Maverick,
Let me address the issues in your post:
- The title of your thread is obsequious. We are in no "plight". We are a prospering economy- the world's second fastest growing to be true and (if WB statistics are any indication) soon to be its fastest, a steadily - albeit procrastinatedly in respect of our requirements - modernizing armed forces, and a nation that is beginning to demonstrate its economic clout - in regions as far away as Ethiopia and the RSA in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East; its military influence in countries like the Maldives, the Middle East and Central Asia; and is beginning to counter- and with success- political advances in everywhere from Nepal to Bangladesh to Burma and Afghanistan, alongwith formulating a 'Look East' policy of our own that has most recently been manifest in defence agreements with Japan and Singapore, and economic free trade agreements with South Korea.
- Note that there is a distinction between "infiltration" and "incursion". An "infiltration" is a military-insurgency tactic whereby small contingents of soldiers or non-state actors penetrate behind enemy lines at weak or unguarded points to wreak havoc or attack enemy installations at the rear. An "incursion" is a hostile- usually brief and transient- act of entry or transgress into another country's sovereign territory- it is more a political statement than a military one and involves no tactical assault. The Pakisthanies have previously and otherwise infiltrated their "mujahideen" into our territory; the Chinese have only ingressed.
- Israel has an irresolvable, historically, religiously, and nationally based conflict with the Arabs. To appease its Arab neighbours, Israel must cease to exist. Therefore, realizing that it can never appease its neighbours without the dissolution of its state, it proceeds in a most uniform and careless manner - because the point of contention is its very existence- defending its territory and security without qualms or cavil. Its scruples only arise when it is lambasted for its human rights violations in the international media, and that is the foremost fallout of its wars. The sizable Jewish presence in the media on the other hand ensures that they can effectively counter ignominy in the battle for ideas. There is the even more important consideration that Israel is not surrounded by nuclear states, and therefore there is a definite purlieu on the range and scale of possible reprisals. The Jews also have an incomparably strong diaspora, one that is so well entrenched in the media, arms and finances that they are justifiably the envy and fear of the world. On the other hand, we have no such exigencies of fundamental mutually irreconcilable, existential antagonisms- except perhaps with Pakistan. The problem in our relations with our picayune neighbours is that they perceive us to be an irredentist, domineering state. The historical policies of some of the previous governments have not served to allay those fears. Pakisthan, on the other hand, is well within the US's control- and the installation of puppet dictators and our presence in Afghanistan means that we exercise more than a modicum of influence on their policies. They have historically defined themselves in dialectic opposition to India - it is necessary to adopt that attitude of hostility when: a) it legitimizes and justifies military rule; b) it differentiates Pakisthan from a previous cohesive, albeit ununited entity, that existed for millenia before its modern form. Our rivalry with China is two-fold: i) it is primarily competitive for economic resources and transaction routes; ii) it is inimical because of competing territorial claims. However both governments know that the Gestalt of our borders is not going to change anytime soon. On the other hand, except for those in the defense community and those who take an active interest in politics, few people in either India or China are even aware of the 1962 war. The fact that it was less of a war and more of a brief border skirmish means that ideas are not bound in mutual antagonism, even while both governments are wary of each other.
- The prerogatives of being a democratic state, of one that is expected to be internationally and politically responsible and of maintaining friendly relations with our neighbours as a buttress to them ceding to the Chinese ambit means that we cannot just disregard their concerns and act willfully in violation of international law by sending troops across the border for instance without pre-established agreements or accords accommodating for their solicitude where our interests are not at stake. The fact that we are also also not the strongest army in the region means that the situations are not alike- if any external operations with implications on our national security must be done, then they must be done subtlely or covertly. Offending nationalist sentiments is not an option we can afford to ignore.
- Because YOU are not aware of the fact does not mean the Government is sitting on its arse doing nothing. I am in no mind to go into the details of the many developments in the North-East and the acquisitions of the Armed Forces that are underway to counter the growing Chinese influence. Nor do I have the stomach to launch into an analysis of recent international relations history. But you will browse the forum in the Armed Forces' sections, the 'Indian Strategic Alliances' section and the Current Affairs and Global Economy sections for more on that end.
One more thing: This is not a fanboy forum. Before you post, it is your incumbent duty to read and familiarize yourself with the basics of the armed forces and politics of the country. We intend to discuss things at higher than such a base level.
I trust you will take this information to heart.
Yours truly,
Rage
That political-scientist streak keeps showing itself from time to time.
