One may have myriad differences with the Indians, but one cannot find fault with the timing of their statements to undermine Pakistan's diplomatic moves. No wonder, Indian army chief General V K Singh's assertion that Pakistan and China are "two major irritants for India's security" perfectly fits that bill, coming as it does shortly ahead of the Pak-US Strategic Dialogue.
Pakistan has made clear that at the meeting in Washington, next week, its delegation would push to clinch a civilian nuclear deal. Since co-operation in the field of energy is one of the high-priority items on the agenda for the third round, a discussion on this issue cannot be ruled out. Logic to this demand is strong, given the American decision to supply India with substantial nuclear technology and hardware, even when the agreement is violative of international law and non-proliferation treaties and protocols. Obviously, the Indians are out to subvert this move, mainly by bracketing Pakistan with China, which they feel, not quite unreasonably, would sit well with the China-phobic American security establishment.
Couched in anti-China jargon General Singh has talked of Beijing's rising military and economic clout, which he said, remains of a serious concern to India, although he concedes a wider conflict is not likely. An attempt has been made to refocus on more than half a century-old border skirmish as a lingering dispute between the two countries. "We cannot take chances...the (Chinese) intentions need to be looked at", he says.
According to him, not only India should have "substantial conventional war fighting capabilities," but also the "ability to fight in a nuclear scenario." Again, a bait he expects the Western strategists would take. The fact, however, is that the Indian army chief's threat perception is at variance with recognised analytical assessments and conclusions. Given that the Himalayas is a formidable natural barrier between India and China and its harsh terrain rules out a large-scale military conflict between them, the so-called Chinese threat to Indian security and New Delhi's two-front war prognosis have no basis. The reality on the other hand is that India and Pakistan are pitted against each other as regional rival powers, with a history of three bloody wars between them.
The Indian general's statement is essentially aimed at subverting the forthcoming Pak-US Strategic Dialogue by raising the ante of Pak-China as joint threat to its security.
If the Indian military establishment really needs augmented conventional capabilities, it is in the context of the new vigour domestic insurgencies have acquired; a full-fledged war is being waged by the communists in the eastern and central provinces of India, in addition to the Kashmiris' movement for independence. Stationing half a million troops in the Occupied Kashmir is a costly proposition. So if there is a threat to India's security it has, essentially, a strong domestic dimension, and not from Pakistan or China.