes. Pakistan has a history of using terrorism as a state policy. US Navy Sea successfully finished off Osama Bin Laden inside Abbottabad. Then Lieutenant General Malik had rekindled controversy about General Musharaf’s Kargil misadventure. The genocide and human rights violations in Baluchistan are well known. Pakistan has been engaged in war crimes by beheading and mutilating the body of our soldiers. Capt Sauravh Kalia was brutality killed during the Kargil War. Sarabjit Singh was murdered in Pakistan jail. Pakistan denies the present status of Indian POWs believed to be languishing in Pakistan jails. There are incidents of firing and shelling along LoC and international border regularly by Pakistani troops by violating the ceasefire agreement.
Pakistan was ridiculed for their sartorial gaucherie a couple of times. India’s neighbours have sought the intervention of The Hague in the past. It was Pakistan which claimed flight rights over Indian Territory in 1971 and objected to transfer of 195 Pakistani POWs to Bangladesh for war crime trials in 1973. And the most recent case was the Atlantique Incident of 1999 when Pakistan dragged India to the ICJ after India shot down a Pak Navy aircraft. The rogue state Pakistan has now been exposed globally as a banana republic where the Government and Constitution are under scanner from the Army. Pakistan refused to seek consular access to the lone surviving terrorist of 26/11 Ajmal Kasab. Now it is India’s priority to ensure that Kulbhushan Jadhav gets justice.
Yours etc.,
Kamal Baruah,
Via email