Doklam standoff: The Chinese have turned 'needlers'

While the meeting is expected to cool down tempers, India is taking nothing to chance.

The two incursions by the Chinese at Ladakh was probably one of the lowest points in the history of the People's Liberation Army. The Chinese resorted to stone pelting and attempt to bully the Indian soldiers, who bravely shooed them back to their territory.

India and China are locked in a standoff at Doklam. Following the unwarranted provocation by the Chinese at Ladakh a meeting of the two sides was called on Wednesday to sort things out.

While the meeting is expected to cool down tempers, India is taking nothing to chance. With China making repeated threats asking India to pull out of Doklam and the same falling on deaf ears, there is expected to be more needling by the PLA.

Intelligence Bureau officials have said that China will try and needle India on the other parts of the border. However there will be no escalation at Doklam as the Chinese are in a weaker spot there.

China will continue to needle India, but will not risk a full-fledged war. China has spoken in the media and also built up troops in an attempt to play a psychological war India.

India feels that as part of the new Chinese strategy the PLA would attempt to needle the Indian Army in the stretches at Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. India says that it is doing everything to keep tempers down. On August 15, the PLA skipped the ceremonial meet despite being invited. However Indian soldiers handed over sweets to the PLA soldiers even at Doklam.

The desperation of the Chinese was very evident in Ladakh. Small skirmishes have been reported in the disputed Finer-5 to Finger-8 area. However the Chinese have always pulled out with no major incident being reported. On Wednesday things went out of control when the Chinese hurled stones at the Indian soldiers. This clearly shows the desperation and Indian officials say that this is a fall out of the Doklam standoff.

OneIndia News