Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Tell people the entire truth' that was published in Newsband

Tell people the entire truth

On August 28, the Centre had issued a statement on a mutual decision for Indian and Chinese troops to disengage and withdraw from the part of the Doklam plateau disputed between China and Bhutan that had been the scene of the stand-off. However, last week the Army chief, General Bipin Rawat, said Chinese troops are in parts of Doklam they had hitherto not manned. Such divergence in public statements also fuels speculation that something deeper and more troubling exists on the ground.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar put China’s rise first on a list of “major disruptors” in the region. General Rawat said that the “time has come” for India to “shift focus” from its western border with Pakistan to its northern border with China. Beijing’s latest belligerent statements that all of Doklam belongs to China and is under its “effective jurisdiction” could be indicators that the agreement announced in August is unravelling.

When diplomacy is undesirably used to hide intentions and facts, India will increasingly face credibility gap in its internal and external behaviors. As reports are emerging of Chinese activities in the sensitive Doklam Plateau the Centre has to thread with caution. Allowing the Chinese to establish over the Doklam Plateau they will put the Indian army out of the way and then dominate the heights over the river valley and will be able to go further west and cut off the roads that are used for supplies to Nathu-La in Sikkim. This will leave the Chinese free to attack down south towards the Siliguri corridor or the chicken's neck in West Bengal where they could theoretically cut off North Eastern states from the rest of India. Another reason why India has to be cautious with China is the way the Chinese aggression had taken place in 1962 when India never expected the Chinese army of 80000 to invade and fight and army of 10000 to 15000 Indian soldiers. It was a complete victory for China with substantial casualties on the Indian forces and taking over Aksai Chin now in Chinese possession originally a part of India

China should mend its ways of looking over the issue, as the part belongs to the Indian side since times immemorial. As far as India is concerned, it seems a classic case of chest-thumping (mainly for electoral considerations, doing no benefit to national interest) coming back to bite. All parties, forgetting the history of accusations, should evolve some basic consensus on issues where national interest is so important that political considerations must be avoided at all costs. It will be unfortunate if the government isn't having space to do the right thing in matters of national security, International relations due to a monster created by themselves.

It is sensitive time for India. It is time to keep the stringent eyes on both northern and western border. Because both are in fear. Western border is facing the huge casualty whereas northern is facing the ambiguity between three countries.

The whole episode should be disclosed publicly so that people can understand the actual position.