India’s stand on Sikkim front has been a welcome sign and a deviation from its earlier stand on foreign affairs. No hard pose, but prolonged military standoff with China in the Sikkim sector would test the “restraint” factor of both. As far as war is concerned that is a big NO but surely would test the patience as both do not want the bilateral relations to be spoiled. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last month had made clear India’s position on the standoff in the Doklam area that has stretched for over a month, saying both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution. The standoff began on June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the tri-junction with Bhutan, which India says was a unilateral action by Beijing to change the status quo in the area. New Delhi fears the construction of the road would allow China to cut off India’s access to its northeastern states. Things have been edgy ever since Prime Minister Modi opened India’s longest bridge Bhupen Hazarika Setu, linking Assam with Arunachal Pradesh, an area the Chinese call South Tibet. Even today, despite knowing that we are pretty much on the cutting edge of military technology on this inhospitable border and taking us on will be costly, the disturbing part is the ostrich-in-the-sand attitude we seem to be showing to an intensifying threatening commentary from Beijing. This is hugely short-sighted on our part as a nation, even as we reluctantly recognise the pressure tactics being used on us. It is as if we have developed a sort of casual manner about China in that she will cock the rifle but not fire the gun. That could well be fatal because there is a certain difference to the texture of the Chinese threat. Between its hassles in the South China Sea, its cantankerous relationship with the US, its wobbly nexus with North Korea, a lukewarm affection with the Far East bloc, its foreign relations are suspect. Not from fear but because this is not 1962 on the platform of common sense that there would be no winners.
