Is India itching for a fight?
Islamabad, Friday, 09 July, 2010
RECENT Indian actions indicate that its hawks are prevailing on the doves and are itching to have a go at both Pakistan and China. Former Indian Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoors statements of India developing a strategy for a two front war involving both China and Pakistan were dismissed as a madmans ravings. However, fresh developments indicate a method in the madness. Indias indiscriminate and unprovoked firing across Pakistani villages in the border area wounding scores and killing at least one soldier, its belligerent statements and discrete leaks to the media reveal war preparedness.
The Daily Mail finds Nitin Gokhales July 6th Op-Ed, India Readies for China Fight highly provocative as well as informative regarding Indian aspirations to become a bully of the block. The Indian analyst reveals that in May 2009 it had formulated a strategy to avenge the 1962 drubbing it received at the hands of China as well as take down Pakistan in one stroke. Nitins exposé may be either to browbeat China and Pakistan simultaneously or announce to its new found ally USA that India is now ready to become the policeman of the region and counter China and subdue Pakistan. Nitin indicates that just days before Indias general election results were announced; the countrys highest policy making body for security matters was convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Its mandate: Find ways of enabling Indias military to take on an increasingly powerful China and tackle Pakistan. He lets on that at the end of a marathon meeting, the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security initiated a comprehensive, well-funded plan to bolster Indias land, air and naval forces to counter Chinas rising military prowess.
The Daily Mail finds that since the CCS plan was launched, there have been significant and wide-ranging signs that Indian hawks have dominated through various hostile measures like the establishment of a new division of troops aimed exclusively at the Chinese border region. India is now mid-way through raising two mountain divisions for the north-eastern border area with China, with the two divisions penciled in to be ready for deployment by the middle of next year. The Daily Mail would like to remind its readers that the location India has chosen to insert its new inductions is the Arunachal Pradesh, where its troops received a bloody nose in 1962. The two divisions, consisting of about 20,000 well-armed troops, will include a squadron of Indias armoured spearheadSoviet-built T-90 tanks and a regiment of artillery. They will be backed by enhanced command, control, communications and intelligence (C4I) capabilities aimed at covering the Tibet region.
The Daily Mails investigative team has dug up details for beefing up the Indian Air Force by constructing additional air bases along the Pakistan border as well as in the Arunachal Pradesh region. India has also launched a highly ambitious induction plan for the IAF which includes fifth generation fighters, and force multipliers like additional AWACs and air-to-air refuellers. Indian Navy, not to be left behind, according to Indias naval leadership has been working to break free of its traditional continental construct mindset and start looking at the bigger picture, taking into account the full gamut of geo-strategic and geo-political realities. The Indian Navy is working to build and acquire new, varied and potent platforms including an aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, stealth frigates and long-range maritime reconnaissance planes. By 2014, it hopes to have 160 ships in its fleet, up from its current strength of 136. But the most surprising revelation to many analysts was Indias public admission that it was inducting a Russian Akula-class Type 971 nuclear submarine into its forces, in addition to an indigenously designed and built submarine, earlier called the advanced technology vessel but now officially named the INS Arihant (The Destroyer).The Daily Mail considers it to be in actuality a cover up for the Indian macabre plans for enforcing a blockade both on China and Pakistan.
Indian ambitions rest on attempting to strangle its traditional foes China and Pakistan economically and subjugate them into surrender or accepting Indian supremacy. The Daily Mail would like to remind India that it is living in a fools paradise. Neither China nor Pakistan desire war in the region but are fully prepared to defend themselves against the evil designs of any aggressors.
Is India itching for a fight?