Restoring status quo ante of mid-April is the test for government: Former defence minister AK Antony

Former defence minister AK Antony says restoring the status quo ante of mid-April is the test for the government, in an interview to CL Manoj on the border row with China. Excerpts:
What is your assessment on Chinese incursion into Galwan Valley?
The aggression by China at Galwan Valley was unexpected. Though there are many disputed sites in the 4,000 km-long India-China border, Galwan Valley was never disputed. Both armies have, over the years, identified more than a dozen disputed sites in Ladakh; Galwan Valley was not one of them. It was, and is, always part of the Indian territory. So, the present conflict over construction of roads and bridges in the area comes as a surprise to me. The road construction started in 2010 under the UPA government. China had never raised any objection then. It was going on smoothly. That is why this action is a surprise. Clearly, the Chinese intrusion was a planned military buildup. Even though Chinese aggression resulted in the tragic killing of 20 brave Indian jawans on June 15, their buildup and tension had started much earlier, from April. It was nothing but cheating and betrayal by China — a premeditated attack.

What’s China’s intention?
Only the government can answer this after a careful analysis of this provocative buildup and aggression by China.

What are your views on past Chinese incursions?
Incursions have always happened due to the unsettled border. But firing has not happened since 1975. During the UPA era, two major incidents took place in Ladakh. One in 2013, at Depsang, when Chinese troops constructed tents in our area. Our Army resisted, face-to-face scuffle took place but no bloodshed. After 21 days, the Chinese troops suddenly went back as we activated military and diplomatic channels. In 2014 too, they came in and constructed tents at Chumar, but our Army resisted and they went back.

My experience with China attempting incursions was that they returned once we resisted. My assessment was that China was then preoccupied with its disputes in the South China Sea involving Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia etc. Also, China had to focus on Taiwan and Hong Kong for its One China Policy. So, they didn’t want to complicate the border dispute with India. China continues to remain engaged on these fronts, but has still chosen to be aggressive with India. That’s a big surprise. Only the government can explain the reasons.

Why did the clash happen despite regular meetings between the PM and the Chinese President?
Only the PM can explain whether he failed to gauge Chinese intent despite meeting their President (Xi Jinping) 18 times, including the Mahabalipuram summit, which created so much euphoria.

Will the PM’s personal relationships with world leaders, including those from China, US and Russia help defuse the situation?
I really hope for an early solution. Having warm personal friendships with world leaders is one thing but effectively dealing with situations like this is entirely different. No leader is going to yield or surrender national interest in the name of personal friendship.

Why was an official clarification needed to the PM’s statement at the all-party meeting?
What he said came as a shock to the whole nation. China has illegally occupied our lands and killed 20 of our brave soldiers and yet such a statement from the PM. It was an embarrassment for our government, forces and the whole nation.

Are you satisfied with the reported progress in the military-level talks?
Military-level talks are always good. But, going by media reports, the talks are on achieving disengagement. There are also reports about further Chinese reinforcements at Pangong Tso, Finger 4 and Hot Springs, where they have intruded into what we consider is part of Indian territory.

How can India get China to withdraw its troops?
The status quo ante must be restored to the mid-April position. During UPA, from 2006 onwards, we had doubled our defence expenditure in a very short time. In 2013, we cleared the first Mountain Strike Corps by spending ₹65,000 crore. We also bought the best equipment — fighter jets, missile systems, transport planes — and built strategic roads at the border. The Indian Army is among the best in the world, especially on mountain warfare. Along with the Air Force and Navy, Indian forces are excellent in fighting on land, air and in the sea. It’s for the government to take a decision on how to make Chinese troops vacate our lands and restore the status quo ante. Once the government shows political will and takes that decision, it can leave the operational and tactical details to armed forces. Simultaneously, the government should activate political and diplomatic lines. Restoring the status quo ante of mid-April will be the yardstick for the government.