6/21/2020 Lessons we must learn from Galwan Valley

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Lessons we must learn from Galwan Valley
Columns General Narsimhan explains how China laid
a pre-planned treachery | EXCLUSIVE
Pavan K Varma | Diplomat, Author
Updated Jun 20, 2020 | 16:10 IST
J&K: One terrorist neutralized by Indian
armed forces in Kulgam encounter

The problem of our policymakers is that while they amplify the engagement, they ignore the containment. Somehow, a How will ACT grants’ funds help to stop
deleterious defeatism has entered our decision making with regard to the Dragon. COVID-19? | Exclusive

LG withdraws quarantine orders; 5 day

What has happened in the Galwan quarantine isolation nixed
Valley in Ladakh needs to be a wake-up
Cricketer Harbhajan Singh becomes the first
call for us. The essence of that new
celeb to back the boycott of Chinese goods
awareness must be to understand what
China’s policy towards India is, not only
today, but from 1947 onwards. China
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views India not as a friend, but as an
adversary. This does not mean that Kerala Cong chief calls Health Minister
China does not engage with us. It does, 'COVID Rani'
but only for tactical reasons. That
Aggrieved Telangana farmer ends life at
engagement is only a tool to achieve Tehsildar o ice
the principal goal of containing India.
These 4 Indian Railways stations to get
The problem of our policymakers is swanky makeover
that while they amplify the
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engagement, they ignore the
on social media Assistant
Representational Image  |  Photo Credit: PTI
containment. Somehow, a deleterious
defeatism has entered our decision making with regard to the Dragon. Perhaps this began a er our military defeat in 1962.
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6/21/2020 Lessons we must learn from Galwan Valley

We have been mesmerized by the undeniable asymmetry in our comparative strengths. China is stronger than us in 21 June 202: The date with too many
predictions, events
military and economic terms. But, India is no walkover either. The India of 2020 is not the India of 1962. If this is
understood, then we have to develop our policy options accordingly, and stop being the inexplicable doormat for the
Chinese to trample upon.
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The Chinese have, indeed, taken unforgivable liberties with us. They are illegally in possession of Aksai Chin, our territory.
They have formed an all-weather strategic partnership with Pakistan against us. They have invested billions of dollars in What is China’s gameplan? 5 reasons for
PoK. They are building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through Gilgit-Baltistan, which is our territory. Galwan violence

Whether it is our membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), or the labelling of Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the The Galwan Valley fiasco: Many questions
UN, they have directly opposed us. They have the gall to ask that citizens from Arunachal Pradesh be given stapled visas. still await answers
They have systemically structured a commercial relationship wherein they can dump their goods on us, while creating
Lessons we must learn from Galwan Valley
barriers to our exports. They meddle openly in our neighbourhood against our interests, and use unprovoked aggression
along the disputed LAC, sometimes even at the very time of a summit engagement, as happened during President Xi
Jinping’s state visit to India in September 2024, when hundreds of Chinese soldiers entered our territory at Chumar in
Ladakh.

The fundamental question is: why don’t we take serious umbrage at these calculated a ronts, and are so forgiving of such
transparent strategic hostility? The great Chanakya laid out a basic maxim: nations respect nations that respect
themselves. The need of the hour then—especially a er Galwan—is for India to change its genuflecting mindset towards
China, and take the right steps to counter bullying attempts to become the ordained Middle Kingdom, the sole superpower
of the world.

With cool-headed pragmatism, Chanakya laid out four stratagems that nations can follow against an enemy power: sama
(reconciliation), dama (incentives), danda (punishment) and bheda (sowing discord). We have to use these, and others to
convey to China that the era of Indian passivity is over. Our new approach must broadly be in three categories.

Firstly, we must strengthen our military prowess, by equipping our armed forces with the firepower and numerical
strength they need to match Chinese provocations along the LAC, and by upgrading our long-neglected border
infrastructure.

Secondly, we must seek to diplomatically isolate China, by strengthening our partnership with Japan, Australia and the US
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as part of the QUAD, participation in forums like the expanded G-7 where China is not an invitee, asking for Chinese Assistant
accountability in the WHO on the spread of COVID 19, making common cause with countries abutting the South China Sea

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6/21/2020 Lessons we must learn from Galwan Valley

where China is behaving like a primitive bully, and making common cause against China with the other democracies of the
world.

Thirdly, we must take economic measures by reducing wherever possible imports from China, and banning it from
participating in our infrastructure projects.

India is the world’s largest democracy, a nuclear weapon power, a nation of 1.3 billion people, a rising economic power,
and a living civilization that is older than China’s. The lesson of Galwan Valley, and the martyrdom of our brave soldiers,
must be that China cannot take us for granted anymore, and that we can give as good as we get.

Pavan K Varma is a guest contributor. Views expressed are personal.

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India-China border face-o ; Two India China LAC stando : China China provokes at Galwan Valley, PLA No disengagement by China in
Indian soldiers killed in clash with forced to admit 30 casualties at troops attack India's commanding Galwan Valley, Beijing's action 'pre-
Chinese troops in Galwan valley Galwan Valley o icer & More | Top Headlines meditated'?

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