India to beat China in
LAC infrastructure: DG
India will beat China in next two to three years in developing as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Govt is proactively working towards developing infrastructure along the 3,488-km stretch of the Line of Actual Control as 295 projects have been completed worth Rs 11,000 crore, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director General Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry said on Thursday.
Beyond the Horizon
By Pradeep Kumar
If no road to border areas was a major factor for India’s defeat, India will beat China in next two to three years as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Govt is proactively working towards developing infrastructure along 3,488-km stretch of the Line of Actual Control as 295 projects have been completed worth Rs 11,000 crore, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director General Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry said on Thursday
The 1962 India-China War, which broke out October 1962, is a glittering example of adage “all wars in the history were fought for jaru aur jamin (women and land) as this war was fought between two newly independent nations only for land.
India was not prepared with hardly any road to its 3,488-km border with China and the War was a major defeat for India, stemming from the initial friendship between the two nations.
The India-China 1962 war was caused by conflicting boundary lines between the British and Chinese, with China claiming large areas in Ladakh and NEFA due to differences between the Johnson line and the Macartney-MacDonald line.
Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai Mao Zedong had discussed the need for solidarity between both nations due to their shared history of being bullied by Western powers, leading to signing of Sino-India Panchsheel Agreement on 29.04.1954 to promote peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit. The peace agreement was also due to threat from Pakistan allying with the US during the Cold War, which led to compromising on Tibet.
Chinese Premier initially denied China’s claim on Indian Territory but later acknowledged the inaccuracies in Chinese maps, and the first major conflict between India and China arose in Tibet in 1959 when the Chinese army was torturing the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama had to flee.
But tensions grew due to China’s claim on Indian Territory and India’s interference in China’s internal matters. China claimed ownership of India’s NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) due to historical connection with Tibet, while India extended its military post in Aksai Chin, leading to conflict.
Nehru’s growing distrust of China coincided with 1959 Tibetan uprising in mostly peaceful protests, but clashes quickly erupted and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) eventually used force to quell the protests. The last stages included heavy fighting, with high civilian and military losses, prompting His Holiness Dalai Lama to flee for his life and entered India on 26.03.1959 to seek refugee that was a major point of conflict between China and India.
Zhou Enlai initially had denied China’s claim on Indian territory but later acknowledged the inaccuracies in Chinese maps, and first major conflict between India and China arose in Tibet in 1959 when the Chinese army was torturing the Tibetan people.
Boundary: The British and Chinese had conflicting boundary lines in 1800s, with the Johnson Line placing Aksai Chin in India and a Chinese official’s map also showing Aksai Chin as part of India.
The Macartney-MacDonald line, drawn by the British in 1899, was based on watershed divisions, using natural geographical landscapes as boundary markers between countries.
In 1914, the British drew the McMahon line to take control of Tawang from Tibet, causing conflict with China, as India wanted the boundary to be determined by the natural landscape.
India extended its military post in the Western Sector, specifically in remote and isolated region of Aksai Chin, which was previously under the rule of King Gulab Singh in Sikh Empire before being taken over by the British.
China breached the McMahon Line and claimed areas south of it, while India under its Forward Policy set up military outposts in disputed areas. China also started building roads in Aksai Chin in 1957, claiming large areas in Ladakh and NEFA, which eventually led to conflict with India.
The 1962 India-China War was due to mistrust, aggression and India’s lack of preparation, led to a surprise attack by China and subsequent Indian counterattacks.
The Chinese army launched a massive attack on India, both in Ladakh and in the North East, highlighting the extent of the conflict.
The effects of the 1962 War still impact India-China relations today. The issue of Tibet and India’s compromise on it played a significant role in the war.
Had the IAF been used, 1962 War casualties would have been less on the Indian side and more on the Chinese, the LAC would have remained where it was in September 1959 and the border dispute with China would not be so acute today!
Most of the military veterans and historians consider that not using of IAF during the war was one of the major blunders of India as it had proved its worth against Pakistan in 1947-48.
The Himalayan mountains act as a natural boundary between India and China from centuries. It has a long history in protecting Indian Territory from any external aggression.
Though the PLA occupied Tibet in 1959 but lacked infrastructures, like proper air bases and air strips and air strike from height of 15,000 feet without proper infrastructure combined with the Himalayan boundary was not possible. The Chinese air force mainly had squadrons of Soviet-built Mig-15, Mig-17, few Mig-19and someIL-28 bombers. The combat-range of these aircrafts were 800-850-km. The Chinese air force had deployed its aircrafts over Korean borders as they were facing a tough stance from Americans and their allies. Their aggression with Taiwan during 1960’s around Taiwan strait, they were on the brink of war with Taiwan (supported by America).
India had tactical operational air bases in forward areas, like Guwahati, Tezpur and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) for launching offensive against China. India in 1962 had 22 combat squadrons, 500+ aircrafts. Indian squadrons had Hunter fighter-aircrafts and Canberra bombers. The Canberras then was one of the best bombers in the world with ability to operate in high altitude with huge payload capacity. IAF also had French-built Dassault Mystere and Dassault Ouragon (known as Toofani). Against India’s powerful IAF, China had only Soviet built aircrafts.
While IAF now boasts of Light Combat Aircraft, Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft, MiG-21, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter and Rafale; China’s fighter aircrafts are: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, Xi’an JH-7, Sukhoi Su-27, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Saab 35 Draken, Sukhoi Su-30MKK, Nanchang J-12, Shenyang J-6 & Shenyang J-5.
