By Prem Sagar Poudel
India is making a tremendous rise in the number of military numbers, arms-storage and physical infrastructure in the northern border linked to China. Specifically, after the Doklam dispute, military numbers and facilities have been added to the strengthening of the border zone with China.
According to the Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat, the time came to focus on the border of China from the Pakistani border, since 2018, it has operated around 12,000 Indian Gourkha (Guerrilla) soldiers in Doklam area. However, Bipin Rawat told that the Indian Army was ready for the 2 and half entrenchment. He said that Indian army is capable to face the external challenge of Pakistan and China as well as the Islamic extrimist and Maoist Rebellion internally. Meanwhile, the Times of India has reported that India has expanded its presence in border areas from the east border of Arunachal Pradesh to west border of Ladakh.
India’s four divisions have been deployed and 2 division reserves in the security of the Arunachal province close to South China’s Tibet. A division has 12 thousand soldiers, and a battalion has 1200 soldiers. Similarly, construction of three military hospitals in strategic centre of this area under the Eastern Command has started to complete within the two years. Meanwhile, the Indian army has mentioned in a meeting with me that India has been preparing to deploy nuclear-fired aircraft by 2020.
Seven months ago, for 73 days, India and China soldiers came face to face in Doklam and after the incident where Indian troops couldn’t stand there for long time, then Indian troops were back, India increased military and facilities. India has unauthorized interference in most of the 4, 757 km boundaries between India and China. Since 2005, India has repeatedly disputed one-sided way. After the Doklam dispute, soldiers and facilities have been added to the actual control Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Indian soldiers have started patrolling of 28 to 30 days long in the Line of Actual Control (LAC) area, which has difficult geographical location. India has also increased the number of T-72 tanks in this area. Similarly, after the month of March, 2018, India has deployed Super Sonic Brahmos Missiles and the Bofors Canon which have range of 290 km nearly linked to Chinese boundary with east Ladakh to Sikkim.
Similarly, in the Ladakh region, around 15 thousand and 12,000 of Gorkha soldiers operating in Doklam region, while in Sukhoi war aircraft only in eastern India, in the present time alone, there is only Baghdora Airport, but recently ten kilometers from Gantok of Sikkim, has begun the Pakhim Airport from 2018 March 10. The latest weapons and combat aircraft have been deployed in Ladakh, Baghdora and Pakhim Airport.
At the beginning of March, India’s Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharman informed the Parliament that China constructed Helipad, sentry post for soldiers and constructed trenches near Doklam area. Soon after this, India has deployed Indian Gorkha military operations in Ladakh, Siliguri, Kalimpong, Sikkim and Doklam.
The Indian Army Headquarters GE867 EWS in Kalimpong, located in the distance of 15 miles from eastern part encroached land by India of Nepal. This is a Combine Headquarter of the Indian Army. Similarly, 22 km east of the Tista River is Singtham. It’s a small market. Here the Indian Army has a 5 – 1 GR. Gantok the capital of Sikkim is located at fifty kilometers from the Tista River. Rumtek Gumba is situated at 25 km from the Gantok. Where there are 250 BFS. Similarly, on March 10, 2018, the Pakkhim Airport is opened which situated at 7-8 km from the Gantok. Earlier, Super Sonic Brahmos missile and Bofors canon was deployed in the Baghdora Airport. Now such weapons have also been deployed at the Pakhim airport too. Pakhim Airport is the closest airport to Doklam. This is within the fifty-kilometer area of the Indo-China border. After the Kalimpong, the Indian Army’s Combine Headquarter is in the Magan. Apart from this, there is division of Indian Army in the area of Changu, Babadham, i.e. Haribhanjan Singh Temple, Nathula.
India has easily defeated fight against China in 1962, and India has currently operating its operation in China with 5GR and 8GR in the Sikkim, Indian and China border. There are 5GR and 8GR eagle and tiger battalion has been deployed in Magan. Similarly, more than fifty-five American personnel are operating in Changu.
There are four main departments of Indian Gorkha Army personnel. 14 GTC (Gorkha Rifle Training Center), 39 GTC, 58 GTC and 11GR are major. There are only 1 GR, 4 GR, 5 GR, 8 GR, 9 GR and 11 GR in India, 2 GR, 6 GR, 7 GR 10 GR, East India Company, taken along with them when they went back in 1947. There are many battalions in India in 11 GR and there are six Battalions in 1 GR, 4 GR, 5 GR, 8 GR, 9 GR. Apart from this, Indian Gorkha Army also has 32RR (National Rifle).
History between India and China has a short but very fatal war in 1962. At that time India was defeated by badly. The problem has not been solved by the special representatives of both the countries while negotiating more than twenty times. The agreement between India and China in 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2013 has not been following by India in the agreement that both parties should maintain peace in one another without encroaching in other’s areas.
India fought with Pakistan after the war with China. India has fought four wars with Pakistan. In the past, military activities and plans of India were being concentrated on Pakistan. Especially, India is preparing a lot after the Doklam dispute with China, even those who settle in Sikkim and Ladakh areas are very scared. I visited Sikkim twice. During my visit I had found a number of Nepali speaking Indian citizens. The driver of the vehicle we got Lilen Gurung said: Pakistan launches an explosive bomb and some people die. However, if the Indian army had not backed, China took possession of Sikkim in half hour’s time. So China is hundreds of times more dangerous than Pakistan.
China’s Tibet and some of Sikkim’s languages, customs and Costumes are similar. In history, Sikkim’s king has an example of Tibet’s visit to offer a certificate of their possession. So India too is very scared of China. It is not difficult to know that India felt the security challenge of Sikkim region. Sikkim and Siliguri are highly sensitive areas for India. India has felt the risk of China’s control at any time.
Sikkim’s chief minister Nar Bahadur Gurung has increased monopoly; people are not given proper attention to their rights and facilities. Nar Bahadur Gurung has married two women. It is heard that he can’t keep his wives properly. Leaders of opposition parties too have many wives and do not have a good image. So the public does not seem to believe them so much. As a result, the fury of the people is increasing day by day against them.
