Vimarsha: Conflict along India-China Border: Myth & Reality with Mr. R N Ravi, former Special Director, IB

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VIF organized its monthly series of talks by eminent persons, Vimarsha on 28^th June 2013 where Mr. R N Ravi, former Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau, was invited to speak on the Conflict along India-China Border.

One of the myths associated with the border, as Mr. Ravi pointed out, is the assumption that the border is undefined. Mr. Ravi argued that nothing can be farther from truth and that maps till 1930s did show our delineated border with Tibet and China. He elaborated that China since 1950s has strategically and successfully kept its border with India undefined in order to create more room for China to put pressure on India and capture more parts of our territory which China considers crucial to its geopolitical interest. Another line known as the Line of Patrol (LOP) has been made which restricts our troops’ movement near the LAC. Mr Ravi asserted that China would continue to create problems along the Indo-China border till the time it resolves its problems in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Mr. Ravi stressed on the need to understand the Chinese intrusions and their growing numbers and aggressive nature. He argued that the intrusions like the one that happened in Daulat Beg Oldi sector recently was not a localized incident or what was called “acne”. He highlighted that these intrusions are strategically focused on areas that are crucial to the Chinese. Illustrating the case of two de-facto tri-junctions, Mr. Ravi argued that the Chinese attempt is to disconnect India from the Central Asia Republics in the North and Myanmar in the East.

Mr. Ravi concluded his enlightening talk by stressing on the need to understand the Chinese actions strategically and to establish our own strategic vision in order to make assessments that are not based on statements but facts. The Government should get out of the self-denial mode and accept that there is a problem, he said.

Mr Ravi also pointed to the urgent need to consolidate our territories by augmentation of infrastructure which can play an important role in our relations with the Central Asian Republics and Myanmar. He also urged the Government to share sufficient and crucial facts in the public domain and believe in the nation’s collective wisdom.

The session witnessed active participation from the audience. Shri A K Doval, Director, VIF, announced setting up of a team comprising eminent persons to collate actual facts pertaining to the India-China border.