India urges China to resolve matters peacefully, Indian Troops ready for the long haul

India must not pull back from the heights that we hold and not put our troops at a disadvantage.

By Lt. Col Manoj K Channan (Retd)

Amid the growing troop deployment in the Ladakh region and along the Line of Actual control along its complete length, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held direct talks in Moscow for more than two hours Thursday night to try and de-escalate tensions.

The Defence Ministers met a few days ago and the meeting of the External Affairs Ministers indicate an intention to resolve matters peacefully. While that is the effort at the macro level, at the ground level the troops of the Indian Army has in a surprise move, deployed at heights which overlook the Chinese defences. The PLA too has deployed additional troops, a move which is being matched by India.

The Chinese propaganda papers have been working overtime in an attempt to create a moral ascendancy over the Indian Army. Indian Army and the Government have not been in this domain. The Indian Troops are well trained and in any case, those deployed on the front line, well understand the weakness of the adversary.

The Indian Army has an upper hand and its domination of the Chinese defences is a clear indication of who is in control of the situation. The Chinese media has been indicating that they are better prepared in terms of logistics and will be able to bear the winter better. It’s not for the Indian Media to comment on what steps are being taken for the creature comforts of our troops, suffice to state, that they are being well looked after and are hardy, well acclimatised to withstand the harsh winter. The Indian Army has been operating at Super High Altitude since 1984 and is well aware of the challenges and how to overcome them.

The Chinese chocolate soldiers will of course have their first winters in the open and their logistics are well stretched. The Global Times would do well to embed some of its journalists for some realistic reporting.

What is likely to be the immediate future?

The Indian troops are well aware of the long haul and are therefore morally well prepared. The Chinese will try to carryout domination of the Line of Actual Control on the ground; for which the Indian Army is well prepared to counter and also will continue to deploy and re-adjust the defences to ensure that the PLA remains pinned down.

The other elements of support are equally well prepared in terms of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy; it’s to be understood that the “fight” is not limited to the Line of Actual Control. It will be extended to sea lines of communication and the CCP, as well as Xi Jinping, is aware of the growing isolation China is facing day by day.

Indian Government has been proactive to contain the Chinese belligerence. With the annual joint Malabar maritime exercise with Japan, India has now expanded its strategic reach in the Indo-Pacific by signing a logistic support agreement that enables the two nations to operate in the region without worrying about replenishment.

India’s Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Ambassador of Japan to India Suzuki Satoshi signed the agreement, concerning the Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the armed forces of India and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan; a day prior to the two EAMs meeting in Moscow.

India has signed similar logistics support agreements for defence forces with five other nations, including the United States, France, Australia, South Korea and Singapore. Such agreements help to extend and expand the Indian armed forces’ presence and operations, all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific region.

The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US signed in 2016 gives India refuelling facilities and replenishment access to American bases in Djibouti, Diego Garcia, Guam and Subic Bay.

The dialogue must continue, India must now lead the way to stand up to the Chinese bully. While the various pacts and agreements have been signed, India has to ‘fight its own war’ if it comes to that.

Pandemic, economy and other challenges will have to be faced and steps taken to resolve them.

As a senior Military Veteran observed, “It has all been a highly planned campaign. They have certainly read us better than we ever could over previous 71 years; every statement of theirs needs to be taken with a bucket of salt”.

China watchers should analyse the actions of CCP and PLA, the other agencies of the Chinese Government are there to give misleading missives to mislead the gullible and the naïve.

India must not pull back from the heights that we hold and not put our troops at a disadvantage. The Military Hierarchy must stand their ground on this issue and the Political Leadership must understand the merit in this stand.

Situation will remain uncertain, we must remain prepared and respond with resoluteness to keep our National Pride intact.

(The author is an Indian Army Veteran. Views expressed are personal.)