Marten wrote:rsangram wrote:If the Chinese have truly withdrawn all the way back, then we missed this golden opportunity to test(nuke).
If on the other hand they are still in our territory, even a few meters, then we should test quickly, before they withdraw.
Admins, please forgive this OT post:
Sir, are you advocating the test of a nuclear weapon to address incursion on borders that we have failed to mark?
That is not a military solution since the decision is taken by the executive, and not the armed forces command.
Secondly, what would be repercussions of another round of technology and trade bans on the country? At a time when the country is struggling with a rising trade deficit, you're advocating stalling exports to a dangerous point.
What is the point of this nuke test, in specific military and political terms? Would be nice if you could separately list these for our benefit.
Certainly. Again, if the admin wants to remove this post and put it in the appropriate thread, I would not mind. Being relatively new, I cant figure out where to post this.
1. Yes, Sir, I am advocating the test of a nuke to address the Chinese incursion on borders that "not we have failed to mark", but the Chinese have violated time and again. These are not mere "incursion on borders" as you suggest, without even naming China in your post above. These are deliberate and brazen incursions, one of hundreds over the years and have a context to them. First of all, the Chinese attacked and took over Tibet in the 1950s, in an event that in my view is one of the several cataclysmic events in the history of our people. It sent shock waves through the core of the Hindus and was a direct attack at the Hindu (/Buddhist) civilization, fundamentally weakening it and its strategic position. It removed from us a vital extension of our nation, not only the Tibetans who were our own people, being part of our civilizational stream, but also completely exposed us for eternity to the Chinese horde. The result is not only the destruction of the Tibetan people and their culture but a permanent vulnerability for us from China which not only causes us to spend precious billions on our defense but is a constant open wound right through our chest which keeps festering and causing pain, with no sight of it ever abating or healing. Then on top of that, the Chinese attack, in what they call in 1962 an "incursion" and take over thousands of square kilometers of our land, which they continue to hold, violating a border that the Tibetans and not the Chinese had any right to question, if at all. Then on top of that they have since massively supported Paki and locked us in this two front tense standoff, which is again another wound that festers in our body, with no prospects of any solution ever. Then they oppose us on every multi-lateral platform and malign us, causing us all kinds of embarrassment and trouble, including asking the multi-lateral agencies to stop loaning us money for Arunachal. Then they keep indulging in these "incursions on the border" as you call them. I have not even covered the entire context, but I think you get the idea.
Given the nuclear weapons that China holds, and the conventional superiority it has and the superior economy and world standing it has, there is no way for India to retaliate or ever retaliate to defend itself, certainly not in the forseeable future. Therefore, we have to devise a strategy, an asymetric strategy to be able to fight off this menace. Asymetric strategies are deployed all over since the advent of history, by the seemingly weak against the seemingly strong, a lot of time, with great effect. The latest example being the Taliban VS the US. I am recommending using nuclear testing as a asymetric tool to announce to the world that we will make the entire world and the world nuclear proliferation regime unstable by 1) our testing and 2) our proliferating nuclear weapons to states like Vietnam and others, if the world does not pay heed to India's concerns at our border with China and doesnt put pressure on China to give us at least a quiet and settled border. I think this is politically (world politics) a doable thing, if followed properly and accompanied by robust diplomacy and internal resolve.
And as to your second point that we will face technology embargoes etc, I think, that if we are embargoed, we keep upping the ante, keep doubling down on our nuclear testing and proliferation, do a North Korea or do a China of the 1960s, so as to bring the West on the bargaining table and to deter them from putting in too many embargoes. I feel that we are in a much better position than China was in the 1960s when it tried nuclear blackmail and much better position than North Korea now when it is trying that and much better position than Paki, which has been living on nuclear blackmail for at least the last two or three decades. Besides, the West today is at its weakest point in the last 100 years, certainly the last 40, where I dont think, IF WE HAVE THE INTERNAL RESOLVE AND THE STEEL to "eat grass for a 100 years", I dont think the West would want to antagonize a civilizational power such as India too much today at this juncture, given where they stand. Yes, there will be the perfunctory condemnations, and lashing out, and even some embargoes in the short run, but all of these can be "fixed" in due course, as the West keeps getting attacked by the Islamists and the Chinese keep flexing their muscle all over and all around. The Islamists and the Chinese cant help themselves and have a clinical compulsion to act in the manner that they do, and they will not be able to apply strategic restraint vis-a-vis the West to be able to have a cohesive strategic or even a tactical alliance with the West in the long term, to continue to isolate India.
You may agree or disagree with what I have said, and I have said a lot, which is not often said, so I have opened myself up to a lot of disagreement. I hope all will be able to keep it to the level of disagreement and not take it to insults and abuse or personal attacks, as I have tried to do in this post. You asked a question and I have give you the respect of answering. I am sorry, if I could not answer it in a way that you could agree with partially or in its entirety.
