Akhil
Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal,
(
ABKM ) Yugabda 5113
October 14-16, 2011 - Gorakhpur
Resolution
Need
for Comprehensive Strategic
Initiative
for National Security
The
Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal is gravely concerned about the indifferent attitude
of the Government towards growing tensions along the borders; rising incidents
of encouragement to separatism and terrorism from across the borders; emerging
challenges across aerial and oceanic borders; and increasing threats in the
international seas and outer space. The ABKM wishes to highlight the following
challenges in this context.
Challenges
from China
China
is constantly exerting military pressure on our borders; indulging in repeated
incursions into our territory; demolishing military and civilian assets and
intimidating civilians in the border areas. Presence of Chinese military in our
neighbouring countries, development of military bases in those countries and
strategic partnership with them with the objective of military encirclement of Bharat
must be taken seriously. Some conspicuous examples of this encirclement are:
arming Pakistan against Bharat; patronizing anti-Bharat terrorism there; its
military activism in the PoK; attempts to control the reins of power in Nepal
through Maoism; and the presence of defense experts in countries like
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
The ABKM is of the considered opinion that
apart from abetting terrorism and separatism from across the borders, China’s
active support to the insurgent groups in our North-East is a direct challenge
to the unity and integrity of our nation. Incidents of China using its cyber
warriors for breaking into the information and communication systems of our
country and spreading its spy network near
sensitive areas by capturing projects through low cost tenders is also going to
pose serious threats to nation’s security.
Government
of Bharat has on one hand completely forgotten the resolution of the Parliament
on 14 Nov 1962 for taking back the 38,000 sq. km territory annexed by China
during the war that year; on the other hand its response to China’s new claims
over another 90,000 sq km has also been woefully feeble. Government’s utter
apathy towards development of basic infrastructure facilities like
telecommunications, railways, roads and airports etc in view of these claims
and military maneuvers of China in our border areas is ominous.
Stationing
of long distance ICBMs capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads along the
Bharat’s border by China is a serious challenge. China has successfully tested
anti-satellite and anti-ship missiles. It has developed nuclear submarines that
are equipped with missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads and hit targets
upto a distance of 8,500 kms. It is imperative on the part of Bharat to immediately
develop capabilities to effectively counter these things.
Indian
markets are brimming with Chinese goods thus leaving our native industry in
doldrums; additionally the huge trade deficit with China is also emerging as a
serious challenge to our economy. In Telecommunications area Bharat has not
made any efforts to go beyond developing first generation technology. As a
result all the equipment required in 3 G and 4 G technology is being supplied
by China only. This is posing a serious danger to our information and
communications systems. Our over dependence on China in high technology areas
including power generation is leaving us permanently at the mercy of that
country.
Bharat
should take a firm stand against China’s attempts to divert river waters in
Tibet and China including the waters of Brahmaputra and take lead in mobilizing
nations that get affected by the diversion of these rivers like Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar for securing a just
water sharing agreement with China.
Conspiracy
by Pakistan
On
the western front activities of Pakistan are a matter of concern. Addressing
the top military brass the Prime Minister has himself acknowledged the fact
that there was an unprecedented rise in the cross-border infiltration in the
last few months. According to one estimate seventy incidents of firing from
across the borders or infiltration have occurred in the last four-and-half
months along the Kashmir border alone. Growing influence of the fundamentalists
in Pakistan Army is posing serious challenge to the safety of the nuclear
arsenal there.
Recent killing of the fountainhead of global
terrorism Osama bin Laden on Pakistan soil,
where he had taken shelter for years along with his family, exposes the
deep nexus between the Pakistan Army and ISI and the international terror
network. It needs mention here that the doctor who was instrumental in the
capture of Osama is being tried on charges of sedition.
It
is once again established that the ISI was involved in the recent bomb blasts
outside the Delhi High Court. There is also adequate evidence that the ISI
network is helping China in giving assistance to the Maoists. The links between
the ISI and the dreaded Haqqani terrorist group that is active in Pak-Af region
are well known.
Pakistan is relentlessly trying to destabilize
the Karzai regime in Afghanistan. On the eve of withdrawal of the US forces
from Afghanistan starting from next year owing to their internal situation
Pakistan is pushing hard to install anti-Bharat fundamentalist Taliban regime
there. Any such situation in Afghanistan will be a serious direct challenge to
Bharat. The ABKM wishes to draw the attention of the Government towards these
developments in the Pak-Af region. However the response of the Government of
Bharat in this scenario still remains ineffective.
Border
issue with Bangladesh
During
the talks with Bangladesh in September 2011 adequate attention has not been
paid to the national interests. Handing over of several thousand acres of our
territory in Assam and West Bengal to Bangladesh under the pretext that it was
already under the latter’s control can’t be justified on any account. It is
unwise and unacceptable to cede more territory and get less in the name of
territorial exchange. This would result in a large number of Bangladeshi
Muslims in CoochBihar and Jalpaiguri automatically becoming citizens of Bharat.
This will lead to serious demographic distortion in the region causing enhanced
threat of separatism. It is unfortunate that the issue of millions of
Bangladesh infiltrators residing in Bharat never figures in these talks. The
ABKM demands that in all the treaties with Bangladesh the interests of our
nation, its unity and integrity be considered paramount.
Challenges
in Indian Ocean region
The
ABKM notes with concern that the region of Indian Ocean is fast turning in to
the new battleground for supremacy between the new power blocks reminiscent of
the cold war days Europe. Countries of the Indian Ocean Rim are resource-rich
and also strategically located in the new power-order.
Bharat
has been a prominent presence in this region for millennia. The ABKM opines that Bharat's two millennia old
civilizational and cultural relations across the region should be further
strengthened.
China
has drastically improved its naval strength as well as its activities in the
region. Its intimidating presence is leading to rising tensions in the region.
On the other hand the US seems to be desperate about its distant presence in
Diego Garcia and scrambling for foothold closer in the region. Creation of East
Timor out of Indonesia in 2003, war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan forces
in our neighborhood, Taiwan issue etc represent the growing big power conflict
in the region. This race for influence between these two countries is
offsetting the balance in the region and escalating tensions.
The
ABKM feels that Bharat cannot remain a mute spectator in this situation. A
large number of countries in the IOR region too want Bharat's benevolent
presence to be a reassuring factor for regional peace and stabilization.
Our
Government’s initiative of "Look East" is completing 20 years now.
The ABKM calls upon the Govt. of Bharat to transform this "Look East"
policy in to "Act East" policy and further our engagement with a
large number of countries in the region. Our foreign policy objectives must be
in consonance with our strategic needs.
In this connection it welcomes the new initiatives with countries like
Myanmar and Vietnam.
Bharat
has been experiencing the belligerence of China and its allies in the Indian
Ocean region of late. Two recent incidents vividly illustrate this highhanded
behavior -one between Bharat's and Chinese Navy near Vietnam in the South
Chinese Sea and another in the Arabian Sea between Bharat and Pakistan's naval
ships. From Gwadar to Hambanthota to Chittagaon to Coco Islands, the influence
of China in the Indian Ocean region is growing fast posing serious challenge to
our security. License for mining Poly-Metallic Sulphides in a 10,000-sq. km area
in the Indian Ocean will provide China a plausible excuse to position its Navy
there.
Our
armed forces are capable of warding off threats from these forces. They have
demonstrated their capability several times. However they seriously suffer from
lack of infrastructural support as well as support for weapon's modernization
from the Government. There is a serious disconnect between the nationalist
aspirations widely present among the general public and the policy approach of
the political establishment. Bharat has scientific capability, military prowess
and patriotic fervor in abundance. But it is unfortunate that these aspects do
not reflect in the policy initiatives of the Government.
In
view of these security challenges the ABKM urges the Government to initiate
effective measures to safeguard the entire national borders including the
Indo-Tibetan border, sea and aerospace borders and also protect the national
interests in the entire oceanic region; and adopt strong measures to counter
the challenge of separatism, terrorism and infiltration. In order to counter
all the security challenges before the nation, the ABKM demands that the
Government should develop effective defense mechanisms and also to initiate
extensive measures to achieve comprehensive self reliant in the fields of
economy and high-technology. The ABKM appeals to the people to be ever vigilant
on the issues of national security and prevail upon the government to take
effective measures in this behalf.
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