From Vijay Mujumdar

India could have been a deterrent to China but for incompetence of leadership from 1947 to date & lack of public interest/knowledge in geopolitics. There is more expertise in theatrics rather than anything of substance among our leaders. Defense Minister tieing Rakhi to Chinese soldiers & Chinese making Shaheeds of 40 Indian soldiers or making Chinese leader sit on a swing in Sabarmati are the high points of Indian disfunctional diplomacy. That is why not only historically but even now India is seen as a soft target, very easy to trifle with.  China on the other hand rose from the ashes of civil war, Japanese occupation, atrocities, broken infrastructure & ruined cities to fight the US in the Korean war from 1950-53 & challenged India from the early 1950s. Today it ranks as an industrial, economic, technological & military superpower. There is a tendency here to ascribe China's rise to dictatorial communism. May be so to an extent but not entirely. Otherwise cou...

2020 & 1962 Indians often say that 2020 is not 1962. Meaning India is now stronger and can face Chinese military threat effectively. But then China of 2020 too is not China of 1962.  Attitude and actions of Chinese show that they are not overly worried about Indian Army. They push us around at will. For them it's a cat & mouse game. China being the cat. They have demonstrated this time and again. During this skirmish we brought back 20 bodies of our brave soldiers. How many enemy soldiers were brought down has remained a matter of speculation or hot debate between political parties, as had happened during the so-called surgical strikes.  We Indians enjoy debating what Panditji did six decades ago or what vengeful opposition is saying now. Indians never ask why after 4 wars POK, Gilgit Baltistan have remained unliberated or why Aksaichin is still with China? They don't want to know if Indian army is strong enough to face Chinese onslaught? Or is India as a nation physic...

The Galwan Incident Painful but a reality. If one goes by reports in the media, our leaders are mouthing usual platitudes. Same worn-out phrases every time we take back bodies of brave soldiers. There is never any attempt to avenge such wanton killings. The whole world knows that 20 Indian soldiers were killed. But we do not know what damage was inflicted on the enemy. If none, then we must know why & what action the government plans to take other than trade sanctions? Efficacy of such sanctions is always in doubt and in the long run may even hurt India. Chinese have delivered a powerful message on the battlefield. Are we simply going to get cowed and whimper or fightback, if not today-tomorrow then at least at a time of our choosing? https://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Home/MShareArticle?OrgId=18636d94451&imageview=0 Vijay Mujumdar 18.06.2020