Galwan Valley and the Curious Case of Anti-China Sentiment

As if the already faltering Indian economy due to the pandemic wasn’t painful enough, the Chinese 

Peace anybody?

adventurism on India’s territory, particularly the Galwan valley, and consequent barbaric killing of 20 brave Indian soldiers has further eroded India’s self-confidence and is likely to further deteriorate the relations between the two nations. At the outset, I wish to confess that I’m neither a defence expert nor an economist, but then neither are those spreading jingoistic propaganda against China without understanding the ramifications of war. As China has progressed over the last several decades, it has slowly but surely transformed into a rogue nation endeavouring to usurp disputed territories by aggression and its military might. The killing of 20 odd brave Indian soldiers is a grave provocation and India would do well to renounce its “eschew violence” policy with China. 

Yes, China has an enormous GDP of $16 trillion compared to India’s GDP of $3 trillion. Yes, China has

Naive Notions

a military budget of $ 261 billion as compared to India’s military budget of $ 71 billion (as per 2019 data of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)). But to think that India would lay flat on its back when the Chinese come knocking, would be a gross misjudgement on the part of the Chinese. The experiences and tactical advantages, along with world-class military arsenal, which the Indian military has acquired through wars and skirmishes with Pakistan, will come in handy when push comes to shove from the Chinese. India is not only a nuclear-capable country but also has one of the largest and most skilled armies of the world. Having said that, India should refrain from War and maintain its commitment to peace with China as we have more to lose than gain if a war takes place. India needs to be on its toes with its multifarious approach, ranging from boosting manufacturing and modernising army to building defence infrastructure and realigning itself around China’s vulnerabilities.  

 While some chauvinists have begun warmongering on Whatsapp and Facebook Universities, the reality on the ground, militarily and economically, is grim. Infantile Whatsapp forwards prodding the reader to delete anything that contains Sino investment or name are doing rounds in the country. What those

Condolences to the brave souls

imbeciles fail to comprehend is that India will suffer more if we shun all economic activity with China. For instance, as per 2018 World Bank data, total Sino exports to India constituted only around 3% of its total exports while the figure is much higher 5.08% for India. I could elucidate it further but not in this article. The bottom-line is India progresses better, faster and stronger with China’s investment and until we make ourselves self-sufficient we can use the money China invests in India. It’s a game of endurance which India cannot afford to lose. We do have the resources and experience to deal with any Chinese aggression on our territory, but before we embark on the path of aggressive retaliation we should consolidate inwards. 

As Swami Vivekanand put it, “All power is within you.”

- Sunny Gusain

*Views expressed are personal. I am not sorry for any offence caused.