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Namrata Biji Ahuja
Namrata Biji Ahuja

BORDER TENSIONS

India enhances troop level along Chinese border

india-china-afp (File) Representational image | AFP
  • The ongoing standoff in Doklam has once again triggered a debate on whether India is doing enough to augment infrastructure along the eastern frontier

India enhances troop level along the entire stretch of its border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, government officials told PTI on Friday. The move comes right after China's belligerent posturing and threats of hostility escalating into a full-blown conflict.

However, the recent Chinese buildup in the Doklam sector in the tri-junction of India-Bhutan and China could be a red herring. The dragon could strike at more unsuspecting locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where it has a greater advantage, top security experts warn. Most vulnerable among them could be the Ladakh sector and what the Army calls the Rest of Arunachal Pradesh (RALP), east of Tawang.

Here, the Chinese infrastructure is unmatched as it has roads coming right up to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at several points. On the other hand, on the Indian side, the roads are as far as 100 kilometres from the forward posts. It could take days of trekking for Indian soldiers to reach their posts, which are located at an altitude of nearly 17,000 feet, similar to the Kameng sector.

China has not ruled out "military action" as a possibility to end the standoff at Doklam. With that in mind, senior security officials said that Indian troops were vigilant across all sectors and not just Doklam. In Doklam, Indian troops have the geographical advantage, something which Beijing is aware of.

"There is a possibility that China could open a new front to strike if it wants to. When it does that, it will choose the most vulnerable stretch. The RALP or Ladakh sector could be an option for them and we need to be prepared," former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D.S. Hooda told THE WEEK.

He said that he has never heard of such strong official statements from the Chinese side in several years and this cannot be ignored. "It is one thing for the Chinese media to write about war and so on. But for the official spokesperson and senior officials in Beijing to talk about it so often is something I have not heard in the past. By doing so, Beijing is also pushing itself into a corner. One wrong step here or there could create a war-like situation," he said.

Security officials in New Delhi are well aware of the threat that looms large across the entire LAC, but they are ruling out a force buildup as of now.

"We don't think there is a need to deploy more manpower and increase our strength. We are already there in good numbers. Of course, we can bump up our surveillance capabilities to keep a closer watch," an official said.

The ongoing standoff in Doklam has once again triggered a debate on whether India is doing enough to augment infrastructure along the eastern frontier.

Some feel that over the last few years, there has been a tremendous push to border infrastructure and construction of roads, but they admit that much more needs to be done. A case in point is the RALP, where there is thin presence of forces further east of Tawang.

The escalation has become a matter of concern for New Delhi, which is digging in its heels in Doklam and refusing to pull back troops as demanded by China.

On Tuesday, China said that the situation at Doklam plateau had reached a "dangerous dimension". It felt a mutual pull out of troops from the area, as proposed by India, was not an option. Instead, it warned of military action.

"If India continues to go down the wrong path, we have the right to use any action under the international law to protect the lives of our troops. New Delhi should stop sending signals that everything is under control," Wang Wenli, a Chinese diplomat in the department of boundary and oceanic affairs reportedly told a visiting Indian media delegation this week.

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Topics : #China | #Doklam

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