OPINION: India unlikely to lower its vigil on the borders

India has stresses the need to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those aiding or funding such activities. The country is, however, highly unlikely to lower its vigil on its borders, vis-a-vis Pakistan and China.

In his address to the member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in New Delhi the other day, our Defence Ministers Rajnath Singh did well to stress the need to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those aiding or funding such activities.

Singh rightly said, "If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too... If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism."

He added, "India has always followed the principle of 'Let us walk together & move forward together'. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is 'win-win cooperation for the great gain'."

Observers say the message of the Defence Minister Singh to the SCO is very positive. The group's membership includes, besides India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Most of the SCO members are appreciative of the fact that New Delhi has always striven to bolster trust and cooperation within the group.

India has had cultural, civilizational and economic links and people-to-people exchanges with the states in this region since ancient times. India has always wanted and worked to strengthen these linkages.

New Delhi did well to keep the deliberations of this meeting focused on regional security situations, including the developments in Afghanistan. To New Delhi, enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries is a must in the post Taliban rule-II landscape in Afghanistan. The nature of the current regime in Afghanistan poses a radical Islamist threat to modern secular India.

It is good that in their meet in New Delhi, the SCO member-states reached a consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations in various countries as well as HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief).

The SCO member countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. Defence Minister Singh urged member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan. He called for working on a common strategy to deal with the issue of climate change. He also said that energy security should be a part of the common strategy.

However, the observers say, India is highly unlikely to lower its vigil on its borders, vis-a-vis Pakistan and China, two of the SCO member-states. The reasons for this are not far to seek. India has had a history of arguments with both nations. Pakistan's intention towards India does not seem to be peaceful.

Only a few days ago, there was a terror attack in Poonch. It claimed the lives of five Army soldiers. Initial investigations have pointed towards the involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and terrorists from across the border. It is well known that such terror groups have had the patronage of the deep state in Pakistan.

Also, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who had been invited to the SCO meeting in New Delhi, did not turn up for the event. Malik Ahmed Khan, special advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaj Sharief, attended the meeting only through video conference.

As for China, it continues its policy of confrontation towards India. China claims India's Aksai Chin, between northern Ladakh and China's Xinjiang autonomous region. China has been in control of the area. In order to annex what it calls its territory, China waged the war of aggression against India in 1962, 1967 and 1986.

In June 2017, China reached the Doklam Plateau with its aggressive designs against India. It reached the northern Ladakh region in June 2020. As late as in December last, about 300 soldiers from the People's Liberation Army of China attempted to occupy Yangtse, a mountainous border post, in Tawang.

Not only that. To annex the Indian territory, the PLA is bolstering its infrastructure closer to the LAC, not just in Ladakh but also in the eastern sector. It is constructing a bridge across Pangong Lake in Eastern Ladakh.

Given this background, New Delhi has already enhanced its vigil on India's borders with Pakistan and China. The Border Security Force (BSF) has its deployments along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab to foil any attempts by smugglers to push narcotics and weapons into India. New Delhi has deployed an additional 50,000 troops in the disputed Sino-Indian region.

During his meeting with Chinese State Councillor and Minister of National Defence General Li Shangfu in New Delhi last week, Defence Minister Singh made it clear to him that there could simply be no improvement in the overall bilateral relationship till the Chinese troops disengaged from eastern Ladakh.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.