Ladakh: Modi’s Words of Affirmation or Neglect?

Written by Kriti Swarup and edited by Aanya Sethi

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Ladakh region, June 16th, 2020.

Twenty Indian soldiers died in a standoff against China in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. Officials reported fatalities on the other side of the border, but China refused to cite a number.

Themes of expansionism, privacy and diplomacy float in the tense atmosphere. The deadly skirmish on the border broke forty-five years of peaceful relations, leaving the country shocked and riddled with paranoia.

The conflicted Sino-Indian border stretches to about 3,500 kilometers across the rugged mountains of the Ladakh region. Historically, Galwan Valley has been a disputed piece of land since the war between China and India over Tibetan territory in 1962.

Following the independence of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, India sought to maintain cordial relations with the republic through Nehru’s ‘Hindi-China bhai bhai’ (brotherly) strategy. While India initially objected to China’s intention to occupy Tibet, Nehru eventually acknowledged Chinese rule in Tibet for the sake of relations through an agreement titled the ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.’

However, in 1959, tensions surged during the Lhasa rebellion, and a Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation forces occurred. For his safety, the fourteenth Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India. China blamed India for the insurgency. Blinded by its diplomatic ‘bhai bhai’ mentality, India didn’t expect China to initiate a war, but the Chinese military invaded India’s picturesque Ladakh in 1962. Initially unprepared, India fought back with open fire, killing about 200 Chinese soldiers.

The Sino-India war of 1962 continued for a month, until China declared a ceasefire. According to Chinese military history, they had accomplished their objective of securing borders in the Western sector.

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Returning to the present, post the recent skirmish, Modi landed in Ladakh on the 3rd of July to address Indian troops, without explicitly mentioning China even once:

“The age of expansionism is over. This is the age of development. History has witnessed that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back. India’s commitment to peace should not be seen as India’s weakness… The enemies of India have seen the fire and fury of our forces… The weak can never accomplish peace, the brave do.”

Sound familiar? Will Modi continue to echo Chacha Nehru’s pacifist yet submissive attitude, or will he invoke a new version of peace, perhaps by politically isolating China? The nation awaits in heavy anticipation for a response.

To illustrate India’s position, imagine the world as a children’s playground.

India resembles a child in a park who wants to be friends with everyone and share all his toys. What happens to those children? In the park that is the vicious world we live in, they get trampled over and used for their assets.

What do those children do when the other kids are mean to them? Keep their toys to themselves so they can become Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant).

In response to China’s blow to the nationalism and patriotism of India, civilians have shown their intensifying indignation against China by boycotting Chinese goods and organizing protests in the capital city. India also made the decision to ban several Chinese apps — including TikTok and Shein — in response to the dispute. Building on the theme of Aatmanirbhar, this ban levels the playing field for Indian entrepreneurs and pushes India to become more independent.

However, if India is adamant about this renewed strategy of self reliance, ridding itself of Chinese dependency would be a tedious task.

According to The Washington Post, China is India’s second largest trading partner, and its biggest source of imports. On the other hand, China is not nearly as reliant on India for its imports — which makes the strategy increasingly difficult. To reduce India’s reliance on China, this prohibition would have to be the first of many restrictions on Chinese goods and services.

Scuffles at the Actual Line of Control and China’s intention to expand their territory through encroachments have been observed since early May, when BBC reported that Chinese forces pitched tents, dug troughs and transferred heavy equipment several kilometers into India’s territory. There were multiple talks to defuse the situation, but none materialized into a resolution. In fact, decades of negotiations between New Delhi and Beijing over clashes over almost 135,000 kilometers of territory have still not concluded.

“Chinese intrusion prevents nomads from entering the pastures,” states a member of Ladakh’s autonomous council.

The community of nomads rely primarily on Ladakh’s vast pastures to feed their livestock. While the two countries refrain from resolving the dispute directly, locals in the valley fear for their livelihood as their lands are at a rapidly increasing risk.

It is inevitable for the innocent to be affected by international disputes over territory or power. It may just be one of the side effects of interconnectedness and unassuming diplomacy.

Simply put, for India, diplomacy — or in Mr. Modi’s words, ‘India’s commitment to peace’— is a means to ensure your security without having to use your resources.

India has relied on this strategy for decades. Will it work this time?

DISCLAIMER: The words of the authors are their own. The Archive does not affiliate with or hold any liability for anything stated by any contributor.

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