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Subject: Bilateral Relations

1. Major World Events
2. India’s Interests in neighbourhood
3. Effects of our Policies

  • What is China’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy?

    wolf

    Chinese President Xi Jinping will get an endorsement for a third term as President. His “wolf warrior” style of diplomacy has particularly attracted attention.

    What does Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy mean?

    • A term that gained popularity, especially after Xi became President, “wolf warrior diplomacy” is a tactic for the Chinese government to extend its ideology beyond China and counter the West and defend itself.
    • It is an unofficial term for the more aggressive and confrontational style of communication that Chinese diplomats have taken to in the last decade.
    • A 2015 Chinese action film, titled ‘Wolf Warrior’, and its sequel have served as the inspiration for the term.
    • The films, with their nationalist themes and dialogues, focus on Chinese fighters who frequently face off against Western mercenaries.

    Do you know?

    Panchasheel also called the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence was signed on 29p April 1954 and since then it has become a guiding principle of India’s bilateral relations with other countries.

    Why China resorts to such diplomacy?

    The change in strategy has been attributed to many reasons, such as:

    1. Xi’s more authoritarian tendencies as compared to earlier leaders
    2. Deteriorating US-China relations under former US President Donald Trump and
    3. Coronavirus pandemic-related accusations on China, etc.

    What does this look like in practice?

    • Some examples can be seen in the form of messaging on social media too, where Chinese officials are quick to counter any allegations by the West and proactively launch attacks.
    • For instance, in 2021 Chinese government spokesperson Lijian Zhao tweeted a digitally morphed photo of an Australian soldier killing a child, claiming the Australian army was killing children in Afghanistan.
    • This led the Australian Prime Minister to announce he would seek an official apology, but China did not budge.
    • But this is not limited to Western countries.

    Indian experience

    • The new ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’ confronts head-on any criticism of China in the public sphere.
    • They lecture host governments and don’t always show up when ‘summoned’ by foreign offices.
    • Delhi has been at the receiving end for a while — especially during the recent crises of Doklam and Ladakh.

     

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  • Pakistan to take part in SCO anti-terror exercise hosted by India

    Pakistan has been invited to the closing ceremony of the ongoing Joint Anti-Terror Exercise (JATE) within the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being hosted by India.

    What is the news?

    • The National Security Guard (NSG) is hosting the multinational JATE “Manesar Anti-Terror 2022”, under the framework of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).
    • Pakistan team would be participating in the event as a member of the SCO.

    What is SCO RATS?

    • Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism.
    • It is headquartered in Tashkent.
    • Its head is elected to three-year term.
    • Each member state of SCO sends permanent representative to RATS

    About Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO)

    • The SCO, in which China plays an influential role, is also comprised of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
    • India and Pakistan were admitted into the bloc in 2017.
    • It is Eurasian economic, political and security organisation headquartered in Beijing, China.
    • Its main objective is military cooperation between member states.
    • It is primarily centred on security-related concerns of Central Asian members with main threats being terrorism, separatism and extremism.
    • It was established in June 2001 as a successor of Shanghai Five mechanism which was established in 1996 with China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan as members.
    • Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia enjoy observer status of SCO.
    • Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Nepal are dialogue partners of SCO.

     

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  • Places in news: Solomon Islands

    solomon

    Solomon Islands PM has assured Australia that his nation will not allow a Chinese military presence in its territory.

    Where is the Solomon Islands located?

    • The Solomon Islands is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu.
    • Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal.
    • It is part of the ethnically Melanesian group of islands in the Pacific and lies between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
    • The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands (a part of Papua New Guinea).
    • It excludes outlying islands, such as the Santa Cruz Islands and Rennell and Bellona.

    Quick recap of its past

    • The islands, which were initially controlled by the British Empire during the colonial era, went through the hands of Germany and Japan.
    • It then went back to the UK after the Americans took over the islands from the Japanese during World War II.
    • The islands became independent in 1978 to become a constitutional monarchy under the British Crown, with a parliamentary system of government.
    • Nevertheless, its inability to manage domestic ethnic conflicts led to close security relations with Australia, which is the traditional first responder to any crisis in the South Pacific.

    How did China enter the picture?

    • Earlier this year, the Solomon Islands established a security agreement with China, saying it needed Beijing’s assistance with its domestic security situation.
    • But the announcement had rattled the west, esp. the US, Australia and others in the Indo-Pacific region.
    • The concerns were that the agreement could potentially lead to a Chinese military base on the island nation and a gain in power-projection capabilities.
    • At that time, following intense scrutiny, the Solomon Islands had denied that the agreement would allow China to establish a naval base.
    • The Island insisted that the agreement was only to assist the Solomon Islands with what he called “hard internal threats”.

    What is the Solomon Islands’ stance?

    • The government has asked all partner countries with plans to conduct naval visits or patrols to put them on hold until a revised national mechanism is in place.
    • The revised national mechanism applied to all foreign vessels seeking access to the country’s ports.
    • The nation wanted to build up its own naval capacity.
    • It has some unfortunate experiences of foreign naval vessels entering its waters without any diplomatic clearance.

    What is behind China’s growing influence in the region?

    • There is no dispute that China has been rapidly increasing its presence and influence in the region for over three decades, particularly in the South Pacific.
    • Certainly Beijing views the Pacific Island region as an important component of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
    • Specifically, it sees the region as a critical air freight hub in its so-called Air Silk Road, which connects Asia with Central and South America.

    Concerns of the West

    • The United States and its regional allies, such as Australia and New Zealand, are concerned that the China-Solomon Islands security pact allows Chinese naval vessels to replenish there.
    • That could open the door to a Chinese naval base, which would significantly extend China’s military reach in the South Pacific.”
    • It is likely that this security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands has been driven by, what the CFR calls, Beijing’s “sense of vulnerability” in the region.

    What is the rationale for the Solomon Islands’ increasing proximity to China?

    • The Solomon Islands had cultivated strong ties with Taiwan, which ended with the emergence of the current government in Honiara.
    • In 2019, the regime change switched Taiwan for China.
    • This was supposedly after Beijing offered half a billion US dollars in financial aid, roughly five times what Taiwan spent on the islands in the past two decades.
    • It has been alleged by the pro-Taiwan Opposition that the incumbent government has been bribed by China.

    Why is China interested in the Solomon Islands?

    • Isolating Taiwan: The Solomon Islands was one among the six Pacific island states which had official bilateral relations with Taiwan.
    • Supporter in UN: The small Pacific island states act as potential vote banks for mobilising support for the great powers in international fora like the United Nations.
    • Larger EEZ: These states have disproportionately large maritime Exclusive Economic Zones when compared to their small sizes.
    • Natural resources: Solomon Islands, in particular, have significant reserves of timber and mineral resources, along with fisheries.
    • Countering US: But more importantly, they are strategically located for China to insert itself between America’s military bases in the Pacific islands and Australia.

    What does this mean for the established geopolitical configuration in the region?

    • Diminishing western influence: The Pacific islands, in the post-World War II scenario, were exclusively under the spheres of influence of the Western powers, in particular, the US, UK, France and Australia and New Zealand.
    • Inserting into western hegemony: All of them have territorial possessions in the region, with the three nuclear powers among them having used the region as a nuclear weapons testing ground.
    • Shifting of dependencies: The smaller island nations of the region are heavily dependent on them, especially Australia as it is a resident power.

     

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  • Why India has lashed out at the US over its F-16 package to Pakistan?

    f-16

    EAM S Jaishankar has lashed out at the US for its decision to provide Pakistan with a $450 million package for F-16 case fighter aircraft upgrade.

    F-16 and Pakistan

    • The F-16 is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF).
    • Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft.
    • The F-16 were inducted into Pakistan Air Force in 1983 during the Soviet-Afghan War.

    Suspicion over US move

    • This is the first American military assistance package to Pakistan after the Trump Administration.
    • Mr Trump ended defence and security co-operation with Pakistan in 2018 after accusing it of giving only “lies and deceit” for the billions of dollars that the US had “foolishly” given it.

    What specific reasons has the Biden Administration given for its decision?

    • As per US version, the proposed sale does not include any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions.
    • The upgrade package aimed to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.

    Why did US provide F-16 to the US?

    • India has been concerned about the F-16s from the time the US first gave Pakistan F-16s as a reward for its assistance in the first Afghan war.
    • The US then had supplied weapons and money to Pakistan to unleash armies of jihadists against the Soviet Army.
    • When the US objective was achieved with the Soviet Union’s departure from Afghanistan, the US too resized its relations with Pakistan.
    • The Pressler Amendment, aimed against Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions, froze it out of military assistance.
    • A decade later, the Bush Administration not only approved the release of previously blocked F-16s, but also provided a refurbishment package, and sale of new F-16s.

    India’s concerns

    • As pointed out by EAM, how the F-16s help in counter-terrorism remains unclear.
    • Jaishankar questioned the merits of the US-Pakistan partnership.
    • He said that the relations had “not served” either country (but created more troubles for India).
    • This move by the US will alter the basic military balance in the region.
    • The decision to provide military aid to Pakistan incensed India as the F-16 was used against Indian warplanes following the 2019 Balakot air strikes.

    Conclusion

    • Washington’s $450 million package has only resurrected old prejudices centred on the US not being a dependable ally for ever.
    • India needs to respond firmly and in no uncertain terms to the PAF’s F-16 upgrade programme to convey the message that India cannot be taken for granted.
    • India will have to effectively enhance the conventional combat capability of the IAF to continue to meet the challenge of a resurgent PAF.

     

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  • Bangladesh favours early solution for Teesta Dispute

    India and Bangladesh should resolve all bilateral issues, including the differences over the waters of the Teesta, at an early date, said Bangladesh PM on her visit to India.

    What is the news?

    • Bangladeshi PM is on a visit to India.
    • Both ministers discussed the long-standing disputes over Teesta river water sharing.
    • The two sides shared 54 rivers that required both nations to work together and share “environmental responsibility” in areas such as the Sundarbans.

    About Teesta River

    • Teesta River is a 315 km long river that rises in the eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Bangladesh and enters the Bay of Bengal.
    • It is a tributary of the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh), flowing through India and Bangladesh.
    • It originates in the Himalayas near Chunthang, Sikkim and flows to the south through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.
    • Originally, it continued southward to empty directly into the Padma River but around 1787 the river changed its course to flow eastward to join the Jamuna river.
    • The Teesta Barrage dam helps to provide irrigation for the plains between the upper Padma and the Jamuna.

    What is the dispute about?

    • The point of contention between India and Bangladesh is mainly the lean season flow in the Teesta draining into Bangladesh.
    • The river covers nearly the entire floodplains of Sikkim while draining 2,800 sq km of Bangladesh, governing the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
    • For West Bengal, Teesta is equally important, considered the lifeline of half-a-dozen districts in North Bengal.
    • Bangladesh has sought an “equitable” distribution of Teesta waters from India, on the lines of the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996, but to no avail.
    • The failure to ink a deal had its fallout on the country’s politics, putting the ruling party of PM Sheikh Hasina in a spot.

    Q.The hydrological linkages between India and Bangladesh are a product of geography and a matter of shared history. Discuss this statement in line with the Teesta water sharing dispute.

    The deal

    • Following a half-hearted deal in 1983, when a nearly equal division of water was proposed, the countries hit a roadblock. The transient agreement could not be implemented.
    • Talks resumed after the Awami League returned to power in 2008 and the former Indian PM Manmohan Singh visited Dhaka in 2011.
    • In 2015, PM Modi’s visit to Dhaka generated more ebullient lines: deliberations were underway involving all the stakeholders to conclude the agreement as soon as possible.

    Issues from the Indian side

    • It remains an unfinished project and one of the key stakeholders — West Bengal CM is yet to endorse the deal.
    • Her objection is connected to “global warming. Many of the glaciers on the Teesta basin have retreated.
    • The importance of the flow and the seasonal variation of this river is felt during the lean season (from October to April/May) as the average flow is about 500 million cubic metres (MCM) per month.
    • The CM opposed an arrangement in 2011, by which India would get 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% of the water during the lean season, and the plan was shelved.

    Why does this deal matters?

    • India and Bangladesh have resolved border problems through the Land Boundary Agreement of 2015.
    • However, both nations have locked horns over the sharing of multiple rivers that define the borders and impact lives and livelihoods on both sides.

     

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  • India raises Sri Lankan Tamil issue in UN

    gyanvapi

    India voiced concern over the “lack of measurable progress” in Sri Lanka’s promised political solution to the long-pending Tamil national question.

    Back in news: Tamil Issue

    • India has made an unexpected (for SL) reference to the crisis-hit island nation’s “debt-driven” economy in the context of its current crisis.
    • Indian delegation noted the lack of measurable progress by Government of Sri Lanka on their commitments of a political solution to the ethnic issue.
    • It sought for full implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, delegation of powers to Provincial Councils and holding of Provincial Council elections at the earliest.

    Has India retreated from supporting Sri Lanka?

    • India’s statement comes ahead of a resolution on Sri Lanka that will likely face a vote at the Council.
    • Since 2009, India has voted thrice in favour of the UN resolution on Sri Lanka — two were critical — and abstained twice, in 2014 and 2021.
    • Irrespective of its vote, India has consistently underscored the need for a political settlement within the framework of a united Sri Lanka, ensuring justice, peace, equality and dignity for the Tamils of Sri Lanka.

    Issues faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka

    • According to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2016 report on Sri Lanka, Tamils report systematic discrimination in areas including government employment, university education, and access to justice.
    • A large portion of the Tamil population still remains displaced.

    What is the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka?

    • Violent persecution against the Tamil population erupted in the form of the 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983 anti-Tamil pogroms in Sri Lanka.
    • Over 13 years since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, in which tens of thousands of civilians were killed and disappeared, survivors continue demanding justice and accountability for war-time crimes.
    • In the post-war years, Sri Lanka’s human rights defenders have frequently flagged concerns over persisting militarisation, especially in the Tamil-majority north and east; repression, and the shrinking space for dissent.

    What is the 13th Amendment?

    • It is an outcome of the Indo-Lanka Accord of July 1987, signed by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayawardene, in an attempt to resolve the ethnic conflict and civil war.
    • The 13th Amendment led to the creation of Provincial Councils and assured a power-sharing arrangement to enable all nine provinces in the country, including Sinhala majority areas, to self-govern.
    • Subjects such as education, health, agriculture, housing, land and police are devolved to the provincial administrations.

    Why is it contentious?

    • The 13th Amendment carries considerable baggage from the country’s civil war years.
    • It was opposed vociferously by both Sinhala nationalist parties and the LTTE.
    • The opposition within Sri Lanka saw the Accord and the consequent legislation as an imprint of Indian intervention.
    • It was widely perceived as an imposition by a neighbour wielding hegemonic influence.
    • The Tamil polity, especially its dominant nationalist strain, does not find the 13th Amendment sufficient in its ambit or substance.
    • However, some find it as an important starting point, something to build upon.

    Why India objects over this?

    • Because of restrictions on financial powers and overriding powers given to the President, the provincial administrations have not made much headway.
    • In particular, the provisions relating to police and land have never been implemented.

    Why is it significant?

    • Till date, the Amendment represents the only constitutional provision on the settlement of the long-pending Tamil question.
    • In addition to assuring a measure of devolution, it is considered part of the few significant gains since the 1980s, in the face of growing Sinhala-Buddhist majoritarianism.

     

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  • Constitutional Breakdown in Nepal

    nepal

    Nepal is in a constitutional crisis with major organs of the state confronting each other as the Chief Justice is under undeclared house arrest and the PM openly criticizing the President.

    Nepal polity in turmoil

    • Prime Minister who is backed by the chiefs of four major coalition partners, is at loggerheads with President.
    • The President might seek to rule as an extra-constitutional authority beyond the sanction and imagination of the Constitution that completed six years last week.

    Genesis of the crisis: Row over Citizenship

    • The current crisis began after President refused to ratify Nepal’s citizenship bill, which was sent to her twice after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament over the span of a month.
    • The bill seeks to give citizenship by birth and by descent to an estimated 500,000 individuals.
    • It was also sought to provide non-voting citizenship to non-resident Nepalis living in non-SAARC countries.

    Constitutional crisis in Nepal: A backgrounder

    • Nepal transitioned into a democracy beginning with the fall of the monarchy in 2006 and the subsequent election of the Maoist government in 2008.
    • The emergence of the multiparty system was followed by the adoption of a constitution on September 20, 2015.
    • All Nepalese citizens born before this date got naturalised citizenship.
    • But their children remained without citizenship as that was to be guided by a federal law which has not yet been framed.
    • This amendment Act was expected to pave the way to citizenship for many such stateless youth as well as their parents.

    What are the issues with the Act?

    Ans. Gender bias

    • The main criticism against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2006 is that it goes against established parameters of gender justice.
    • According to Article 11(2b), a person born to a father or a mother with Nepalese citizenship can get citizenship by descent.
    • Another article says a person who is born to a Nepalese mother (who has lived in the country) and an unidentified father will also get citizenship by descent.
    • But this section appears humiliating for a mother as she has to declare that her husband is unidentified for the child to be eligible for citizenship.
    • In case of a Nepalese father, such declarations are not required.

    Why has the President refused to sign the Act?

    • Bhandari is the first female President of Nepal.
    • Her refusal to sign the Act has drawn attention to certain sections in the constitution that thrusts greater responsibility on women.
    • For example, Article 11 (5) says that a person who is born to a Nepalese mother and an unidentified father can be granted citizenship by descent.
    • Next, it says that in case the unidentified father turns out to be a foreigner, the citizenship by descent would be converted to naturalised citizenship.
    • Furthermore, it supports punitive action against the mother if the father is found later.

    Indian connection to the issue

    • There is an unarticulated concern in the orthodox sections that Nepalese men, particularly from the Terai region, continue to marry women from northern India.
    • These people feel that Nepalese identity would be undermined.
    • Because of this “Beti-Roti” (Nepalese men marrying Indian women) issue, many women could not become citizens of Nepal.
    • They were subjected to the infamous seven-year cooling off period before they could apply for citizenship in Nepal.
    • As such women were stateless, children of such families were also often found to be without Nepalese citizenship.
    • However, the new amendments have done away with the cooling off period for these stateless women.

     

  • Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Conflict

    conflict

    Nearly 100 people have been killed and scores injured in violent border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over the last week.

    What is the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Conflict?

    • The clashes are replaying old pre- and post-Soviet era legacies.
    • The borders of the two republics were demarcated under Joseph Stalin’s leadership.
    • Historically, the Kyrgyz and Tajik populations enjoyed common rights over natural resources.
    • The issue of the delimitation of the border is a relic of the Soviet era.
    • While regular talks have tried to resolve the issue, one of the crucial points of disagreement remains over the map which should be used for demarcation purposes.
    • Almost half of its close to a 1000 km border is disputed.

    Genesis of the dispute

    • The creation of the Soviet Union saw the large-scale redistribution of livestock to collective and state farms, which upset the existing status quo.
    • Unfortunately, there was only so much land to go around.
    • The Tajik territory of Batken saw their livestock increase, and with scarce grazing land, agreements were signed between the two populations over the utilisation of Kyrgyz territory by the Tajiks’ livestock.

    What is happening now at the border?

    • The last few weeks have seen constant shelling, violent confrontations by local communities, and active engagement by security forces on either side.
    • The Batken region of Kyrgyzstan is seeing families being moved out and getting relocated.
    • According to Kyrgyzstan, close to 1,50,000 people out of the 5,50,000 odd population of the Batken region have either fled the area or have been relocated by the state.
    • The situation in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, is no different. The highly militarised borders also add to tensions.

    Significance of Batken

    • The Batken region, bordering Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the south of the country, is one of the seven regions of Kyrgyzstan with its natural underground and water resources, natural beauty, smooth transit routes and a population of around 500,000.
    • Located 750 kilometers (466.02 miles) from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and in the southwest of the country, the Batken region is located on the edge of the famous Fergana Valley in Central Asia.
    • Fergana Valley includes Fergana, Namangan, Andijan in Uzbekistan, Hocand in Tajikistan, Osh, Jalalabad and Batken in Kyrgyzstan.
    • The Batken region borders the Republic of Uzbekistan in the northeast and the Republic of Tajikistan in the southwest and north.
    • Covering 8.5% of Kyrgyzstan’s land, the region has agricultural, underground, water and energy resources, as well as oil and natural gas resources, albeit small.

    What led to the current flare-up?

    • The ideological basis of the current set of clashes is reinforced by developmental issues, thus providing a fertile ground for the entire geopolitical space to become a hotbed of multiple minor conflicts and clashes.
    • The groups from either side planted trees in disputed areas and engaged in a physical confrontation using agricultural equipment as weapons.

    Why are the clashes occurring now?

    • The collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent dissolution of the then-existing water and land agreements saw the creation of multiple smaller independent farms.
    • This has led to a marked increase in water consumption patterns among the farmers.
    • Both countries share multiple water channels with undulating trajectories and flow, which upset equitable access to water on both sides.
    • As a result, small-scale conflicts occur practically every year during the crucial irrigation period.

    What is the road ahead?

    • The path to resolution of the conflict will require groups to agree upon a common map.
    • Russia often brokers between the two.
    • The international community will have to make efforts to solve the dispute by involving elders in the communities, as historically, elders have been used to resolve conflicts.
    • The informal small-scale governance mechanisms would also have to be further strengthened through a concerted effort by the respective countries to stabilize the geopolitical dynamics.

     

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  • Why the India China Border situation is still risky?

    india china borderContext

    • According to the consensus reached in the 16th round of India China Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Indian and Chinese troops in the area of Gogra-Hotsprings (PP-15) have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way. With disengagement at PP 15 India China border, forces of the two countries have disengaged at all friction points in the region which included the North and South banks of the Pangong Tso, PP 14, PP 15 and PP 17A.

    India china borderWhy the India-China Border situation is still risky?

    The tentative conciliatory steps between two nuclear-armed rivals are important; but they also carry risks, especially for India. The risks are as follows:

    • Uneasy peace: Despite the latest round of disengagement, the LAC remains deeply unsettled. Observers have pointed out that the buffer zones produced by the crisis inhibit India’s ability to patrol its own territory.
    • Un-resolve areas: India and China have tacitly agreed to postpone settlement at two other confrontation sites, particularly tactically valuable area known as Depsangand Charding Nala regions.
    • Persisting threat: The reinforcements that each side deployed since 2020 have not returned to garrison. Even if future rounds of talks continue “disengagement and de-escalation,” and reduce those forces, returning to the status quo ante is now impossible.
    • Border infrastructure: Both sides on India China border are racing towards building permanent military infrastructure near the border, to help them surge forces to the border. Unsurprisingly, China seems to have outpaced India in building these roads, helipads, and communications nodes.
    • Possibility of conflict: The increasing capabilities and mobility on both sides of the border means that a crisis can more quickly escalate to a large military stand-off anywhere on the LAC, and possibly even trigger a conflict

    india china borderWhat are the Strategic implications?

    • Changing priorities: India has reassigned one of three originally Pakistan-facing Strike Corps to the China front. It has deployed its newest artillery, jets, and drones to the China border.
    • Unattended Indian Ocean: India has not yet improved its capabilities or posture in the Indian Ocean region significantly.
    • Diversion from real threat: With the border crisis, China seems to have successfully fixed India’s gaze to the land border, at the expense of that more consequential competition over the Indian Ocean.
    • Loss of grazing: Ladakh’s elected representatives said the disengagement has caused loss of huge grazing land as it would now be converted into no man’s land.

    india china borderSteps taken by India

    • Increasing capability: from cruise missile-equipped fighter jets and U.S.-origin naval helicopters to a brand-new indigenously-built aircraft carrier.
    • Atmanirbhar Bharat: India undertook several structural economic reforms for strengthening domestic capability and reducing the economic parity between two nations. Defence ministry has decided to increase CAB (capital acquisition budget), around 64% of modernization fund around 70000 cr. has been allocated for purchasing from domestic market. Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Make in India mission will also include Defence sector, we can see the local or private companies can also participate in procurement of defence equipment
    • Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC): Started by the defence ministry and over 1200 MSMEs participated in the fourth edition of the DISC in 2020. The government has prepared a negative list, it include light combat helicopters, artillery guns; these items will not be imported by anyone thus encouraging self-reliant India.
    • The SRIJAN portal: Launched to facilitate the two initiatives, Atmanirbhar Bharat and make in India
    • Sagarmala project: The sagarmala project has been started to revamp port Infrastructure which is a welcome step in modernization.

    Conclusion

    • For china Deception is diplomacy. Time and again China tries a deception strategy from its Confucius doctrine to defeat its enemy. From 1962 to 2022 India has made a lot of progress in military and economic sphere but China is way ahead than us. Strategic competition between two Asian giants will continue foreseeable future. So as long as India doesn’t gain domestic capabilities it would be prudent step to undertake strategic balancing.

    Mains Question

    Q. India has decided to maintain a strategic balance with china rather than being subsidiary to china. Discuss.

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  • What is the Kushiyara River Treaty?

    Kushiyara

    For the first time in 26 years, India and Bangladesh agreed to share the waters of a significant transboundary river, the Kushiyara, while negotiations over a long-delayed agreement to share the Teesta River’s waters, which are politically sensitive are still ongoing.

    India-Bangla water disputes: A backgrounder

    • The Teesta River and the Ganges River dispute are the two main long-standing water conflicts between India and Bangladesh.
    • Both rivers are important supplies of water for fishermen, farmers, and boatmen in both nations.
    • Since the sacred river flows from India to Bangladesh, the Ganga river dispute has been a source of contention between the two countries for the past 35 years.
    • There hasn’t been a long-term solution for sharing water offered despite several rounds of bilateral negotiations failing.
    • In order to establish a water sharing arrangement for the following 30 years, a treaty was signed in 1996. This deal is about to expire.

    What is the Kushiyara River Treaty?

    • The first such deal since the 1996 signing of the Ganga water treaty, India and Bangladesh reached an interim agreement on water sharing for the Kushiyara River.
    • India withdrew its objection to withdrawal of Kushiyara’s waters by Bangladesh through the Rahimpur Canal.
    • Over the last century, the flow of the Barak river has changed in such a way that the bulk of the river’s water flows into Kushiyara while the rest goes into Surma.
    • The agreement is aimed at addressing part of the problem that the changing nature of the river has posed before Bangladesh as it unleashes floods during the monsoon.
    • It goes dry during the winter when demand of water goes up because of a crop cycle in Sylhet.

    Terms of the treaty

    • Under this MoU, Bangladesh will be able to withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Kushiyara out of the approximately 2,500 cusecs of water that is there in the river during the winter season.
    • The agreement addresses Bangladesh’s concern over water supply along the river, during the winter months but flood control in the basin of Kushiyara is expected to require much more work.

    How will Bangladesh use the water?

    • The water of Kushiyara will be channelled through the Rahimpur Canal project in Sylhet.
    • The eight km long canal is the only supplier of water from the Kushiyara to the region and Bangladesh has built a pump house and other facilities for withdrawal of water that can now be utilised.

    Benefits to Bangladesh

    • It is generally understood that approximately 10,000 hectares of land and millions of people will benefit from the water that will flow through a network of canals in Sylhet.
    • It will benefit the farmers involved in Boro rice, which is basically the rice cultivated during the dry season of December to February and harvested in early summer.
    • Bangladesh has been complaining that the Boro rice cultivation in the region had been suffering as India did not allow it to withdraw the required water from the Kushiyara.

    Why is the water from the Kushiyara so important for Rahimpur Canal?

    • The water of the Kushiyara has been used for centuries in Sylhet’s subdivisions like the Zakiganj, Kanaighat and Beanibazar areas.
    • But Bangladesh has witnessed that the flow and volume of water in the canal has reduced during the lean season.
    • The utility of the river and the canal during the lean/winter season had gone down, affecting cultivation of rice as well as a wide variety of vegetables for which Sylhet is famous.

    What was India’s objection to the Rahimpur Canal?

    • India objected to the clearing and dredging of canal.
    • It claimed that the dyke and other infrastructure interfered in border security as Kushiyara itself forms part of the border between the two sides.
    • However, the agreement indicates that the economic benefits possible from the river outweighed the security

    What are the hurdles to the Teesta agreement?

    • The Kushiyara agreement is relatively smaller in scale in comparison to Teesta that involves West Bengal, which has problems with the proposal.
    • The Kushiyara agreement did not require a nod from any of the States like Assam from which the Barak emerges and branches into Kushiyara and Surma.

     

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