The government's critics accuse it of meekness in the face of China's land grab in Ladakh. The fact of the matter, as many security experts have testified, is that China has appropriated chunks of Indian territory. What is not stated as explicitly is that India's military and diplomatic options in responding to Chinese belligerence are limited, as an article in The Wire makes clear, citing a recent paper by two US analysts.
There are three options. One, take on the Chinese and throw them out before they consolidate. This is a huge challenge in the Himalayan heights given that defenders have an enormous advantage. Two, seize Chinese territory that can then be exchanged for ours. We haven't quite attempted this: the territory we have moved into at Pangong is our own. The third is to accept the fait accompli. This would mean more Chinese aggression down the road.
It does appear that, faced with a superior economic and military power, our options are limited. Some hawks says we should make it costly for China to embark on such adventures by mobilising in a big way along the border. But this raises costs for us too- and China can outlast us, given the strength of their economy.
Any suggestions, anybody?
(Thanks to SM Deshpande for the pointer to the Wire article)
