Playing down Chinese naval preparation

Playing down the Chinese President Hu Jintao’s direction to its navy to prepare for warfare amid the country’s ongoing dispute, including India is in no way a well-thought out strategy. China has already recorded its displeasure of oil exploration on the invitation of Vietnam in South China Sea by India. Besides that, its military build-up along our borders demands urgent alert of our security personnel along the borders with China to thwart any misadventure by them.

One thing is also crystal clear that China in its endeavour to establish supremacy over others in the region can not be altogether ignored. India has to be wary of any Chinese attempt to boost up their military preparation. It is also an open secret that India in Asia is the only formidable rival of China in their thinking and outlook, though India has always extended hands of friendship to China.

It is also a fact that both the countries are the biggest powers in Asia. So, the any collision between the two is bound to spell catastrophe in the region in particular and danger to world peace in general.

Though Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has assured the nation that he does see any threat from China and it would not attack India, the past experience with China says altogether a different story. It would be short-sightedness on our part to belittle the situation arising from the military preparedness of China. None other than our Army Chief has also cautioned the nation against deployment of more than four thousand PLA personnel in Pakistan who are engaged in infrastructural development along the border adjacent to India.

The lingering border dispute with China also does not bode well and it might turn into flare-up between the two any time if both sides did show sensibility and statesmanship for the cause of peace. So, we can not play down Chinese naval preparation in view of our oil exploration in South China Sea against the wishes and desires of China.

China had already played aggressor’s role in 1962 war against India. So far India is concerned, it has taken pledge not to attack first and its military preparation is meant for peace and deterrent effect.

It is good that peace and tranquility continues between the two neighbours and both should always remain as great neighbours. But at the same time India’s experience with its neighbours like Pakistan and China must not be lost sight of. Because the bitterness they caused between our relations can not be forgotten by their behaviour in the current prevailing situation. India must always be alive to Chinese military build-up adjacent to its borders.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has described India and China as great neighbours and rejected the contention that China was preparing to attack India. He has said the reports to this effect are false. The government does not share the view that China will attack India. The PM has also acknowledged in Parliament that not much progress has been made on the border dispute ever since the two counties agreed on political parameters to resolve the row. He has assured the House that officials at highest level in China had assured him on maintaining peace and tranquility with India.