D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS VI CT N OR ISIO Y THROUGH V CLAWS The Unaccountability of India’s Issue Brief Border Roads Organisation n Dr. Monika Chansoria as infrastructure stack-up in the Tibetan Autonomous Region adjoining India? It is well known that the LAC Recurrence of strain in India-China relations is reflected has not been physically demarcated on the ground time and again when Chinese transgressions in the and on military maps. China’s reluctance, or for that border areas in the northeastern and western theatre matter, refusal, to show its version of the LAC points throw caution to the winds, only to reestablish that towards a larger dodgy ploy of progressively building Beijing apparently has chosen to keep the boundary up its case for claims in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal and territorial dispute alive as a tactical pressure point Pradesh. against India. New Delhi should certainly not give in to In the backdrop of these hostile strategic realities, the unfounded demand by China—that of suspending it is only imperative to outline the jaded and laid-back infrastructure development activities near the Line approach adopted by the Border Roads Organisation of Actual Control (LAC). India finally appears to be (BRO), a quasi-military set-up established in 1960, hitting the right notes with Union Minister of State tasked with developing and maintaining for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju confirming that plans strategically vital infrastructure in the border December 2014 44, No. that are afoot to construct a road network along the areas. The current status of India’s logistics international boundary from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang preparedness, especially road infrastructure to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal in the western and northeastern sectors of Pradesh. Reacting sharply to India’s plans, the Chinese the country can be termed simply as pitiable. Foreign Ministry issued a statement, “… the boundary Have we chosen to conveniently discount issue between China and India is left by the colonial the exigency of China’s massive blitzkrieg in past. We need to deal with this issue properly… there the name of air, road-, and rail-networked is a dispute about the eastern part of the China-India infrastructure all along its border areas with border.” India’s Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, India? It, indeed, is ironic that while India was quick to reject any counselling from the other side, has successfully launched the Mangalyaan saying that nobody should “threaten or warn India”. (Mars Orbiter Mission), on the ground, an This often impels one to question if China has ever organisations such as the BRO has proved offered an explanation for the blizzard that they term to be an abject failure and just cannot get its The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an autonomous think tank dealing with national security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional and sub-conventional conflict and terrorism. CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy-oriented in approach. Website: www.claws.in Contact us: [email protected] D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS V IC TO ION 2 RY VIS THROUGH CLAWS The Unaccountability of India’s... act together in the construction, repair and maintenance construction/repair activity of roads are quick and of strategic roads in the India-China border areas. generic. India’s border infrastructure projects are In the many extensive road trips that I have embarked plagued by procedural delays. Beginning with acquiring on, both across Arunachal Pradesh (starting from forest and wildlife department clearances and land Assam) and all through the Ladakh sector up north, I acquisition to contractors unwilling to work in far-flung was horrified to see the poor condition of the roads that areas, the frequent local strikes, damage caused by the lead up to the border areas. In the case of the former, heavy rains and the complications of working in high while the initial part of the journey till Tezpur in Assam is altitude terrain. According to the Standing Committee reasonably all right, the wearisome part begins thereafter. on Defence of the Fifteenth Lok Sabha, the Ministry The first major stretch lies from Tezpur to a village of Defence stated that there are 12 forest/wildlife cases named Tenga in Arunachal Pradesh. Placed right on the pending for want of clearance from the Ministry of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border lies Bhalukpong—a Environment and Forests (MoEF) for construction of quaint little township. Close to Bhalukpong, there is a the Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR). In what comes as particular stretch, which is a mockery in the name of slight relief to the constant impediment pertaining forest being called a road. Measuring a mere 8 km, it takes clearances, in a written communication to the MoEF, the more than half-an-hour to cross this stretch and should Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has asked be considered as the first warning of what lies ahead. for states with international borders to be empowered Towards reaching the border with China are some to provide environment and forest clearances to speed picturesque villages and small townships, namely up infrastructure projects along the borders. Further, the Bomdila, Dirang Valley and the Sela Pass, situated at an government has asked the states to constitute separate altitude of 13,700 ft. The strategically located town of cells for initiating forest and environment clearances for Tawang lies approximately 80 km from the Sela Pass. projects up to 100 kms at their respective levels, and refer The topography in a high altitude terrain such as this projects beyond that to the Centre. In the specific case of is such that heavy rains and landslides through out the Arunachal Pradesh, the immediate aim reportedly is to year make the already muddied roads slushier. Despite accelerate construction of approximately 6,000 kms of these realities, what catches the eye is the insufficient the road network in the area. planning of the drainage system, witnessed all through While there is no denying that these issues do, in the uphill climb till Tawang and beyond. Far worse, fact, pose grave challenges, the moot question remains: in many places, there is a complete absence of drains how long can India afford to put its national security which, in turn, messes up all construction/repair activity, at risk in the garb of these pleas? In fact, the massive whatever little is happening. Moreover, culverts, meant infrastructure and logistics build-up being undertaken for flow of water, under are either missing or remain by China all across the Tibet Autonomous Region perennially blocked. including national road and rail transport systems, has The BRO, shockingly, still seems to favour “hiring enhanced the Chinese People’s of Liberation Army’s of some of its equipment... It does not make sense to (PLA’s) land-based transport capabilities which shall have all the equipment.” No prizes for guessing that the double up as base support for China’s military. More pace of the construction work is preposterously slow. significantly, China’s military force projection and The sense I got during these visits was that explanations application capability against India has been upgraded for never-ending delays in the commencement of and its overall strategic and operational flexibilityhas D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS VI CT N O SIO 3 CLAWS RY VI THROUGH been improved. Standing at the Bumla Pass at the most certainly, not visible on the ground — in fact, not McMahon Line — forming the Sino-Indian border in even close to that. Perhaps a detailed sketch of every Arunachal Pradesh according to India — I saw a smooth, one of these “82 roads” along with the exact respective well maintained, metal track road on the Chinese progress report would bring more clarity to the murky side in great contrast to the dismal state of roads in picture that unfortunately prevails today. Tall claims India’s eastern sector. The Chinese are far ahead not made by the BRO in 2012 — that “… by 2014, you will just in terms of construction of infrastructure along the see a marked difference across the borders… combining borders with India, but also its regular maintenance and both big and small schemes, we are working on more upkeep. A 12-member road maintenance team at nearly than 2,000 road projects (along the borders)” — can be 5,000 m altitude on the Que’er mountain in southwest termed as sheer travesty given that the situation on the China’s Sichuan province under the Dege County Road ground tells a different story altogether. It was stated Management Bureau is located along the 317 State by the BRO way back in 2008, “We have identified Highway in Dege county in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous 3,400 km of roads along the border as critical… This prefecture, western Sichuan province, as per Chinese comprises 61 roads and we plan to complete it in a time- sources. Stationed at the highest position among all road bound manner by 2012.” As 2014 draws to a close, the maintenance teams along the No. 317 State Highway, stated objective is not even close to being achieved. the team’s major job is to maintain a 10-km section of The BRO’s budgetary requirements are being the highway, mostly involving breaking open the road provided by the Ministry of Road Transport and blocked by snowstorms, landslides or rain-triggered Highways.