Political activist Senge H Sering from Gilgit Baltistan has condemned Chinese aggression in Ladakh which recently led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers saying Beijing is feeling threatened by India’s infrastructure projects in the Union Territory.
Sering, the director of Institute of Gilgit Baltistan Studies said, “India is improving its infrastructure and making its access to Karakoram Pass much easier. That means India will be able to access G219 (China National Highway 219) from Galwan Valley, because it is very close to the watershed of the Galwan River. Then you will be able to cut Tibet from Xinjiang, in case India tries to move forward towards East and North. And you will also be able to cut the Eastern route, the second route of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor).”
His remarks came after the reports of a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops near the Galwan Valley area in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed on June 15.
“The G219 also feeds into the feeder roads and makes China’s control over Shaksgam, Agel, Raskam and Shimshal much stronger and superior. So, India makes China’s presence in Xinjiang and Tibet very weak by extending its own infrastructure to Karakoram Pass,” Sering said.
“China doesn’t want it to happen. So, China is trying to intimidate India and asking to not to move forward and construct infrastructure in Eastern part of Ladakh,” added Sering, who is well aware about the geography and strategic importance of the region.
Experts believe that President Xi Jinping’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed serious structural cracks in the facade of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“So, China is attacking India and Taiwan or enabling Nepal to claim India’s land as a distracting tactic and allowing people to galvanize to be more nationalistic and this way they want to prolong their own control over their country but, the fact remains that Tibetans and Uighurs, they don’t want China to control their land any more”, said Sering.
The Covid-19 pandemic originated from China’s Wuhan before it swept across the world, affecting millions and stalling economies the world over. There is a growing chorus against China for its poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis and hiding facts about the highly contagious disease and thus misleading the world.
“China is feeling threatened, it’s vulnerable in a way that its economy is not improving the way it used to be a few years back,” Senge said.
Sering said, “On top of that when India improves its infrastructure it becomes even more threatening for China. So, if you have all aspects together, you will realize that China will try to do its utmost. It will use all options there to not enable India to build infrastructure but the fact remains that China is an occupier in Aksai Chin, in Gilgit Baltistan and now it’s trying to intrude into Ladakh.”
Senge is of the opinion that China must withdraw from Aksai Chin and other occupied areas.
“These are Indian territories. The people in Xinjiang, especially the Uyghur, recognize that these are India’s lands and people in Tibet – the Tibetan government-in-exile, recognize that these are India’s lands. There is no dispute with the people of Xinjiang and people of Tibet as far as Aksai Chin, Shaksgam and other parts of Ladakh are concerned. So, the International community should stand with India and make China withdraw from these places”, said Senge.
He suggested that India must immediately build a protective wall in front of DS-DBO (Darbuk-Shyok-DBO) Road since China is trying to damage it by flooding the Galwan River.
Advertisement
Author
