A month since Valentine Day..

It’s been a month since world has celebrated Valentine Day. This day is to celebrate Love. But the same day proved to be a day of anguish and pain in India this time around. We lost 40+ soldiers in a dastardly act of terrorism in Pulawama, Kashmir. Whole nation was in deep sorrow as they should be. The government was under severe pressure to act against the perpetrators of the crime. Initially, they displayed remarkable patience and latter came up with an unprecedented airborne attack on terrorist’s hideouts even crossed the LOCs and went into main territory of Pakistan.

However, number of fatalities remained unknown in that Surgical Strike. Claims and counter claims from both sides of the borders resulted in a lot of confusion among general masses. Jingoism seemed to be the driver of the emotions on either side. Pakistan also tried to infringe the Indian Airspace by sending at least four F-16 fighter jets. According to Indian foreign ministry, we responded swiftly and prevented them from targeting the military installments in our side by sending our fighter jets. In this process, one of our MiG-21 Bison went down and its pilot named Abhinandan Varthman was intercepted by Pakistanis military. Indian side claimed that in the air skirmishes, Wing Commander also shot down one F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan, which is even hinted, if not substantiated, by the earlier claims of Pakistani Army’s spokesperson that they have shot down two Indian Fighter Jets but they shared the evidence of just one. So it’s believed that the second one was F-16 and no country would be in comfortable position when world would know that their 4th Generation Fighter plane was shot down by a second generation Soviet Era fighter Jet in a dog fight. 

The situation was deteriorating very fast and when war seemed imminent, a sane decision by Pakistani establishment to return the captured Wing Commander to India resulted in thawing in the war like situation. 

A month after the fateful Pulwama attack, I sat down to reflect the whole series of events. Who gained and who lost! I tried to recall the name of Martyrs,unfortunately, I recalled none. Only thing that I remembered is the numbers. More than 40 soldiers had lost their lives. These days, Emotions are reduced to numbers, no name, no identity, and no face. Do you remember the name of any martyr? Will this remembering even helps anyone? How many Count will you remember? For how many years you will remember? This is happening since 1990s. We remember Abhinandan, we all are proud of him, his valour and his composure in the enemy’s territory and in the mouth of death. But were the lives of other 40+ soldiers are not equal, not worth knowing! But who cares! World will go on as it’s going on.

Next year again the Valentine Day will be celebrated with great fervor except in few homes where they have lost their loved ones for forever! If I will clamor for a befitting response and a tactical short term war to teach lesson to the enemies of Humanity, I will be termed as War Monger, if I will condemn war and would request for peace, I will be termed as Libtards or Coward.

I am in a fix. Then I think I should go to the schools, to the offices, to the Temples, to the Malls and if possible then to the Funeral Pyres (whose flames must have been died down by now) of the Martyrs to ask them what prompted them to risk their life for me, to say them Thank You, that you sacrificed your today for my tomorrow! To say them I am Sorry! To say them, I couldn’t do any thing when cowards attacked you, to say them that I can’t do anything as I am just a bloody common man!!!

China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Hello Doston!!

Today’s article is concerned with a Geo-Political topic  which is currently a buzz in world of diplomacy. Its a bit lengthy as compared  to my general write ups, but the gravity of the subject prompted me to write long. Hope you would enjoy reading.

In past quarter century, if one thing which has  caught the imagination of the world, it would surely be the phenomenal rise of China. For almost 30 years double digit growth, China’s incremental jump in the economic dimension has reshaped the world order and now we are moving towards a multi-polar world, where America or Russia is not the sole dominant power.

With the rise of China comes its desire to influence the world order. There are several tools to influence it. Such as by showing technological advancement, increasing the influence on other countries, by enhancing the infrastructural aspects, by increasing trade with other nations etc. So in 2013, its president came up with an ambitious project called One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, which China claims that it is one of the most ambitious project of 21^st century and it is having potential to reshape the world.

Recently China has organized a summit called Belt and Road Initiative(BRI), in which high level participants from more than 120 countries arrived, including nearly 30 head of the states. India was a conspicuous absentee, even though China, on multiple occasions, requested India to be a participant of this initiative. Since we are witnessing a potential watershed event in the world history, hence I thought of bringing some details about it.

What is Belt and Road Initiative?

This initiative is brought to fore by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. From the inspiration of Old Silk Route, Belt and Road Initiative or One Belt One Road initiative is a connectivity project which aims to connect  mainland China to the parts of Asia, Europe and some parts of Africa as well. There are 60 countries through which this project will run. China is willing to finance these infrastructural project as a loan to the host nation. Once these areas will be connected, a whole new wave of globalization can emerge. It will have a positive impact on trade, commerce, integration of economy, cultural connectivity, integration of the least connected area, increasing the living standards of millions etc.

Red Line Indicates the Land Connectivity, where as Blue Line Indicates Maritime connectivity. Image Credit: Internet

 

This initiative is having two limbs; one is connecting the Land Area through rail and road and the other is maritime connectivity by building ports and supplementary infrastructures.

Land connectivity scheme is known as Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime connectivity project is known as 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Plausible intentions of China Behind this project:

1. By implementing this, China will emerge as a dominant player in the world order as this project will cover the 63% of the world population, 30% of the current world GDP, and 35% of the trade happens in these area.
2. China has vast cash reserve in Renminbi (Chinese currency) which is equivalent to US $ 21 trillion approx twice its GDP. So by financing these infrastructural projects these cash deposits, which is presently lying ideal, can bring revenues through interests. It will also help in internationalization of its currency.
3. China is having strategic leverage over manufacturing sector, so by integrating the Eurasian regions it will enhance its market where it can sell its product.
4. It can win few allies, which it lacks as compare to its rival US by financing infrastructure.
5. It will have a strategic and military advantage as compare to US, which also sees these regions very significant in terms of Geo Politics.
6. It will help China to bring its least developed Western Provinces in direct contact with the other nations through infrastructure, which in turn, will benefit its balanced regional growth.

India did not take part in this initiative, which is criticized by many both at home and in China. They argue, India which is struggling in infrastructures should have embraced Chinese proposal as it will help via financing. By remaining out India is secluding itself from the new world order which is emerging. It will have a deleterious impact in the  to its economy in long term. The Indian subcontinent which is least integrated can get an impetus from the Chinese sponsored scheme and will be win-win situation for all.

However, Indian government firmly articulated its reservations to this project.

India’s concerns:

• Infringing Sovereignty: One part of the project, China Pakistan Economic Corridor, passes through Gilgit Baltistan, which lies in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, amd claimed by India. Since it is a disputed region and China did not had a deliberations with India with this respect, India thinks it as a infringement on its sovereignty.
• Since the details of the project are not in the public domain, India is skeptic about it.
• India does not see it as a mere economic initiative, as nearly 30,000 security personnel will be deployed to protect the infrastructure. Hence it sees a threat to its security.
• India sees the high interest rates to finance the project as a Chinese “web trap”.
• Along with this the assessment of project cost is not transparent, in the absence of transparency India is unwilling to be a part of this project.
• China recently has behaved as an obstructionists in two cases which was concerned with India one in NSG and other in declaring Jash-e-Mohamed leader Mashod Azhar as a terrorists. So India gave the Chinese the taste of its own medicine. And gave a strong signal that India is not going to be an easy ride if its concerned is ignored.

Conclusion: In my view India rightly opted out from the Belt and Road Initiative as infringement upon sovereignty is a very serious concern. Along with this the benefit which China tries to put is not as clear as of the investment. But India should work in the field of regional connectivity firstly by focusing on its internal infrastructure and then after the infrastructure of the South East region.