In a new update regarding the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) that witnessed skirmishes between Chinese and Indian troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, residents of the union territory have said that they have witnessed Chinese incursions for years, alleging that the Indian Army did nothing about it.
In an article published in The New York Times, the residents said the Army’s inaction was a ‘code of silence’ in which the Army, the media quietly ignored what was happening along the LAC.
Alleging that the Chinese have intruded on their land and that the media was only sharing news that the government wanted them to show, the residents of the region are afraid that the Chinese will use their expansionism game in the region, much like they have done for the past eight years – since Xi Jinping assumed power. The residents are proud Indians and have expressed their loyalties to India on several occasions.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ladakh earlier this month, he had – without naming China – criticized the expansionism tactics employed by the Xi Jinping regimen. India, too, is wary of China and while the prime minister and home minister have chosen to remain silent on the issue, other party members have been more vocal. Recently, the Centre had even issued a ban on 59 China-made apps including TikTok and CamScanner.
In an article written for Free Press Journal, senior Congress leader Sanjay Jha said, “For India, it will not be enough to ban TikTok; that is like punishing Trump for his Ukraine scandal by denying him a weekend of golf at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. India must join the global chorus of world leaders who are demanding accountability from China for its brazen opacity in concealing information on COVID-19, and a detailed blueprint on fool-proofing future pandemics from its shores.”
NCP chief Sharad Pawar had even said that China was a greater threat to India than Pakistan was. “For years in our country, whenever we think of who our friends and enemies are, the Indian mind always throws up Pakistan’s name first as the enemy. But, for years, I have been holding the opinion that our true concern is not Pakistan… but only China has the real strength to pose a challenge to our interests for the long-term due to its strength, vision and program. China is a huge threat for our country,” noted Pawar. He added that China’s military prowess outnumbered that of India by 10:1.
