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The Galwan Clash
Madras Management Association (MMA) in collaborationwith KonradAdenauerStiftung (KAS) and The PeninsulaFoundation presented an online panel discussion, underthe ‘Strategic Leadership’ series, on the theme, “TheGalwan Clash: India's China Strategy and China's GreatGame” on 26th June 2020. The panel comprised thefollowing distinguished members:
* Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM,Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy
* Ambassador G Parthasarathy (Retd), IFS, Chancellor ofCentral University, Jammu and Former Indian High Commissionerto Pakistan
* Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, Former DG,Defence Intelligence Agency
* Mr Mohan Guruswamy, Former Advisor to Finance Minister &Former MP, Rajya Sabha
Group Captain R Vijayakumar (Retd), ED, MMA, welcomed the panellists and the participants. Mr Peter Rimmele, Resident Representative to India of KAS, delivered the introductory remarks in which he said that all the neighbours of China are uneasy in dealing with it and that China’s image has taken a beating after its less than transparent action in dealing with Covid19. He said that in Europe, the thinking is to exclude China in major contracts and added that the US also exerts pressure on Europe in this direction. However, he reckoned that China is an economic powerhouse and cannot be ignored. He highlighted the role of KAS in promoting democracy and internal order. “We need to work with our partners and find common solutions,” summed up Mr Peter Rimmele.
Air Marshal M Matheeswaran (Retd) moderated the panel discussion. He pointed out that Chinese aggression has been going on steadily from 2010 onwards. While in 1980, both India and China were at the same level of growth, China’s GDP is six times that of India today, he stated and argued that India’s China strategy needs recalibration.
Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd) pointed out that India shares 3488 km border with China and the Eastern sector has been a perennial problem area. He lamented that despite China’s super power ambition and strategy, India has always been naïve with China. "Forget the sweet talks. Always be wary of the wily, crafty China,” he said and cautioned that the present situation is very serious. He remarked that the Indo-China border is now manned by ITBP and Special Frontier Force; he advised a single command to be effective. “We should follow ‘One Border; One Force’ policy,” he insisted.
Ambassador G Parthasarathy (Retd) said that strategic containment of India is integral to China’s political thinking. He felt that India can hold China and no further territorial gains should be allowed. He pointed out that under the aggressive leadership of Xi Jinping, China has had a remarkable rise. “We have lost the plot after liberalisation and started importing heavily from China and given them huge space even in vital sectors like telecom,” he said.
He suggested that like China, we too should build our Comprehensive National Power and also strengthen maritime security, pursue diplomacy, leverage on Quad group to exert pressure on China, mobilising all anti Chinese forces on a single platform. He underlined the importance of India’s strategic partnership with Germany.
Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd) insisted that India should have a clear China strategy. “We need to engage with China diplomatically and expose to the world about China not agreeing to any LAC,” he said. While China has vastly improved its military strength, technology and production, he regretted that for over 70 years, India has avoided making a national security strategy and our politicians are more focussed on the elections. “India should have a Minister for Defence Production,” he argued. He singled out the government’s Sagar Mala project as a good initiative but noted that not much progress has happened. He advised that strengthening maritime power not only augments our security but also provides huge employment opportunities.
Mr Mohan Guruswamy traced the genesis of the problem to China’s superiority complex and their natural dislike for India. “The whole world made China rich in the last 25 years, doing vast trade with them and shifting many production facilities to China,” he noted.
Denouncing the jingoism against boycotting Chinese products, he drove home the ground reality that we now depend heavily on China.
He said that this is a wakeup call to bring in land and labour reforms, so we can attract FDI and ramp up production facilities in India. He batted for longterm military policies.
