China has been able to carry out incursions on borders with India mostly due to the lack of access to the Indian defence apparatus to ensure and enforce its control, even as China on the other side continues to execute its ill designs: it has been ensuring the robust and effective building of infrastructure on its side of the border near Indian territory, creating military bases and from those bases, in fact, launching the operations time and again with incursion being the only motive. The aggressor has been there along the borders of the country and even though the agencies knew what China was doing, there was no plan, or strategy put up. However, the same might be witnessing a change in days to come.
India has now made it a point to have a 4-point defence boost in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim under which there will be all-weather road connectivity to the areas where there is a Chinese presence, including Tawang, where the latest clash between the PLA and Indian Army took place. In this case, a tunnel which will ensure all-weather connectivity is all set to be put to use next month. Apart from that, trans-Arunachal road connectivity is being put in place, which will certainly hold the key to ensuring the increased and strong presence of Indian forces along the border.
There is more to it in the form of a rail link, which will expand the footprint of the forces and play a crucial role in the event China decides to up the ante. Previously, this was not the case. The reinforcements will arrive at the identified locations well in time to deal with the situation. To counter the intermittent Chinese threat, the Eastern Air Command is also beefing up its defences and stationing Rafael jets at the borders with Bhutan and the northeastern states.
If China can, India, too, should increase its footprint on its side and in this context, the revitalised defence effort, which aims to increase military numbers, fortify the defences, and improve communication to border regions, will undoubtedly be crucial and will also define the dragon’s future course of action because presence is what matters. It must be acknowledged that the dragon previously took everything for granted and saw an opportunity to seize control of territory it believed to be under the “illegal control” of India because India had not taken the necessary steps to strengthen its border defences with China.
The dragon continued to attack until it reached Tawang because it was not shown India’s defence readiness and there wasn’t one, to be honest. Better late than never, the build-up of border defences and all-weather access routes, as well as the bolstering of air defences through the use of the best the country has, will undoubtedly make a difference and ultimately drive the dragon back. All that is required on India’s borders with China is a continued and robust presence.
