DesiGuy
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is not likely to stop the Dalai Lama from visiting Arunachal Pradesh in November, even after China's public whinge. But it would
have been unusual if China did not protest the upcoming visit, particularly after they made such heavy weather of the Tibetan leader's recent visit to Taiwan. But India's possible decision to let the Dalai Lama go ahead is certainly a step forward from 2008, when it stopped him from undertaking the same visit, terrified of angering the Chinese.
The Chinese protest on the Dalai Lama followed yet another Chinese protest that its army had not crossed the LAC and spray-painted Chinese characters on rocks traditionally believed to be in Indian territory. This was preceded by quasi-official blogs in China advocating breaking up India into 20-30 pieces.
Over the past months, China, LAC and Arunachal Pradesh are hot property. Since 2005, when India and China wrote out their guiding principles for an ultimate boundary settlement, the road to an eventual agreement has become increasingly rocky. China has openly staked claim on entire Arunachal Pradesh, opposed India's pitch for multilateral funding for water projects in the state, while incursions by PLA into Indian territory have increased (at least they are more frequently reported, though their frequency and intensity have remained virtually unchanged over the past couple of decades, said officials in charge of China policy in the government).
The Chinese have written angry editorials in their state media against announcements that India was moving troops and fighter aircraft to the northeast, specifically Arunachal Pradesh.
As a result, China-India relations are looking increasingly battered. There are fears expressed of encirclement. Officially, Indian establishment seems content to let China control the decibel levels.
India is aware it is at a disadvantage with China. On the border, the Chinese, with their superior road and rail networks, can actually come up to LAC while India neglected its borders until about three years ago. It enables the Chinese to amble across, spray paint, and walk back. It takes Indian troops several days to get to the border.
But gradually, India is finding its voice, as it struggles to speed up its own preparedness against the Chinese. It comes from a recent review of the China policy where the government concluded that silence by the establishment would only heighten the popular pitch against the Chinese.
The ADB victory was huge, without India saying a word in public, even getting the Pakistanis to vote against the Chinese. The Indian embassy in Beijing made the strongest statement against Chinese trade practices than has been seen in recent times. MEA openly dismissed a Chinese blogger's wishlist of dismembering India. And the Dalai Lama is still scheduled to visit Arunachal.
India will also hold China to the 2005 Guiding Principles where it agreed that while demarcating the boundary, interests of settled populations would be taken into account. Extrapolated, it meant that Arunachal would stay with India. The Chinese subsequently went back on that commitment. Until now. India is reminding them of the letter and spirit of that document.
China too is beginning to realise the dangers of letting media "nationalism" fly. In a recent editorial on India-China ties, the official China Daily also criticized Chinese media for stoking antagonism. Officially, in India at least, there are no illusions that dealing with an aggressive China is no cakewalk. But India is still learning to blend the strong and conciliatory tones with regard to China.
is not likely to stop the Dalai Lama from visiting Arunachal Pradesh in November, even after China's public whinge. But it would
have been unusual if China did not protest the upcoming visit, particularly after they made such heavy weather of the Tibetan leader's recent visit to Taiwan. But India's possible decision to let the Dalai Lama go ahead is certainly a step forward from 2008, when it stopped him from undertaking the same visit, terrified of angering the Chinese.
The Chinese protest on the Dalai Lama followed yet another Chinese protest that its army had not crossed the LAC and spray-painted Chinese characters on rocks traditionally believed to be in Indian territory. This was preceded by quasi-official blogs in China advocating breaking up India into 20-30 pieces.
Over the past months, China, LAC and Arunachal Pradesh are hot property. Since 2005, when India and China wrote out their guiding principles for an ultimate boundary settlement, the road to an eventual agreement has become increasingly rocky. China has openly staked claim on entire Arunachal Pradesh, opposed India's pitch for multilateral funding for water projects in the state, while incursions by PLA into Indian territory have increased (at least they are more frequently reported, though their frequency and intensity have remained virtually unchanged over the past couple of decades, said officials in charge of China policy in the government).
The Chinese have written angry editorials in their state media against announcements that India was moving troops and fighter aircraft to the northeast, specifically Arunachal Pradesh.
As a result, China-India relations are looking increasingly battered. There are fears expressed of encirclement. Officially, Indian establishment seems content to let China control the decibel levels.
India is aware it is at a disadvantage with China. On the border, the Chinese, with their superior road and rail networks, can actually come up to LAC while India neglected its borders until about three years ago. It enables the Chinese to amble across, spray paint, and walk back. It takes Indian troops several days to get to the border.
But gradually, India is finding its voice, as it struggles to speed up its own preparedness against the Chinese. It comes from a recent review of the China policy where the government concluded that silence by the establishment would only heighten the popular pitch against the Chinese.
The ADB victory was huge, without India saying a word in public, even getting the Pakistanis to vote against the Chinese. The Indian embassy in Beijing made the strongest statement against Chinese trade practices than has been seen in recent times. MEA openly dismissed a Chinese blogger's wishlist of dismembering India. And the Dalai Lama is still scheduled to visit Arunachal.
India will also hold China to the 2005 Guiding Principles where it agreed that while demarcating the boundary, interests of settled populations would be taken into account. Extrapolated, it meant that Arunachal would stay with India. The Chinese subsequently went back on that commitment. Until now. India is reminding them of the letter and spirit of that document.
China too is beginning to realise the dangers of letting media "nationalism" fly. In a recent editorial on India-China ties, the official China Daily also criticized Chinese media for stoking antagonism. Officially, in India at least, there are no illusions that dealing with an aggressive China is no cakewalk. But India is still learning to blend the strong and conciliatory tones with regard to China.
