Bullet-shy PLA pressed for a bulletless border but continued bullying and brutality

In early February 2026, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi caused the eruption of a controversy in the Lok Sabha when he attempted to read from a magazine article quoting from an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General MM Naravane, titled Four Stars of Destiny. Gandhi claimed that the excerpt indicated that in 2020, during the India-China border standoff, the political leadership did not provide prompt, clear orders when informed of Chinese tanks advancing and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of passing the buck. The BJP heavily contested that Gandhi was quoting from an "unverified", unpublished manuscript, which they asserted violated parliamentary rules against using such material in the House, and some ministers accused him of creating a "fake news factory".

Some basic characteristics of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which it is very relevant to point out, are expansionist assertiveness, coercion and intimidation, information control and propaganda, economic coercion, coercive diplomacy and lying as a policy tool. The Chinese are great at projecting their men and machines of war in large, impressive army parades and war games, but on the battlefield:

n  A major, widely cited weakness of the PLA is that it has not fought a major, sustained conflict since the Sino-Vietnam War in 1979, which was considered a failure with heavy casualties.

n In high-altitude, cold conditions like the Himalayas, some reports have questioned the readiness and endurance of Chinese troops, highlighting that they have faced issues with altitude sickness.

n  The "one-child policy" has resulted in a lack of the toughness required for brutal, hand-to-hand, or sustained, high-intensity warfare.

The book, China Bloodies Bulletless Borders, authored by this writer, includes an analysis of the complex, long-term and often violent, yet officially "bullet-less" (without use of firearms) border management by the Indian Army with restraint against the PLA's aggressive, psychological and physical tactics/methods.

From September 11-14, 1967, a conflict was sparked off in Sikkim when Chinese troops opened heavy machine-gun fire and artillery shelling on Indian soldiers installing a wire fence. While local commanders on the ground up to Major General Sagat Singh, the Divisional Commander, pushed for a strong response to Chinese aggression, the decision to use artillery required approval from the Prime Minister's Office. Then PM Indira Gandhi gave the approval and the Indian Army responded aggressively with artillery, resulting in well over 400 PLA personnel getting killed and many wounded. This was a rude shock to the PLA and the Communist Party of China (CPC), who then pressed very hard for 'no firing at each other', which India agreed to. Yet, on 20 October 1975, PLA troops ambushed and killed four riflemen of the 5th Battalion of the Assam Rifles not by firing, but by brutally torturing them at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh. 5 Assam Rifles is renowned as the "Dalai Lama Battalion" because it escorted the 14th Dalai Lama to safety during his escape from Tibet into India in 1959.

A pact specifically prohibiting the use of firearms was signed in 1996, following an initial broader peace agreement in 1993 and repeated in 2005 and 2013. For over half a century since 1967, the PLA took great advantage of not being fired at by the Indian Army and continued its attempts at salami slicing.

A very basic drawback of the Indian Army was adhering to an agreement of not using firearms even after the PLA brutally killed the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment and nineteen other ranks on 15 June 2020, making a mockery of the bulletless pact by using crude medieval weapons like rods with nails bound with barbed wire. Indian Army personnel who immediately reacted did so without firearms. Reports in 2020-2022 indicated that a large number of Chinese soldiers died during the June 15, 2020 Galwan Valley clash, often attributed to intense hand-to-hand combat and drowning in the icy river. While China officially acknowledged four deaths, reports based on investigations suggested 38-45 Chinese soldiers died. There were also unconfirmed reports of Indian troops killing many more than forty.

While this fierce retaliation by Indian troops put paid to the PLA's plans of further attacks, it resumed bullying. Following the violent clash which occurred near Patrolling Point 14 (PP-14) in the Galwan Valley, Chinese troops maintained positions in the area, resulting in the creation of a "buffer zone" that prevents Indian troops from patrolling up to their traditional limit. Satellite imagery indicated that China extended its road construction and established a full-blown post near the 90-degree bend in the Galwan River, which is closer to the confluence with the Shyok River than the pre-2020 Chinese positions. The effective LAC in the Galwan Valley shifted by roughly one kilometre in China's favour.

Beyond Galwan, the 2020 standoffs led to disengagement agreements that created buffer zones in other areas of Eastern Ladakh, including Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-17A) and the North Bank of Pangong Tso. These zones often involve Indian troops pulling back further than Chinese troops, blocking access to multiple traditional patrol points. While not directly in the Galwan Valley, the broader 2020 Chinese incursions blocked Indian access to five bottlenecks in the Depsang Plains (sub-sector north), preventing patrols to areas like PP-10, 11, 12, 12A and 13.

In a surprise master move on 29-30 August 2020, Indian forces pre-emptively occupied the Kailash Range, attaining an advantageous position to overlook Chinese positions at Spanggur Gap and Moldo. Forced to negotiate from a weaker position, the PLA again bullied, and in February 2021, the Indian Army vacated the Kailash Range as part of a mutual disengagement process. Analysts considered giving up a valuable hard-won high-ground territory as a major strategic loss as well as giving in to Chinese bullying. A heavy border standoff has continued as China continues maintaining a high troop presence in the region, countered proportionately by the Indian Army.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what 'RaGa' will do with a 'copy' of the now — famous book or what will be done to him.

The writer, Col Anil Bhat, VSM (Retd), a strategic affairs analyst and former spokesperson, Defence Ministry and Indian Army; views are personal