Taking on China

The news of the release on Thursday evening of 10 Indian soldiers, including officers, by the People’s Liberation Army of China, came as a surprise. It had not been made known that these brave men were missing since the violent clashes in the Galwan valley on June 15, or that negotiations were underway for three days to ensure their safe return home. There has been little transparency about the sequence of events and the situation on the ground. The to and fro on whether the Army personnel were carrying firearms is just an example. Even if utmost secrecy has to be maintained in national interest, the country deserves better. Putting a lid on facts, which will emerge sooner or later, is a disservice. It only provides an opportunity and credence to multiple sources of misinformation and speculation.

The massive Chinese buildup, the extent of intrusion, if any, the Indian response — similar to the quick messaging on what transpires along the Line of Control, the government will have to rework its communication lines with the country on the LAC situation. It’s a crisis India is facing, not the government alone. Given the dexterity with which the Chinese machinery can put a spin, it is in India’s interest to say it as it is, even if what emerges does not look good. One, you are saved of the burden of trying to consistently prove wrong the barrage of falsehoods and more important, it can give shape to a coherent and united resolve to counter the adversary.

This is no time for political squabbling or one-upmanship, but withholding information even from the Opposition and brushing aside tough questions related to national security is an unworthy reaction. The all-party meeting, thus, was the correct call, though the controversy over non-inclusion of some political parties was entirely avoidable. Taking the country along rather than avoiding the unavoidable is a far better proposition.

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