tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post3473468984629089437..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: Solving the problem: don't just keep adding layers of CBMsBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-44865374340362503562013-10-30T05:21:01.115-07:002013-10-30T05:21:01.115-07:00A lot of Discussion takes place over the alleged i...A lot of Discussion takes place over the alleged intent, goals and execution plans of the Chinese. What about us - do we have a clear stand of what we want to do in each of the areas? Even if our stand is Status Quo - the idea of what we mean by status quo has to be defined, planned for, and executed to a timetable. Leave alone the Govt, i am not so sure that even our Mil Cdrs are quite certain of what our stated posn is!That it must incl details of what that means in clear terms - measurable, reasonable, achievable and Time- Bound......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-20035307429558590662013-10-26T08:00:26.403-07:002013-10-26T08:00:26.403-07:00On the Indian side there are two other factors to ...On the Indian side there are two other factors to be taken into account: one is the political class and the other the media.Both need to be enlightened and thereafter to be co-opted towards a solution.With the decision to raise a mountain srike corps, there should be no illusions about defending our interests physically on he ground. But a firm and steady step-by-step negotiating process is the need of the hour.Jayant Barlanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-47247437929159307482013-10-24T16:02:07.331-07:002013-10-24T16:02:07.331-07:00I forgot to add: I've spent the last 4-months ...I forgot to add: I've spent the last 4-months looking at what it will require to decisively retake all Kashmir (Pakistan and China occupied. Half-a-trillion dollars in expansion and reequipment of the armed forces, 8 years for an accelerated buildup, 5% of GDP on defense, and 250,000 casualties. That's for taking Kashmir. Pakistan will not be a factor after that. China will try and grab its claims back, in which case there will be a Phase II of the war. Havent worked out what that will involve.Ravihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01028420171993289655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-87092494737554928302013-10-24T15:57:53.365-07:002013-10-24T15:57:53.365-07:00Another incisive post by Col. Shukla, going to hea...Another incisive post by Col. Shukla, going to heart of the matter. If the Chinese wished to avoid incidents, there is no need for yet more CBMs. They simple have to stay on their side of the LAC as established in 1962. <br /><br />If the 1962 line was good enough for them, why have they not stayed with it? If they genuinely wanted to settle the border issue, how does every square meter of territory matter? A little give and take, and the matter can be sorted out. <br /><br />The sole point for India to note when dealing with the Chinese is this: they will not settle the border issue until we agree to their claim over the Aksai Chin. Since we cannot agree to that, they will keep pushing. The stronger they get and the more pathetic we act, the more they will push.<br /><br />Realistiucally, there is nothing to negotiate if we are not agree to their terms. They certainly will not agree to ours (i.e, withdraw from the Aksai Chin). There is only way the matter can be settled, which is war - and which is the way the Chinese settled it in 1962. Since the Indian leadership faints at the thought of war, there can be no resolution.<br /><br />Also please to appreciate; in 1950 India agreed that Tibet belonged to China even though Tibet has as good a claim to independence as many independent states in the world. If the Chinese had the least goodwill, could they not have said: we have problems with the demarcation of the McMahan Line, let us negotiate. Some give and take, and the issue could have been settled.<br /><br />Instead they Chinese grabbed what they claimed, even as they misled Nehru (though to be fair they never actually lied) that they agreed to the MM line. <br /><br />China will not respect anyone's borders. It wants the China Seas to be declared as Chinese exclusive zone, in contravention of laws of maritime passage. When the time comes, they will reopen the border issue with Russia - the Chinese have from time to time controlled considerable areas in Siberia.<br /><br />The sooner India disabuses itslf of the notion China can be negotiated with - any more than Pakistan can be negotiated with - the sooner reality will arrive.<br /><br />And the reality is that the Chinese respect only force. Same with the Americans before the Chinese. Same with the British before the Americans. Same with the Spanish, the Ditch, the French, the Turks, the Mongols, and so on however far back you want to go. Ravihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01028420171993289655noreply@blogger.com