“Eerie
silence” at the disputed areas in Ladakh; but virtual barrage of “No Holds
Barred Twitter War” by Sonia-Rahul-Priyanka Ghandy against Modi-led BJP. Accusing
and finding fault with the Modi and his team over the present India-China
armies clashes on the LAC has become the daily diet for the uncrowned empress
of India, Sonia Ghandy, and the PM in waiting,
Rahul Ghandy (RG).
India vs. China on one side; and
Modi vs. Sonia and Rahul Ghandy, more aptly, the “Dynasty” on the other side
are engaged in bitter twitter clash. Far easier to manage the border clashes
between the PLA and the Indian Army and restoration of status quo ante; but
most difficult to manage the internal conflicts as a result of war directed
against Modi and the BJP. If one internal political charge is overcome, yet
another breaks out.
China has only added fuel to the
fire of vicious domestic politics when its foreign ministry claimed that the
Galwan Valley was on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control. However, India
dismissed China’s claim of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley, saying such
"exaggerated" and "untenable" claims are contrary to the
understanding reached during military dialogue on June 6.
As per US news and intelligence
assessment, Gen. Zhao Zongqi, head of the Western Theatre Command, authorised
his forces to attack Indian troops to "teach India a lesson” in the Galwan
River valley resulting “in a brutal skirmish that killed dozens and
dramatically escalated tensions between the two Asian powerhouses”.
The US assessment contradicts
China's subsequent assertions of June 15. And it indicates the deadly and
contentious incident - in which at least 20 Indian and 35 Chinese troops died,
and reportedly a handful on each side were captured and subsequently released -
a purposeful decision by Beijing to send a message of strength to India. Yet
that plan appears to have backfired, as the incident sparked widespread outrage
in India that continues a week later. And Beijing's attempts to make India more
amenable to future negotiations, including about contested territory, instead
appear to have pushed the economic giant closer to the U.S.
Never late than never, let me recall
the agreements between India and China on the border issue to provide a
balanced perspective: Signed agreements of 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005, etc on
maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control.
In June 2003, Vajpayee and Premier
Wen Jiabao signed a Declaration on Principles for Relations and Constructive
Cooperation between our two countries. The third principle states: “The two
countries are not a threat to each other. Neither side shall use or threaten to
use force against the other.” This was more than reiterated in the agreement
signed in April 2005 on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for
settlement of the India China boundary question. Article 1 state, inter alia:
“Neither side shall use or threaten to use force against the other by any
means.”
Abundantly clear are oft-repeated
Chinese violations of various signed agreements at the highest level, and
positions agreed by Xi at the informal Wuhan and Chennai summits in 2018 and
2019!
Thus, the barrage of “Twitter War”
launched by the Congress Party clearly reflect heinous and hidden motive
behind. It mercilessly exposes the ‘internal divide’ for adversaries to exploit
for their advantage in the international forums to damage India’s image and
credibility.
Be that as it may, the end objective or
pursuit of mother-son duo is to somehow reclaim the lost power to the “Dynasty”
by “hook or crook” to any issue that offers a “window of opportunity” to
exploit to embarrass Modi-led BJP. So, their monotonous persistence with
”Twitter” war 24x365 with utter disregard to its fallout on national security
interests.
How true are the clichés “better the
devil you know than the devil you don't know” or “A known enemy is better than
the new friend”? In our internal environment, the clichés can be refined, more
aptly, as “better the Chinese or Pakistan as adversaries than the internal
political rivals out to backstab at every single opportunity” in pursuit of
their narrow political agenda of reclaiming lost power of dynasties.
Sonia Gandhi today criticised the BJP-led NDA
government for their handling of the India-China border crisis at a meeting of
the Congress Working Commission (CWC): "attributable to the mismanagement
of the BJP-led NDA government and the wrong policies pursued by it. India has
been hit by a terrible economic crisis, a pandemic of huge proportions and,
now, by a full-blown crisis on the borders with China. The cumulative effect is
widespread misery, fear, and danger to the security and territorial integrity of
the country".
Let me record
the “Twitter” barbs by the Congress Party ‘trio’ and their followers to
include: 1) Why is PM silent over the deadly clash with
Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh? 2) Has China
occupied Indian Territory? 3) Who sent unarmed soldiers and why? 4) Why
were our soldiers killed? 5) Where were they killed – on our land or Chinese
land? 6) We are standing united against Chinese aggression? 7) Has PM
surrendered Indian Territory to Chinese aggression? 8) Why is PM backing
support to China and not to our Army? 9) Why is China 'praising Modi during
this conflict? 10) Narendra Modi is actually Surrender Modi? and so on.
In the latest tweet, RG stated “China
took our land. (Picture of Indian tricolour) is negotiating to get it back.
China says it’s not Indian land. The PM has publicly supported China’s claim.
Why is the PM backing China and not (Indian tricolour) and our army?
Following it on the same day, RG’s reply
to BJP counter offensive in his tweet stated “We are united against the Chinese
aggression. Have the Chinese occupied Indian land”? RG also claimed that China
was in possession of Indian land through transgressions of the nearly 3,500km
long Line of Actual Control (LAC) running between the two countries in several
attempts since May this year and the Indian government was negotiating to get
it back while the prime minister had “publicly supported” China’s claim that
the land (Galwan Valley) doesn’t belong to India.
RG’s twitter attacks are in sync
with his party’s strategy to question Modi’s statement given during the all
party meet called to discuss the incidents of June 15, when 20 Indian soldiers
were killed in Galwan Valley along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
Modi in his
statement at the all party meeting clarified “neither is anyone inside India’s
territory nor any of our post captured”. Since the meeting, the Congress including RG questioned whether the PM
Modi meant that Indian Territory has already been ceded to China.
Soon after, the PMO had clarified
the PM's statement saying that the comments were being given a
"mischievous interpretation". "The sacrifices of the soldiers of
the 16 Bihar Regiment foiled the attempt of the Chinese side to erect
structures and also cleared the attempted transgression at this point of the
LAC on that day," the PMO said.
Furthermore, a government official has
reiterated that “the decision that the government has given a free hand to the
local commanders to respond to any eventuality on the ground was not a
unilateral action of the government, but was forced by the Chinese decision to
violate all existing protocols and border agreements”.
Not to let go the opportunity to
embarrass Modi-led BJP government, Congress spokesperson Randip Surjewala’s
stated in his twitter that “According to the prime minister, there was no
incursion into our territories by the Chinese Army, then why did the external
affairs ministry issue a statement in the evening of June 20, 2020 to say that
the Chinese army was interrupting Indian patrol since the beginning of May 2020?”
In yet another tweet, the party questioned the alleged contradiction in the
statements issued by the government and the prime minister.
Finally, the Congress Party fielded
their octogenarian former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to directly advise Modi
against using “disinformation” as a substitute for diplomacy or decisive
leadership and mindful of the implications of his words on a nation’s strategic
interests.
Naturally, the BJP has gone on a
over drive to question Manmohan Singh’s locus-standi on the matter by alleging
that he had allowed several Chinese incursions during his reign as India’s
prime minister. And, the saffron party also went after RG today with party
President JP Nadda citing an old understanding between the ruling Chinese
Community party and the Indian National Congress.
“First, Congress signs MoU with the
Chinese Communist Party. Then, Congress surrenders land to China. During the
Doklam issue, RG secretly goes to the Chinese embassy. During crucial situations,
RG tries to divide the nation and demoralise armed forces. Effects of MoU?”
Nadda asked in a tweet.
Add to it, “RG is demoralising &
insulting the army. BJP used to support Congress at difficult times, but they
are doing dirty politics now. They should attack China, but they can’t see
anyone else other than PM Modi,” Shivraj Singh Chouhan was quoted as saying by
ANI.
Not to be seen left behind, loyal
followers of the “Dynasty” like Kapil Sibbal, P Chidambarams etc., have jumped
into the fray with a list of questions to include: 1) what is the government’s
answer to the Chinese apportioning the blame for clashes that left 20 Indian
Army personnel dead and its claim on the entire Galwan Valley? 2) If no Chinese
troops were inside Indian Territory, where did the clashes take place on June
15-16? 3) If no Chinese troops were inside Indian Territory, why did 20
soldiers have to make the supreme sacrifice? 3) Where were 20 Indian soldiers
killed and 85 injured? 4) Between May 5 and June 6, what was the issue on which
local Indian commanders were talking to their Chinese counterparts if no
Chinese troops had crossed the LAC and in Indian Territory in a face-off with
Indian Army? 5) What was the subject
matter of the negotiations between the Corps Commanders of the two countries on
June 6? 6) Why did Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s statement and other
statements of the Ministry of External Affairs demand the "restoration of
status quo ante"? "What was the meaning of ‘status quo ante’? 7) What
was the meaning of the ‘disengagement’ that is ‘underway’? 8) What the prime
minister meant when he said a few days ago that the "sacrifice of our
soldiers will not go in vain". "What did he have in mind? 9) How will
the government ensure that the soldiers sacrifice will not be in vain?
As per the latest media coverage,
the Corps Commander-level talks between India and China at Chushul-Moldo were
held yet again “in a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere. “There was
a mutual consensus to disengage. There would be gradual de-escalation that
would take place. The forces will move back a particular distance in all areas
of friction. This would be different for each location Modalities for
disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh. The disengagement will
be step-wise and take place over a period of time.
Also, army sources reportedly stated
that more meetings will be held at levels below that of the corps commander to
ensure that disengagement takes place smoothly and according to schedule. The
sources remained tight-lipped about the exact withdrawal schedule, saying it
was a matter of operational secrecy.
Watching
the ongoing discourses or narratives by various editors, anchors, spokespersons
of political parties, former diplomats, self styled security strategic civilian
experts and a large number of former armed forces officers as defence experts over
the border clashes in Ladakh, particularly from the anti-Modi Brigades is also
quite distressing and depressing for majority who still cannot precisely know
the separation between Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso?
Sonia
Ghandy’s “Maut ke Saudagar” jibe at a rally in Gujarat in 2007 assembly polls
after the Ahmadabad riots backfired and Modi got re-elected and became the
Chief Minister. A barrage of “barbs” in elections that followed in 2014 and
2019 also failed to rally people under the Congress Party umbrella. Instead,
they got a drubbing. And, the latest
ones invoked against Modi and the BJP will only a backlash since the issue
concerns national security and the Indian Armed Forces.
Two important lessons of history are
highlighted to include: “Fools learn from their experiences; Wise learn from
others experiences”; and “None learns from lesson of History”. On reflection of the bizarre
state of vicious politics on grand display, I have added to the quote that
“Idiots refuse to learn from the lessons of history”.
Is Dynasty (s) on Self Destructive Course! Along with self destruction of
the “Dynasty” will “We the People” unceremoniously dump the Congress Party into
dustbin of history – MK Gandhi’s wish after attaining independence?
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