Indian Defence Review

Myanmar: Division and States

Former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that food worth Rupees 44,000 crores was wasted last year for lack of storage space in India including vegetables and fruits worth Rupees 13,000 crores. Why we cannot distribute Rupees 13,000 crores worth of wasted vegetables and fruits to millions of malnourished children perhaps is because we must await a Vegetable and Fruit Security Bill in the run up to the next to next (2019-20) general elections, akin to the much needed Drinking Water Security Bill with still later amendment to upgrade drinking water to ‘safe’ drinking water. But this is not about wasted fruit. This is about chunks of Indian Territory that is being referred to as ‘Low Hanging Fruit’ for easy picking by  neighbours, some even doled out and dealt in most perfunctory manner by our illiterate pundits-cum-strategists who without thought to safeguard territorial integrity,  even disregard humiliation that the public and the country faces. Of course you cannot expect them to learn even from a country like Vietnam how to muster guts and strategy to deal with bully China when in past half century they failed to emulate Ho Chi Minh in ensuring every household with individual toilet, reducing India to the largest defecating arena.

Some years back, a Captain in the Army jokingly proposed that all army personnel should contribute Rupee one every month to the Chief of Army Staff so that he can thump the table and fight for issues rather than eyeing post retirement avenues. Time appears ripe for every citizen and NRI to donate sufficiently to buy a Nobel Peace Prize for the Prime Minister, a Beijing apartment for the Foreign Minister, dwelling adjoining “Shri Saeed” for the Home Minster and a Nobel R&D Prize for the Defence Minister for sinking our military-industrial complex to a state where even assault rifles and carbines have to be imported. Perhaps such donations may stem the pundits dispensing ‘low hanging fruits’ and help build their resolve to defend the territorial integrity of India. No need to donate anything for the Finance Minister. He is already catered for through FDI having brought the Rupee to a historic low and so tells his colleagues there is no cause for worry, for haven’t they accumulated enough black money for generations to wallow in luxury, with enough spare to even buy Tibet from China?

Witness the transformation of India, from what was till now referred as the proverbial ‘elephant’ that moved occasionally. Our policy makers have ensured the demise of the elephant. What has replaced the elephant is a paralytic rabbit that is being preyed upon by wolves from every direction. Such is the state that even friends have turned foes, for who minds freebies and rabbit fur to line their nests? So you have intrusions by China, Kayani’s boys going berserk, Bangladesh firing cross-border, Iran arresting our merchant ship, Pracahnda caroling “ultimate fight with Indian Army”, belligerent Maldives, Sri Lanka arresting our fishermen, and now Myanmar intruding into Indian territory – all this while our foreign policy makers fly around like cockroaches in a dark alley of their own making in a manner that even Russia appears convinced we are leaning towards the US despite US-Pakistan nexus at India’s expense.

The Prime Minister is competing for the Guinness Record in silence but considering the government response to the Chinese intrusions (“small acme” by Salman, “no jurisdiction” by Shinde and no comment by Anthony) can the trio jointly explain to the nation following:

• How has the incursion by Myanmar into Manipur taken place despite the presence of Assam Rifles and Army in the northeast?
• What actions have been taken by India to Myanmar Army constructing a temporary camp at Holenphai village three kilometers from Moreh, the border town of Manipur?
• Does GoI know that our border with Myanmar is not settled and what actions have been taken to settle it?
• Myanmar is reportedly laying a border fence that will amount to loss of large chunks of Indian Territory; almost half of the 14 tribal villages in Chandel district and entire Choro Village in  Ukhrul district. What has the Centre done about it? Who’s baby is it or is the Foreign, Home and Defence Ministries still trying to figure out this puzzle – like Depsang Valley and Chumar?
•  Why is it that we have been reduced to a ‘reactive’ nation? Is vote-banking the only domain for taking initiative?
• Myanmar Army is reportedly cutting trees inside Indian Territory, similar to the PLA in Arunachal Pradesh. So, why are the concerned Ministers keeping mum, not even ‘reacting’ while pocketing tax payer’s money?

Paid spin doctors have ensured that news of Myanmar’s excursion into Indian Territory was mentioned perfunctorily. No TV debates, no questions by public, no importance as in case of Chinese intrusions.

Intransigence to territory grabbing and voluntarily doling out ‘low hanging fruit’ has been the political legacy since Independence; self inflicted 1948 ceasefire when Pakistanis were scurrying back with tails tucked between their legs, Aksai Chin – “not a blade of grass grows there”, Shaksgam Valley unchallenged; Coco Island ‘gifted’ away and what have you. The irony is that the pundit-strategists don’t even know where the boundary lies and what is Indian Territory and what should India rightfully claim. For example, rather than claiming the Menser Enclave our MEA officials are not even aware where it is on ground, leave aside its background and justification. To top this, unity of command in respect of external defence of our borders continues to be deliberately ignored that indicates a nexus against national interests of the country. 20-30 kilometres deep intrusions are being brushed aside as “localized affairs”.

Witness the recent efforts to build public opinion to withdraw from Siachen despite tremendous adverse strategic ramifications to India, a move that appears to be getting revived with write ups by Pakistani authors about ‘mountain of peace’ appearing in Indian newspapers; in preparation to Manmohan-Nawaz meet despite some 40 signatories (including former ambassadors, foreign secretaries, home secretaries, chiefs of RAW and IB, retired military Generals) of a conglomerate of think tanks having written to the Prime Minister on August 9, advising him against engaging in a dialogue with Pakistan, much less meeting his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of UN General Assembly next month. So you have Farooq Abdulla, Hijbul queen Mehbooba and ISI honchos in Hurriyat parroting “dialogue is the only way out” but after what Pakistan is doing in J&K, is this the time to talk or are you recommending to shift India’s title from ‘soft state’ to ‘pulp state’? Why are these fellows not talking about the terrorist acts, the infiltration, the terrorist camps in POK, ceasefire violations targeting civilians? Why is the Omar Abdulla Government not disclosing figures of the spread of AIDS in Kashmir over the years by Pakistani terrorists raping and forcibly marrying Kashmiri women? Are they impervious to the rape of Kashmiryati and Sufi culture by Pakistan? The acid test for the Prime Minister of course will be to tell Nawaz this is not the time for dialogue.

There is also the need to understand the difference between healthy democracy and secessionism. If we maintain there are no ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’, how are we accepting secessionism in different shades? One side we use force against Maoists but on the other hand a fellow like Gilani is preaching open secession while making money from both Pakistan and India. Why has his blog that spews venom against the Indian State not been defaced? Why he is not tried for treason and sent into hibernation? Why is he shown on national TV gloating that no international event can be held in Kashmir Valley because it is ‘disputed territory’, when there is no history of dispute between his mother and mother India?  It is this pussyfooting that encourages people like Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, so called Prime Minister of POK raising the demand for plebiscite again. Why can’t we tell him and the rest of the world that:

• 1948 UN Resolution on Kashmir, vide which Pakistan still demands, plebiscite, had categorical pre-condition that Pakistan withdraw all her security forces from territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) prior to plebiscite.  Pakistan did the opposite and moreover, unlike India, drastically altered demography of POK by design.
• 1948 UN Resolution on Kashmir gave Kashmiris only two choices – either remain with India or join Pakistan.
• Results of first ever poll both sides of the Line of Control in J&K conducted by Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatam House), UK in conjunction   King’s College during 2009-2010 brought out that 98 percent of people in J&K do not wish to be part of Pakistan and 50 people of people in POK do not wish to remain with Pakistan. Significantly this project was funded by the elder son of Gaddafi on specific request of Musharraf.

History has a way to repeat itself. Before the complete post 2014 Afghanistan scenario unfolds, Kiyani is to secure his future before his current extension expires in October this year. He may surpass his mentor – Musharraf. Anything can happen but rest assured violence will go up. Already Altaf Hussain, MQM Chief is raising calls to hand over administration of Karachi to the military. Definitely, Pakistan will too suffer the blowback effect of post 2014 Afghanistan but violence levels for us are going to go up anyway. More and more wolves are going to eye the low hanging fruits. Gloating over a C-17 landing at DBO does not help when you don’t have the guts to confront 20-30 kilometres deep intrusions. It is time India abandons its policy of appeasement without the policy makers and armchair strategists waiting for public courts to try them in absentia for treason. It is time India employs its considerable Special Forces to slit open the underbelly of our enemies. That would automatically blur the vision of those eyeing the low hanging fruits.

First published in August 2013.