Pune: The high levels of tension at many locations in Ladakh on the India-China border, where Chinese soldiers have moved into Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), has raised questions about the Chinese motives.
On Tuesday, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash against Chinese soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan Valley; experts say an overhaul of policy is the only way forward in relations of the two nations.
Lt General (Retd) Rajendra Ramrao Nimbhorkar was the mastermind and the man who led India's first surgical strike against Pakistan. He said, "There is a lot of news coming that India must hit China in a similar way we did with Pakistan. But there is a huge difference between the two nations. In Pakistan, we were against the terror activities, and it was a surgical strike against terrorism, but similar cannot happen against China."
He added, "China is playing the blame game as they claimed that the land is already occupied by them and comes in their jurisdiction. There are a lot of treaties between the two nations. In 1973, India and China had already undergone an agreement and policy that no one will encroach on the land and will maintain peace-harmony. No one will unilaterally come in such an area. But it seems they have violated those norms, but we are following it. War is not a solution, and we have more options than war."
"Many are coming with an option with tit-for-tat, but we cannot think of such an act. The war will create destruction on both the lands, but if China wants, we are well prepared."
Lt General (Retd) Dr DB Shekatkar opines, "China betrayed us, they work on a simple strategy that first they walk ten steps ahead and pull back four steps behind. They asked us to go back, but they themselves are still six steps ahead. Since 1962, China is doing the same notorious act. The former governments neglected these as they used to think this as a small thing and all will be good with time. But this central government is well versed and aware of such notorious malpractices of China. This is definitely a welcome move by the central government, and they have given the Indian Army to decide to handle this situation. But now through this approach of Indian Government, China has landed into a troublesome situation by this act."
Slamming China for their cunning approach, Shekatkar says, "China is having a cunning approach to and is indirectly creating a message and targeting India as a tool to wage war against them. Without using a single bullet with the help of other SAARC neighbouring countries, China is building roads to trouble us. But it's now high time to be patient now we need to act wisely."
Air Marshal (Retd) Bhushan Gokhale said the Chinese could not be trusted anymore.
This is a brutal and unexpected move by the Chinese, and they have violated the protocol policy. The heated arguments between the two can be restricted up to voice raising, stone-pelting on each other but the medical reports state that Indian soldiers were hit with iron rods and other metal hard objects which is not at all acceptable."
"The Chinese cannot be trusted anymore. China wants to create a monopoly and wants to protect their own skin. Being a super-power nation, China should not behave in such manner," he said.
The increasing tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations have drawn international attention, with the UN requesting both sides "to exercise maximum restraint".
