If you think that India will be a super power by the time you retire, think again. India might not even exist or at least in the form we know…Then you can only say bedtime stories to your grandchildren. “Once upon a time, there was a country called India. It was so wide from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Arunachal to Gujarat”. If not for a visionary foreign policy and a strict constitution against the divisive political rodents, the country is sure to be torn into pieces. The power hungry dragon has already sensed the pungent odor of separatism in its neighborhood and knows well that a lending hand to the separatist can tear off its competitor into pieces.
We need to know how China is cornering India and fortifying its presence in the South Asian region. Military might and its vicinity is important to intimidate the opposition during dialogues. China has been aggressively perusing its String of pearl policy, which is seen as a strategic long term move to garner diplomatic support and Points of Presence in the Indian Sub-continent. These Points of Presence can also be turned into military bases if and when required. The lollypop being shown to the smaller economies in the region are irresistible for them to neglect it. Let us see why should China gives lollypops to smaller economies in the Indian Sub-continent?
Why and How against India
India is the only country in the region which openly supports and hosts the Buddhist seer, Dalai Lama. China has territorial aspiration on many parts of India – Aksai Chin, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. It’s a power to reckon with in South Asia and SAARC. India, despite being a democracy, is growing only second to China. China sees India as its competition with it in the near future in everything from tapping energy resources in Africa to being an unquestioned regional super power in Asia. “Why” part of the question is clear, now “how”. The answer is to destabilize India and decimate it.
Similar strategy of supporting the USSR’s separatists was adopted by USA, finally destabilizing and breaking the country into pieces. The sterling examples of China’s developing strategic hold in India’s backyard is leading to concerns of security and integrity of India. It goes without saying that the relationship between the two countries has been hitting new lows in the past few years. We will have a look at the recent developments that are a grievous cause of concern for India.
The Chinese Strategy and China’s own background
An article on an officially backed Chinese website proclaimed that the “great Indian federation” was ripe for dismemberment, if Beijing just gives a trigger. The website iiss.cn (International Institute for Strategic Studies), went ahead in delineating strategy for decimating the republic. “To split India, China can bring into its fold countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, support Ulfa in attaining its goal for Assam’s independence, back aspirations of Indian nationalities like Tamils and Nagas, encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal and lastly recover the 90,000 sq km territory in southern Tibet (Arunachal Pradesh)” the article enlisted.
It article also baselessly claimed that India as a nation never really existed in history. It was held together by “decadent” Hinduism which “encouraged caste and exploitation”. But the fact is that India was bigger than what it is today. Even geographically India is a single land mass for the past 90 million years and is called Indian Sub continent. It Included Afghanistan in the West, Gandhar – Kandahar of modern day to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, Lohitya – Lohit district of modern days in Arunachal Pradesh, Tajikistan (Takshashila) in the North, Tibet in the North east, Kailasha – the modern day Lasha (capital of Tibet) and Trikonamala (Srilanka) in the south. Other than Hindu kings, India as a whole has been united by Maurya and Moghul empires which covered even Pakistan and Afghanistan. The southern states of Tamil nadu and Kerala were on other instances being ruled by Chera, Cholla, Pandya and Pallava kings were Hindus.
Caste system is a malady that came in to practice in India, similar to feudal systems across the world. Even China had a feudal system dividing their population into 6 classes. They were Wang (king), Zhuohu (dukes), Daifu (Great men), Shi (Scholars), Shumin (commoners) and nuli (slaves). India was better than China without slaves. After the dark ages (1600), colonialization began, which exploited the existing caste system to hilt for their benefit. Since Independence, Indian leaders have taken severe steps against caste system. Untouchability has been abolishes and laws have been passed to punish people even if they use derogatory classification of casts, when India became a republic. Reservation upto 69% are being provided in many states for the backward classes in education and jobs resulting in significant progress made in social equality in a period of 60 years.
Actually Tibet has never been part of China. Tibet was an ancient country the size of Western Europe when it was invaded by the People’s Liberation Army of China in 1950. A place with a unique culture, history and identity, Tibet has been changed dramatically by the Chinese invasion and occupation. Not only have many Tibetan lives been lost, Tibetans in Tibet do not enjoy basic human rights and the Chinese government have introduced policies by which Tibetan culture, language and natural resources are being systematically and irrevocably eroded.
The Trap that’s laid around
China has offered Pakistan and Bangladesh nuclear power plants of its own to meet
their energy needs. Beijing also showers these nations with low-cost financial capital to help their struggling development sector. The largest beneficiaries of this economic aid are Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal – in that order.
Sino-Bangladesh relationship involves potential threat to the security and integrity of the nation. Siliguri corridor which is also called as the chicken’s neck is a narrow 40km wide corridor which connects the entire North east India to its mainland. The porous border between India and Bangladesh is a cause of concern leading to insurgency of ULFA, fake currency circulation, increasing illegally immigrating Muslim population in Assam and easy route into India for Pakistani terrorists. The prominent inclusion of Siligur corridor and Chittagong port development by China are major cause of concern. The fallout of which can be a Chinese military base to monitor Indian naval movements and creating unrest in Northeast India where China has territorial ambitions.
Sino- Pakistan relation is well known. But the recent developments of Upgrading the Karakoram Highway by China in PoK, which can help Pakistan in quick movement of its troops in PoK and China constructing Neelam-Jeelam Hydro electricity project in PoK are very disturbing. China’s Continued supply of arms and ammunition to Bangladesh and Pakistan are of imminent threat to India. Even the Nuclear nexus between AQ Khan, Pakistan’s nuclear father and China is well established. Gwadar port in Pakistan, developed by China, is seen as a Chinese naval port under the disguise of a commercial port.
Sino-lanka relationship is hitting new highs with the Chinese supplying arms to the SriLankan govt during the war against LTTE and subsequent Tamil genocide. In similar lines of Gwadar port in Pakistan, China has also developed a Hambantota Port in Srilanka, facing the strategic Indian Ocean. The port will be great importance for energy, trade and military dominance to SriLanka.
With 81 Trillion Cubic Feet of natural gas reserves in Myanmar, the country is of greatest significance to both Inida and China for their energy security. China has made huge strides in this prospect. Chinese oil and gas companies are aggressively engaged in the Bay of Bengal in exploration and production activities to push the gas through pipelines linking offshore platforms in Myanmar to Kunming in China and also to feed the new refinery in Chongqing municipality. The 2,806 km long natural gas pipeline with a capacity of 12 billion cubic meters annually to Kunming will be ready by 2012. China having made debilitating developments in all four sides of the country, India is in dire straits to act or subjugate to China in its own backyard.
Decimating India
Some of the excerpts from the Quasi-official Chinese article say “...China in its own interest and the progress of whole Asia, should join forces with different nationalities like Assamese, Tamils, and Kashmir is and support the latter in establishing independent nation-states of their own, out of India,”
“Only after India has been broken up into 20-30 pieces will there be any real reform or social change in the country,”
After decimating India, the smaller states will no more have the power to attract the global corporate, their military might will be greatly reduced, Unemployment will increase as movement of people will be severely restricted, Technical and scientific development will be impossible because of lack of financials, trade deficit will be huge as many of the states are not self sufficient in all the basic requirement of life, energy requirements can be addressed by individual states, water sharing will be a great issue and the states will no more enjoy the respect that India commends now in the global arena. China will become the undisputed power in the region surrounded by failed states at China’s mercy.
Conclusion
Indian govt needs to take immediate action against the separatist in the country. Strong laws in the constitution have to be passed enabling the jurisdiction to take severe action against politicians acting against the integrity of the nation or a state. Caste and linguistic vote bank based politics have to be annihilated for a healthy and a prosperous India. Relationship with immediate neighbors has to be improved. India should play a constructive role in the development of these countries. Good neighborhood is essential for safe and secure future of the citizens of the nation.
There is an urgent need to revamp the Indian foreign policy and law on maintaining national integrity. Countries like China and Pakistan which are eager in decimated India have to be dealt with caution and their hidden agenda have to be exposed to the international society. It has to be taught to the people of India that Unity is Strength. India should try to resolve its territorial issues with its neighbors as early as possible, at the same time it need not be submissive in the negotiation table. In this globalised era, sustained international pressure can do wonders. The only one who can protect from decimation is its Aam Admi (normal citizen). He shouls understand that these separatist politicians seeking cheap publicity and vote bank politics are debilitating the country of its integrity to satiate their greed for power. These are exactly the pythons who can be made use of by the external forces to black mail and disintegrate the country. Let us not allow the separatists grow and give Chinas and Pakistans to dream of shattering India. Wake up India! Wake Up!!
