It has been one year since the Galwan incident when the Chinese PLA troops set their feet on the lands which are contiguous with Tibetan Cultural region. The PLA was embarrassed by its comfort loving soldiers who were beaten comprehensively by the Special Corps comprising of many Tibetan soldiers. Martyr Nyiema Tenzin of Special Frontier Force made the supreme sacrifice and laid his life fighting with the Chinese aggressors. The incident is of special importance and shall never be allowed to go into oblivion by Tibetans and Indians. It has a very special messaging for the world leaders as well, that Tibet is alive and can resist with full force.
The Galwan incident is a very special moment for Tibetans for the exemplary courage that the soldiers displayed. Armed with sheer courage and love for the nation, the Tibetan soldiers of Special Frontier Force beat the Chinese soldiers so comprehensively that the Chinese Government had to put in place its propaganda media to work extra hours to undo the damage done. The Special Frontiers Force was formed years back with some of the finest Tibetan soldiers who had the skills and a motivation to survive in the harsh climate in which most can’t even breathe. The familiarity of the Tibetan Soldiers with the terrain and the local intelligence they possess gives them a unique edge. There was much less need to acclimatize, as it is in fact their homeland unlike the Chinese intruders.
The soldiers of Tibetan Frontier Force have always rendered their services to the Army. Each soldier is trained to fight till the last man standing. They excel in mountain warfare, guerilla warfare and intelligence gathering. Although, they are not officially a part of Indian Army but they played a key role in Chittagong front in 1971 war with Pakistan. They also played a great role in Siachen in 1984, when India secured the very important glacier denying Pakistan and China an opportunity to surround India in a very difficult terrain.
The incident received huge media coverage. It was akin to the mythological fight between David and Goliath, although in this case the Goliath was actually a paper Goliath. This was not a usual skirmish along the border. It was a tough lesson taught to an arrogant aggressor blinded by its greed of usurping others’ lands.
Such was the embarrassment for the Chinese that Global Times, the mouthpiece of Chinese Communist Party refused to comment on the no of Chinese casualties. The western and Russian news agencies put the number at around 45. The Indian side paid huge respects to the martyred soldiers but the Chinese, seething with anger refused to disclose the number of casualties. The pictures of Tibetan mothers sending off their sons to fight front filled the internet space and made huge splashes in China. On the other hand the Chinese PLA decided to hire fighters from fight club as the climate was too harsh for their comfort loving troops who demanded hot food in the warfront. More importantly, it served a harsh message to the Chinese people that Tibet and its resistance is alive. The Chinese were not ready for such a comprehensive uprooting at hands of Tibetans.
The Galwan incident is a striking example of the supreme force of love and devotion that the Tibetan soldiers of Frontier Special Forces possess for the country. It also shattered the Chinese arrogance and superficial pride of Chinese PLA so much so that they had to activate a whole propaganda machinery to undo the damage. The Chinese social media networks are still abuzz with the angry responses of Chinese people. They do not want a reminder but we must keep serving them at every opportunity. The psychological warfare has been a part of Chinese war approach since the time of Tsun Zoo, the great Chinese strategist. This time they are beaten at their own game.
There are other points to take away from this incident. The Special Frontier Force had been among the best guarded secrets of Indian army. Another important learning for the Chinese was that you do not win wars by telling lies to yourself. You cannot always rely on deception and take on soldiers who are ready to sacrifice all that they have. Another major take way from Galwan Incident, a first after Chinese exploits in Vietnam in 1979, is that China is not as strong as they claim to be. Chinese want to win a war without fighting. Chinese got a really bloody nose in Vietnam in 1979. Use of media and high definition videos made in a laboratory cannot defeat a highly resolute force like Tibetan Special Frontiers Force.
The most important take away from the incident was that perhaps it is now time to absorb the SFF in the format structure of army and give an open recognition to their sacrifices and services.
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