NO MATTER what some people in the political Opposition might say about the current process of disengagement of the Indian and the Chinese Armies from forward positions in Pangong Lake area, it must be recognised that the episode should be termed as a success of India’s ‘military diplomacy’, a phrase used by a former Chief of Indian Air Force -- Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis years ago. The phrase entailed use of the country’s military capabilities as a diplomatic tool to counter a hostile country’s ungainly designs.

 

During this nine-month-long stand-off that put the world on tenterhooks, India used the principles of military diplomacy effectively and kept the Chinese at bay. As disengagement process goes on, both sides are withdrawing from forward positions in a phased, calibrated, and verifiable manner. The best part of the agreement is that India stayed put at its permanent Dhan Singh Thapa Post, establishing, thus, a fact that the Chinese could not reject India’s claim. There are multiple dimensions of the situation in eastern Ladakh. One of those is the fact that the Chinese troops are not equipped enough to stay put in the Himalayan heights in bitter winter, where as the Indian troops have been trained especially for such assignments. Another dimension is that the Chinese Army has not been tested in actual combat conditions for decades, while the Indian Army has seen a lot of actual action in the past fifty years in different conditions.

 

This contrast between the two Armies became pronounced during the late-night physical scuffle in the Galwan Valley where 20 Indian bravehearts laid down their lives, but killed more than double the number of the Chinese officers and soldiers, a fact the world recognised. Right from the beginning of the stand-off, the Indian leadership kept its cool and planned its roadmap in a mature manner. Not only did it ensure a heavy deployment of the Indian Army, but also operated diplomatic channels. While Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi visited the forward areas -- as also did Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh -- Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar let the Chinese know that they were only disturbing the international ethos. What mattered most was the manner in which the Army top-brass moved in terrific coordination not just in forward deployment but also in matters of using the funds at their disposal to acquire weapons and ammunition that were needed urgently.

 

In fact, India went into an acquisition overdrive to give the world an impression that it would not mind putting at stake everything it had to stave off the Chinese threat. As the disengagement process proceeds at its own pace, all memories of India’s response to the challenge of Chinese incursion flood back into the mind. For India, it was a challenge to its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the national leadership spared no effort to spruce up the forward defence positions. It also stepped a drive to ensure an economic embargo on Chinese goods and materials. To begin with, that action might have made only a small dent on China’s economic interests. But it was good enough to give Beijing an idea of what shape things could take if it did not mend its ways.

 

What mattered most was the demonstration of the collective resolve of the Indian nation. That was something the Chinese had not anticipated in full measure. All these factors weighed heavy on the Chinese mind through the nine rounds of talks prior to actual start of the disengagement process a week ago. The journey to this point has been full of potholes and unexpected twists and turns. What made the actual difference is the maturity with which the Indian leadership handled the process of military diplomacy. When some in the Opposition cast aspersions on the leadership -- about failure to protect national interest -- all that can be said is that those people understand nothing and also do not have the capacity to know how such challenges are ever handled. To such people, all that can be said is, ‘Please, shut up!’