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December 18, 2020

Indian General says no compromise with China in Ladakh standoff

By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali

India's Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has said India would not compromise its position in Ladakh and that the restoration of status quo ante as it was in April 2020 was the only way ahead. "It has been spelt very clearly that there will be no compromise," General Rawat was quoted by India Today on Thursday.

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India's Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has said India would not compromise its position in Ladakh and that the restoration of status quo ante as it was in April 2020 was the only way ahead. "It has been spelt very clearly that there will be no compromise," General Rawat was quoted by India Today on Thursday.

In a wide-ranging interview with India Today magazine, his first after taking over as CDS on January 1 this year, General Rawat said there was hope for a resolution, but it was a hard road ahead.

"There is hope of a resolution, but at the same time, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario. Everybody is hopeful, everybody wants a resolution, but at the same time we must not lower our guard and must be prepared for things not working out the way we want them to," General Rawat said.

He foresaw the possibility of dialogue at the political level to break the impasse. "Of course, negotiations will happen at the political level--it is already happening at the military and diplomatic levels. Some resolution will (need to) be found because you don't remain in eyeball (to eyeball) confrontation for years to come."

The military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh--triggered by multiple Chinese incursions backed by a heavy troop mobilization in May this year--entered its eighth month in December with no signs of a thaw, India Today said, adding: "Close to 100,000 soldiers from both sides are deployed in the region, with soldiers in some locations as close as a few hundred metres away. A severe winter has enveloped the region and temperatures have plummeted to as low as 20 degrees below zero."

The last big standoff between the two countries--at the Sumdorong Chu valley in Arunachal Pradesh--lasted seven years, India Today recalled. It began in 1987 and was followed by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's visit to Beijing in 1988--the first by an Indian PM in 34 years. Even so, troops finally stepped back only seven years later in 1994.

General Rawat says comparisons between Sumdorong Chu and Ladakh would be incorrect. "That's not the way we want to go this time. The climatic conditions in Sumdorong Chu and Ladakh are very different."

36 helipads to come up in Ladakh by April next year

To provide 24x7 connectivity to remote areas, in the strategic Ladakh region, 36 new helipads are being built, the Hindustan Times reported Friday.

The new helipads will add more teeth to the armed forces in the region where India has been engaged in a protracted stand-off with China, the HT said.

The government spokesperson said that this is the biggest helipad project to have ever been undertaken in Ladakh. These helipads would not only connect the 36 remote locations of Ladakh to the district headquarters but also help in bringing them on the tourism map during winters, the spokesperson added.

A senior government official said that more such helipads will come up across the region and they can be used by the Indian armed forces during the times of contingencies.

In a major boost to the Indian Air Force's (IAF) combat capabilities, eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters were inducted into the IAF on September 3 at the Pathankot airbase. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters and is flown by the US Army.

New Delhi cannot afford to play geopolitical games: Global Times

New Delhi seems to have given up its strategic autonomy and tied itself to the chariot of US hegemony, constantly provoking China from the border issue to intentional economic confrontations, Chinese Communist Party paper the Global Times said Thursday.

In a comment written by Dai Yonghong, director of the Institute of Bay of Bengal Studies at Shenzhen University, the Global Times pointed out that India, which for a time had enjoyed high expectations of a very promising economic-growth potential, is now sliding downward amid a painful contraction, which could last three to five years. Per latest IMF estimation, the Indian economy may shrink 10.3 percent in 2020, comparing to the average 3.4 percent contraction of other South Asian countries.

With COVID-19 confirmed cases approaching 10 million, the populous country notable for its striking wealth gap has seen rising internal struggles, including large-scale farmers' protests and urban workers' strikes.

Upholding an ambitious goal of growing into a dominant regional power, however, New Delhi's inconstant policy and lack of comprehensive strategy have seriously hindered the development of India's domestic industries. Increasingly, global investors have qualms about the country's economic prospect, the Global Times argued.

As for India's telecom industry, following the baseless attacking agenda of the US and trying to squeeze out global 5G frontrunner Huawei and ZTE will ultimately delay India's upgrading to the new network.

The same logic goes to other Indian industries as well, which have developed a highly integrated connection with Chinese supplies, including auto parts, medical materials, not to mention China's ample capital reserve and advanced technology and corporate management. Once capital turns away, it's going to be hard to lure them back.

In the meantime, the regional economic integration in East and Southeast Asia has speeded up, following the inking of the mega free-trade deal - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - covering about 30 percent of the global economy and population, the Global Times went on to say, adding:

Though the trade pact still leaves a door open for India, it's unlikely for it to join in the foreseeable future, as the ship of the seemingly speeding recovery in post-pandemic era sailed without India onboard.


Unlike the developed economies that are shored up by solid economic foundations, playing geopolitical games with China is not affordable for a relatively poor country like India. Now it's time for New Delhi to think it over.



Authors Bio:
Author and journalist.
Author of
Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality;
Islam in the Post-Cold War Era;
Islam & Modernism;
Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America.
Currently working as free lance journalist.
Executive Editor of American Muslim Perspective: www.amperspective.com

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