GUWAHATI, Nov 13 � China has been working on capacity building all round India in the name of development of infrastructure and trade ties and there is urgent need for Government of India to keep a close watch on the developments so that the country is not caught off guard, observed former GOC of the 4 Corps of the Army, Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekhatkar.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Lt Gen Shekhatkar, who is well versed with India's ties with China, said that China has been adopting multi-pronged strategy for capacity building not only within China and Tibet but also in the countries surrounding India. Capacity building takes time but the intensions can change within a short time, he warned and said that India must speed up the process of building its own infrastructure.
The retired Army officer said that over the years, massive development activities have been going on in China and Tibet and India has not been able to match the pace of development with China. He pointed out that the infrastructure like roads and railway lines can very well be used in case of a war with India and in such a scenario, India would be caught off guard.
Lt Gen Shekhatkar said that China has been investing huge sums of money in development of infrastructure in Myanmar and it would be useful for that country if the relation with India deteriorates. He revealed that China has built a major radar station in Coco island of Myanmar, which is only 23 nautical miles away from Myanmar and from that station, China can easily monitor movement in the international sea. He also said that China is also developing ports in Myanmar, which can later be used to target India in case of any requirement, while, China has also acquired submarine missile launchers to launch missiles at India from the international sea.
On the other hand, China has been showing greater interest in improvement of the relation with Pakistan, which is also a cause of concern for India. China has been constructing a major port at Gwadar located north of Karachi and is constructing the Karakoram Highway which goes through Tibet and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to reach the port. Though these infrastructure are being developed for trade ties, it can be used against India in case of a war with India and in such a situation, Pakistan would be too happy to help out India.
Under the present circumstances, India must keep a close watch on the capacity building by the adversary as intentions can change in matter of hours, warned Lt Gen Shekhatkar.
