Tensions rising along the Sino-Indian MacMahon Line

An Indian Air force jet mysteriously exploded in mid air in South Tibet renamed Arunchal Pradesh by Bharat (aka India). South Tibet is Chinese territory which is occupied by Bharat remains a sore point of contention between Delhi and Beijing. India has recently been very provocative towards China. The bellicose statements out of Delhi have exacerbated the relations. What is worse, is the fact that the Indian Air Force had placed some of its planes in Tezpur and other bases right near the McMohon line. Delhi has also provoked Beijing my There are some reports that the IAF plane was shot down after straying into China or near the border.

NEW DELHI, May 24, 2009 (Hindustan Times – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — Taking China’s dramatic military expansion seriously, the Indian Air Force chief has said China poses a more real and potent threat to India than Pakistan…

The entire area is up in revolt against India. Assam wants its independence as do the “Seven Sisters“, the states East of Bangladesh. The plane could have been shot by any of the multiple militants working the area. The Naxalites or the Maoists could have acquired the technology to blow up the IAF planes.

…sore point between the two countries is a series of supposed Chinese border incursions in Arunachal Pradesh in recent years.

“To develop India’s capability to effectively meet future security challenges, the deployment of more troops along the India- China border is necessary,” The Arunachal Governor is a former head of the Indian army, General J. J. Singh.

South Tibet remains a huge territorial dispute between China and India.  Arunachal Pradesh means “land of the dawn-lit mountains” or “land of rising sun.” South Tibet  is located in the northeast corner of the India and bordered on the north by the Tibet region of China and on the east by Myanmar. The dipute began long before the Indo-Chinese War in late 1962. This region acquired an independent political status in January 20th, 1972, when it was declared as Union Territory, an administrative division of India ruled directly by the national government, under the name of Arunachal Pradesh. The state of Arunachal Pradesh Bill was passed by the Indian Parliament in 1986 and with effect from February 20th, 1987; Arunachal Pradesh became the 24th state of Indian Union. Even though Arunachal Pradesh is administrated by India as a state, China still claims most of it as a part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

…aircraft becoming operational by next week at Tezpur air base in Assam. Eighteen Sukhois in total will be deployed.  There are also plans to build more facilities in the region, including four to five airfields.

Then, over the next few years, two Army divisions with between 25,000 and 30,000 troops each would be moved into place opposite the 3,500km- long border with China, along with artillery, medical, signal and engineering units.  Officers who took part in the Indian war games said a clash with India was entirely possible, with Beijing trying to position itself as the pre-eminent power in the region.

The new force dispositions were aimed at “enhancing the capabilities of the Army troopers to effectively meet any sort of challenges”, Gen Singh said.India to boost forces at China border. Thu, Jun 11, 2009, The Statesman/Asia News Network

Bharat sees China as a major threat along the McMahon line.

The wreckage of an Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft that went missing yesterday after taking off from an advanced landing ground (ALG) in Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh was found on Wednesday afternoon along a remote mountainside by a ground search party. All 13 on board are dead — the IAF said there were no survivors and two villagers claimed they had seen the plane exploding in mid-air.

The IAF Eastern Command in Shillong released the names of seven IAF crew members and six Army personnel who died in the mishap: Wing Commander Gitesh Jit Singh Butalia, Wing Commander P K Saji, Squadron Leader P Siddharth, Squadron Leader Manash Mishra, Flight Lieutenant Varun Kumar, Master Warrant Officer Ramesh, Aircraft Attendant Sanjay Kumar, Gunners V Singh, K Kumar, S Kumar, Naik B S Nanwhegh, Sepoy A K Tirkey and Radio Mechanic R Wangchuk.

The aircraft was being captained by Wing Commander ‘Boots’ Butalia (36), an experienced transport pilot based in Jorhat. IAF officers said he had reported for work after a family vacation in Sikkim. He leaves behind his wife Vaishali and twin boys who turned seven recently. His mother, a school teacher in Chandigarh, was visiting the family in Jorhat and had to be taken to hospital after she learnt of the crash. His father, late Wing Commander N J S Butalia, too was a transport pilot. Indian Express

The Sixty Four thousand Dollar question is, “did the Chinese shoot down the plane”. Even if there is the remotest possibility that the India plane steered North of the red line, then there is the serious possibility of of an international escalation. Obviously both countries will downplay the incident and deny any wrongdoing. However the Indians now know that the red line has been drawn.

NEW DELHI – India is significantly upgrading its military prowess along the border it shares with China, deploying two army divisions along with a squadron of top-of-the-line Sukhoi Su-30MKI warplanes at a critical base in the north-east.

Three Awacs command-and-control aircraft will also be deployed to boost India’s ability to track troop and equipment movements on the Chinese side of the border.

The strengthening of the Indian posture at the border follows recent Indian war games predicated on a Chinese offensive. One conclusion from the exercise, upending the conventional wisdom in New Delhi, was that China was capable of launching an attack very swiftly on India, with no warning. India to boost forces at China border. Thu, Jun 11, 2009, The Statesman/Asia News Network

The exploding Indian plane may or may not have been an accident. However it will expedite India’s concerns along its Northern borders.

NEW DELHI – India is significantly upgrading its military prowess along the border it shares with China, deploying two army divisions along with a squadron of top-of-the-line Sukhoi Su-30MKI warplanes at a critical base in the north-east.

Three Awacs command-and-control aircraft will also be deployed to boost India’s ability to track troop and equipment movements on the Chinese side of the border. The strengthening of the Indian posture at the border follows recent Indian war games predicated on a Chinese offensive. One conclusion from the exercise, upending the conventional wisdom in New Delhi, was that China was capable of launching an attack very swiftly on India, with no warning. India to boost forces at China border. Thu, Jun 11, 2009, The Statesman/Asia News Network

Posted in China CA, Current Affairs, India CA Tagged: MacMahon Line, Sino-Indian border