GUWAHATI, June 7 - India will have to adopt a proactive policy on China in the days to come and in the wake of the standoff in Ladakh area, the possibility of the neighbouring country creating trouble in the North East cannot be ruled out. This was the observation of noted security analyst and former GOC of the 4 Crops of the Army, Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar. He also warned that under the present circumstances, the possibility of China trying to revive insurgency in the North East cannot be ruled out and the security agencies would have to keep a close watch on the situation.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Lt Gen (Retd) Shekatkar, who also headed a committee of experts on reforming the armed forces, said after its failure to intrude into India through Ladakh, the possibility of the Chinese trying to create problems in the North East cannot be ruled out. He said there are several vulnerable points along the McMahon Line in this part of the country and efforts must be made to keep a close watch.
The Government of Arunachal Pradesh should also mobilize its resources to keep watch on the international border instead of giving the job entirely to the armed forces, he added.
Lt Gen Shekatkar said that the first area in which the Chinese can create problems is the Asaphila Pass, while, the fish tail area in the eastern most part of Arunachal Pradesh is also vulnerable. The Changla Goham area can be considered vulnerable as India�s deployment is still weak in that part , while, there are several other locations through which the Chinese Army personnel tried to intrude in the past and there is no reason why they would not try again. China has also been claiming an area in the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction area and there is need for keeping watch in the area. �In mountain warfare, the side which has strong bases on heights is always in an advantageous position and that is why, India has to keep watch along the entire McMahon Line,� he said.
Lt Gen Shekatkar said that in the wake of the present situation, China would also try to create trouble in the North East by helping the insurgent groups. It is now an established fact that all the major insurgent groups of the region received direct or indirect help from China for years and as there are a number of disgruntled elements in the region, the Chinese would try to instigate them to keep the region disturbed.
China is dreaming to be the most powerful nation in the world by the year 2049 and the country can go to any extent to achieve the goal. �Most dangerous part is that the possibility of biological and chemical attacks also cannot be ruled out. The entire lifestyle and economy of the North East can be destroyed by polluting the river Brahmaputra which enters India from China,� he warned.
Lt Gen Shekatkar suggested that India would have to formulate a proactive policy to deal with China and the fault lines of the country should be identified. Giving an example, he said that the Chinese do not have good relations with most of its neighbours and India can try to take advantage of it. Moreover, Chinese economy is an export oriented one and China cannot survive without exporting goods manufactured in that country. China is also having problems in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while, it has disputes with a number of countries about control of the South China Sea. India can take advantage of these issues to keep China on its toes, he said.
The security analyst further suggested that India would have to show firmness wherever there are attempts by the Chinese to intrude into Indian territory and armed forces should be kept ready to face any eventuality.
