Preparedness The Most Vital Part Of Defence Strategy

Galwan clash affected the way diplomacy and international negotiations are conducted

- SHASHI SHEKHAR

No one knew about the Galwan Valley in the Eastern Ladakh region of India until the fateful days of 15-16 June 2020. Something happened on the intervening night that impacted Sino-Indian relations in a big way and forced us to revisit our doctrines on strategic preparedness and border security.

Today, the fifth anniversary of the Galwan clashes, is a time for its remembrance.

Since 2013, border tensions have flared up regularly between China and India. In 2017, Chinese soldiers entered disputed areas. They built an observation post in Galwan Valley. Despite repeated requests from India to remove the makeshift observation post, China refused to oblige.

Against this backdrop, close to a hundred Indian soldiers under the command of Colonel Santosh Babu proceeded to the valley, with the objective to remove the encroachment. They were attacked by a large contingent of Chinese soldiers.

The Chinese troops used crude weapons such as sticks wrapped with barbed wire to attack the Indian forces as the use of regular weapons are barred in accordance with bilateral treaties signed in 1996 and 2005.