Power games at the tri-junction: Army in for the long haul in Dokalam: 

Power games at the tri-junction: Army in for the long haul in Dokalam: 

Indian troops are set to stay at Doklam Context

• India troops are ready to confront Chinese activity beneath Bhutan’s border line.

Recent developments

• Chinese commotion beneath Bhutan’s claim line has pushed the area towards crucial ridge-line.
• This has numerous implications especially widening the area of Chinese control in an otherwise very narrow valley from around 8-9 km (Batang La to the Amo Chu river) to 12-13 km (Gamochen to the river)
• The commotion leads to easing the logistics of moving large number of troops.
• Control of the dictating ridgeline would give China a strong position, by some accounts even domination, over Indian posts to the west, and Bhutanese ones to the south and east.

India army to hold their position at Doklam

• The Army is prepared for the long haul in holding onto its position in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction.
• China increasing rhetoric against India is demanding pulling back of Indian troops.
• The armed forces deployed in the disputed area have pitched tents, in an indication that they are unlikely to retreat.
• Any change would not come unless there will be reciprocity from Chinese personnel in ending the face-off at an altitude of around 10,000 feet in the Sikkim section.
• The supplies are being arranged for the soldiers at the site, signaling that the Army is not going to wither under any pressure from China.
• At the same time, they sounded confident of finding a diplomatic solution to the dispute, citing resolution of border skirmishes in the past through diplomacy.

India falling short at infrastructure development

• India is still short of matching the striking infrastructure development in Tibet over the past decade.
• India still has two-thirds of sanctioned roads on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) un-built.
• Chinese forces on the other hand are moving through the Chumbi Valley, 90 km from top to bottom getting long, exposed flanks.
• India has a formidable set of forces arrayed to the west, with mountain divisions in Gangtok (17th), Kalimpong (27th), and Binaguri (20th) further to the south, all of which are part of the Siliguri-based 33 Corps.
• The 59th division of 17 Corps, India’s first mountain strike corps, raised for the purpose of offensive operations into Tibet, is headquartered in Panagarh and will reportedly be operational this year.

India’s military advantage: IMTRAT

• India’s privileged relationship with Bhutan allows it to bring to bear large forces from the east.
• A significant Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) is permanently based in western Bhutan, while other units regularly cooperate with the Royal Bhutan Army.
• India’s willingness to intervene forcefully in a bilateral Bhutan-China dispute is a reflection both of India’s own vital interests in the Chumbi Valley and of its commanding position in Bhutan.

Towards the conclusion

• There is a reasonable chance that this stand-off will end within weeks, with China quietly halting road construction and Indian troops returning westward to their posts.
• The risk of escalation appears low.
• The Indian government is conducting a national security review of Chinese investment in South Asia.