As Indo-China tensions increase following the Galwan valley attack, it becomes imperative to answer what happens now and what future does the disputed border hold. While bilateral talks continue, 10 soldiers which were initially held captive after the attack were released after 3 days and are presently being debriefed, however, none of these soldiers were harmed. The Indian Army had released a statement saying that all the soldiers are now accounted for.
The Prime Minister, during all-party meet also confirmed that no Chinese soldier entered our border, however in the limited information that the Chinese government has released since the incident, it has claimed the area as its own territory.
While many leaders used rhetoric to express heir anger and commented on how India will not tolerate and reply back, the truth remains that following a diplomatic route over a military route will perhaps be a better way to ease of the current tensions. However, concerns over agitation from the opposite end have put the border on an alerted stance and prepared it for a war-like situation. The Indian Air force(IAF) has deployed choppers and Apache Helicopters, in order to provide support to ground staff, if need be and in almost hush visit the IAF chief RKS Bhadauria went to Leh to review operations and measure the preparedness against such attacks. Not only that, the IAF is trying to procure an additional 21 MiG fighter jets from Russia to add to its fleet.
The public sentiment and outrage after the incident was evident, tags such as “Boycott China” continued to trend on social media platforms, however even as we stood united in our sentiments, the actual impact on sales for most Chinese technology companies such as Oppo and Xiaomi, which have a large business in India remained unaffected. This although seemed surprising, but wasn’t far from the truth since these companies were in fact having a backlog of demand as mobile and tech sales increase owing to the greater demand which is being generated since technology became an essential into our new normal. This only deepens the need to evaluate the reality of an actual trade boycott and what it’ll mean for both the nation.
India is currently at a trade deficit with China, which means that if we were to ban Chinese goods, it is more likely that the people who would have to face the negative impact would be Indian citizens who would face a lack of consumer choice and it would, in turn, weaken Indian retailers who have already paid for the goods present in the market today. China, on the other hand, will not suffer such losses as in both terms of export and import, India only makes a small contribution to its economy. However, this isn’t to say that any form of economic reform will necessarily impose repercussions and should be unwelcomed. As “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” concept floats in the Indian atmosphere, policymakers debate e-commerce policy which will make it compulsory for retailers to declare the origin of production, thus giving consumers a conscious choice to switch to Indian products. These policies aim at reducing the trade deficits, and making the country self-reliant before jumping onto decisions that pose long term harm on our own population.
Despite, the global backlash that China’s aggressive move saw , For India, the troubles with her neighbours are more complex. Even as we gain a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council with overwhelming support from the rest of the Asia-Pacific block, tensions with our immediate neighbours are far from being resolved. Earlier this week, two Indian high commission officials were abducted by Pakistan Agencies in Islamabad, and were later released saying that they’d been arrested in an alleged traffic accident the same morning. Both the individuals involved however had visible injuries and the entire incident seemed like a retaliation against India, as this incident happened within a fortnight of two Pakistani staff members who were working at High commission office in India were expelled on grounds of espionage.
Even with neighbours such as Nepal with whom we have historically enjoyed peaceful ties, tensions continue as Oil led government approves a map containing disputed regions of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as a part of their territory. The Oli government is known to be notoriously in favour of Chinese aggression, and these alliances could prove to be devastating in the future. Furthermore, in an attempt to almost bribe Bangladesh towards loyalty, China has offered to waive off 97% tariff on over 5000 goods that are traded between the two countries. Keeping these recent developments in mind, it is becoming increasingly evident that China is playing a tactful game, and more than military power or bilateral negotiations, India has to step up and match these calculated moves to secure the nation’s future.
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