Tawang clash: Resolute response needed

The ingression of Chinese troops into Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, which led to a face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers, is of grave concern as it suggests that the Chinese could be seeking to open another front against India in the eastern sector of the disputed border. At a time when bilateral tensions in the western sector are running high and the issues that led to the crisis in Ladakh remain unresolved, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has acted in an extremely irresponsible manner by attempting to expand the conflict to the eastern sector. It is possible that the Chinese transgressions in Tawang are aimed at putting pressure on India to concede more of its demands on issues related to the border in Ladakh. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha that China is trying to unilaterally alter the status quo in Arunachal. India needs to respond resolutely to the latest incident. Blunders made by the Narendra Modi government following the clashes at the Galwan Valley in June 2020 – the Prime Minister denied on national TV that Chinese soldiers were on Indian territory, thus strengthening the Chinese position in talks – continue to haunt India. India was seen to be weak in dealing with the Chinese occupation of land on the Indian side of the LAC. This encouraged them to adopt intransigent positions. This time around, India must not hesitate to call out China for its aggression at Tawang.

There are signs that the Modi government is repeating past mistakes. The Defence Minister said there were no fatalities and no serious injuries. Defence experts are describing the casualties as serious. Downplaying and denial will not help India deal with the crisis with the seriousness it deserves. Singh’s statement to the Lok Sabha was less than five minutes long. No discussion of the crisis followed, despite Opposition demands for a debate on the matter.

Dealing with matters of national security, especially on a protracted border dispute with a powerful neighbour, call for a robust response, one that is charted not just by a handful of politicians, but which draws on expertise across parties and institutions. By excluding the Opposition in charting its China policy, the Modi government is denying the country the benefits of political unity in dealing with an external enemy. India needs to deter China from pursuing aggressive and adventurist tactics. That will require the government to raise the costs for China of repeatedly provoking India along the border. Indian soldiers deployed at Ladakh will have to endure freezing temperatures for the third straight winter in a row. They deserve better.