The article discusses the issue of dealing with China in the aftermath of clashes on the border.

Understanding the importance of Tibet

• Tibet is the roof of the world, with vast mineral and natural resources.
• The mighty rivers that emanate from its expansive glaciers — such as the Brahmaputra, the Yangtse, the Yellow river, the Mekong, the Salween and the Indus — together with thousands of their tributaries have nurtured civilisations in peripheral countries for centuries.
• The Kailash Mansarovar is centered in this region.
• In an act of naked aggression, China occupied Tibet in 1959.
• A buffer was eliminated, and the de facto boundary of China became contiguous to that of India.
• That boundary was deliberately left undemarcated to enable further expansion.

Understanding China’s stand

• China has land borders with 14 neighbours covering an estimated 22,100 kilometres.
• Post-independence, and as its economic status increased, so did its military muscle.
• China embarked on claims based on perceived imbalances of treaties forced on countries when they were weak.
• Some of these have since been resolved after bloody clashes such as with Russia and Vietnam, while others have been resolved using a combination of lucrative offers.
• Russia accepted half of China’s claim, Kazakhstan was given lucrative economic deals, Kyrgyzstan retained 70% of the land, ceding just 30%, and so on.

Way forward

• The road ahead will have to be evolved and based on a study of the manner in which China has negotiated its boundary disputes with 12 of its neighbours.
• Under the prevailing circumstances, it has become imperative to form a group of experts.
• This group will plan and prepare, short-, medium- and long-term goals to achieve them within a suggested time frame.

 Conclusion

Let us play down the rhetoric and adopt a pragmatic approach. It can no longer be a part-time issue to be addressed only when a crisis occurs. The crisis is upon us now.

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