Antony Assures Troops at Tawang

Defence Minister AK Antony made his maiden visit to Tawang on April 06, 2008, almost exactly two months after the 57th anniversary of the hoisting of the
Indian Tricolour there. Accompanied by Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor, Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and senior Defence Ministry and Army officials on his
two day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Antony sprang a surprise while addressing the troops. He said, "In the past, required attention was not given
to this region. There is no point in finding fault with anybody. It's our top most priority now to develop infrastructure in the North-East… our overall
objective is to provide you with the latest equipment, so that our Armed Forces continue to be one of the best in the world. Our endeavour will be to ensure the
all-round welfare of Armed Forces personnel and their families. I wish to assure you that we will do whatever is humanly possible to give you the best."

The 1947 India-Pakistan war and the 1962 Chinese Aggression were fought by the Indian Army with antiquated .303 Lee Enfield rifles and crude as well as ineffective winter clothing. Even most recently, troops in high altitude were reportedly issued ill-fitting jackets.  Let us hope that the Defence Minister's assurance means that soldiers deployed at some of the most inhospitable and coldest heights in Siachen Glacier, or those facing the well-equipped Chinese People's Liberation Army, will get better rations than dehydrated vegetables and meat, powdered eggs etc, good quality extreme cold-weather gear, reliable weapons, adequate transport and enough telecommunication facilities. A K Antony also drove down to the Tawang War Memorial, a 40-ft high multi-hued war memorial dedicated to martyrs of the 1962 Sino-Indian war to lay a wreath.  The Memorial has names of 2420 dead Indian soldiers etched in gold on 32 black granite plaques.

In Tawang, the Army is respected not only for its sacrifices in defending the region in 1962, but on two more counts. Major Ralengnao 'Bob' Khating, a Tangkhul Naga officer of Indian Army's Assam Regiment and later the Indian Frontier Administrative Service, reached Tawang on February 6, 1951. With him were Capt HB Limbu, two platoons of 5th Assam Rifles, and Capt Menters of the Indian Medical Corps. This was the first expedition from Manipur to Tawang over steep and rugged heights in sub-zero temperatures. He quickly and effectively established his authority over Tawang, which had been governed by Tibet. The Indian Tricolour was hoisted and on February 9, 1951, he announced Indian sovereignty over Tawang area, south of the Mac Mahon Line, formed under the Simla Treaty of 1914. A permanent site for the Administrative Headquarters and the Assam Rifles Post were selected. A civil dispensary with 12 beds was also established. Check posts were opened on all the main trade routes. House counting of all villages, south of the Mac Mahon Line, began and gaonburas (village headmen) were appointed as government interpreters. By August 1951, Indian administration was in effective control of the Tawang area.

In another incident, in 1992, the 381 year old Tawang Monastery, Sampa, the highest in Asia and a sprawling complex of 65 Tibetan–style buildings housing 500 Lamas (Buddhist monks), and home to ancient texts, furniture and wall hangings would have been razed to the ground had it not been for some Army officers of Tawang's garrison, who saw the fire at night, and immediately mobilized about 150 troops to douse it. Not only did the soldiers extinguish the fire but also worked with the monks for the next few weeks to restore and renovate the affected structures.

The Defence Minister's first visit to Arunachal Pradesh, followed by that of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who referred to the State  as India's land of
the rising sun, were not taken kindly by China. While China articulated its displeasure, the Opposition blamed both the leaders for bending backwards to appease China by not visiting Tawang. Antony's belated tour to Tawang at a time when China is facing a Tibetan revolt has riled Beijing further. Meanwhile, a Member of Parliament from Arunachal caused a stir by suggesting that China could be approached for a railway line in the State, if Delhi "could not deliver" (The Indian Express, April 7, 2008).

General JJ Singh, Governor of Arunachal Pradesh has been lobbying in New Delhi's power corridors for central assistance for the state's developmental needs, including construction of railway. He has emphasised the social benefits and
strategic importance of troop movement. Yet another significant development in the State has been the voicing of protests against China's attack on Tibetans. Some of Arunachal Pradesh's politicians are reported to have urged the Government to lift the ban on protesting against Chinese suppression of Tibetans.

Dr LL Mehrotra, Charge-de-Affairs, Peking, at the time when the agreement to exchange ambassadors (stopped since 1962) was signed in 1976, commented in a panel discussion "India's China Policy: Need For An Overhaul" at the India International Centre, New Delhi on September 13, 2007: "Policy cannot move along a beaten track….it needs a thorough study to determine the need for change and the degree of change – from both strategic and tactical view points." According to him, while we have somewhat mended our fences with China to maintain peace and tranquility on the border, China still treats the border as undefined and openly oppose India's claim on Arunachal Pradesh. Though speaking of forging a strategic relationship with India, many of China's actions run counter to India's strategic and security interests. It unabashedly uses India's differences with its neighbors to add to its own strategic fortunes in South Asia. It is setting up strategic facilities at the most sensitive security points in Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It has helped Pakistan emerge as a nuclear country. Tibet remains the hub of China's nuclear research centres and its nuclear arsenals, which threaten every part of India. Damage to Tibet’s environment hurts India since it is the largest reservoir of all water supply to the major river systems of North India.

In a talk entitled "The dragon, and the elephant", Dr Mohan Guruswamy, Centre for Policy Alternatives stated that the MiGs in Tezpur (Assam) are being replaced with Sukhois, which should be a signal to the Chinese to stay off Arunachal Pradesh, as also the fact that India is raising the budget to the Dalai Lama from Rs 1 to 10 crore. If this is true, then it is indeed a pleasant surprise. However, it is critical that the Prime Minister's promised package to Arunachal Pradesh as well as Defence Minister's assurance to troops stationed there is implemented on the ground "on the double". 
 

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views either of the Editorial Committee or the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.)