After the India-China war in 1962, the first of its kind in between the two giants of the continent, currently the Government of India has taken an unusual step to deploy its T-72 tanks in the freezing heights of ladakh overseeing China. Indeed China too has major mechanized units of this level on their side. It seems India is simply keeping up and matching with what Chinese has already done. With Xi Jinping taking over as the new President of China after Hu Jintao, the country has shown an aggressive military build-up not only across India, but also in the much talked about South China Sea.
His grand ‘China Dream’ is nothing but the rejuvenation of the nation, primary focus being reclaiming China’s territorial rights and expanding its global reach. As the T-72 tank set up, third in the row, starting from 2014, the Indian Government will complete a stage of offensive parity with its neighbour. It must be clear that this is not a move to threaten regional security and peace for sure. Crucially, these tanks are made for operations in the plains but the army has adopted several different tactics for deploying it in such heights.
Now the concern is that our military is not been able to test the tanks mobility at these heights because of the limitations of the border range with China and proximity to a wildlife sanctuary on the Indian side of the border. However, the army is sending its operational staff to Ahmednagar for training purpose, though the crew will have an entirely different experience out there as it is in the plains. Notwithstanding all other barriers of operating at such mountainous ranges, India must keep China in the loop as it may escalate border tensions.
Safeguarding our territory is of paramount national interest for sure, but taking care of the soldiers at these remote heights must also be the top priority of the Government. Apart from deploying T-72 tanks, it is time now the Government of India must embark on a fast route to engage the east, particularly China, as it may be very crucial for us to have a much closer relationship with this country, for ensuring a multi-polar world.