Dharamshala, 29th November: China continues to threaten India by bolstering its military presence along the Indian-Tibetan border, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under pressure in India to prevent China from crossing the Line of Actual Control. Perhaps Modi is thinking along the same lines as Jawaharlal Nehru in 1950-51, deciding that India’s military choices against China are limited due to China’s enormous military strength and significant economic dominance.

Today, India is in a warlike scenario with Pakistan and China along the Line of Actual Control, and Pakistan and China are close friends. Perhaps Prime Minister Modi and his advisers believe that a simultaneous military clash with Pakistan and China is a calculated risk that would stymie numerous major economic, industrial, and infrastructure projects in India that are being built at breakneck speed.

China not only poses a threat to India. It also poses a threat to countries such as Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and others. The security situation around Japan concerns Japan’s Prime Minister, who stated that Japan would evaluate all alternatives, including obtaining enemy base strike capabilities. ‘Obviously, Japan is wary of US help in the event of a conflict with China.’

Many countries throughout the world are concerned about China’s expansionist aims and harsh actions, and many believe that Chinese President Xi Jinping is similar to Hitler just before World War II. In the case of the China-India confrontation, however, these countries may choose to remain mute observers.

Prime Minister Modi now has no choice but to tackle China in whatever manner he can, because China’s greed and aggressive claims are not going away anytime soon. One approach to achieve this is to handle the Tibetan issue as if it were still alive, rather than a closed chapter.

While Modi may be hesitant to recognize Tibet as a sovereign state, India can allow Tibet’s exile government to create an office in New Delhi and operate freely. At the very least, one New Delhi street should be named after the revered Dalai Lama. Even if it’s just a courtesy call, Modi should invite the Dalai Lama to meet with him. Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi should opt to boycott the Winter Olympic Games in China, which would be a major blow to China’s international standing. In the end, such straightforward tactics would pave the road for India to correct its historical Tibet error.

Share this on