When it comes to matters of national security and activities along the northern border, India’s former army chief General VK Singh should know better. After retirement too, he has a ringside view of the security situation in his capacity as a minister in the Modi government. When he spoke about the Chinese intrusions the other day, the nation, however, was not in a mood to listen to him. He has stated that the intrusions along the northern border are not a one-way traffic and that India has intruded into what was thought to be Chinese territory more frequently.
“If China has intruded into our side 10 times, India must have done it 50 times. We are not announcing this and the Chinese government and media are not giving any publicity to these acts,” he said and also stressed that both nations have their own perceptions about the Line of Actual Control (LaC); meaning these intrusions cannot be seen as provocations. What the minister has stated is also that while the Chinese were liberally engaged in the act of Salami Slicing, wherein it would occupy a patch of land, and then give up a part and retain the other, this was no longer allowed to happen under the present government. Also, Singh’s stress is that India’s retaliatory steps on the economic front, like banning of Chinese apps in India, too hurt China.
If things were as simple as this, what was this fuss all about, is a pertinent question. It is quite possible this is not the whole story. Had it been so, India would have quietly left matters at that. Rather, the perception is that matters reached closer to the level of a war and a stand-off along the border in Ladakh still continues. What could be surmised at best is that there is a window of opportunity to talk matters out and avert a war. This should offer some relief to Indians; that, with our limited military and economic might, the path to peace is still worth pursuing.
At the same time, the military might of this country must be scaled up gradually so that a sleeping giant in our neighbourhood would not fancy an easy cakewalk over us in future too. The present Union Budget showed an increase in capital outlay for defence to the extent of Rs 20,000 crore, despite the constraints of the Covid-linked hit that the national economy took. There was over-spending the past fiscal when the Chinese threat had edged closer to us. The vigil must continue.