Fear of the Dragon
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 23, 2015 -

India and China are scheduled to meet for the 18th round of talks on the protracted border issue beginning Monday.

The officials of the two countries are likely to confer on respective positions with regard to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) this time round.

Observers have expressed hope that the two countries might clinch a solution to the vexed boundary issue following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the latter’s visit to Delhi in September last year.

The frequency of the hiccups between the two countries over the boundary issue has over the years overshadowed the necessity of developing closer ties when seen from a global perspective.

Maintaining peace at the international borders has now been given attention while the tension triggered by assertions still continues to persist.

Stressing on the need for an “out of the box” solution on the border issue, both the countries have to first settle the claims and counter claims over Arunachal Pradesh.

However sensitive the issue is, the two countries at least should make an attempt at clearing the misgivings on what has been dubbed as the Chinese Aggression of 1962.

Observers in India’s Northeast also should understand that one of many reasons for the tardy pace of development in the region has been attributed to the “imagined mistrust or the Fear of the Dragon.” Without getting rid of this fear, India will not be in a position to march forward with its Act or Look East Policy.

Though there are perceptible changes in the totality of grasping the causes to hindrance on cementing closer ties between India and China, it is a fact that India too has started building up infrastructure all along the international border.

While infrastructure building along the international border areas will definitely help India in its defence preparedness, certain sections of the people of the Northeast region are also hoping to benefit from the effort.

Whatever said and done, both China and India are well aware of the abundant natural resources in the region dogged by political instability and turmoil since the end of British Colonial dispensation.

Whether or not which country succumbs to the fear of the Dragon or the Elephant will be measured by how certain historical incongruities are corrected in right earnestness.