His reiteration was more of the nature of keeping his ultra-national image intact than aimed at reassuring the country that the government was taking steps to protect India’s sovereignty and “the sacrifice of our jawans will not be in vain. For us, India’s unity and sovereignty is the most important and no one can stop us from protecting it.”

Modi did not intend to dilute his message which was why his statement had omitted any reference to dialogue to signal that the government was not looking for a way out. Modi also underscored that no one could stop India from hitting back if its sovereignty was targeted. This obviously raises the question whether India would launch assault on China?

His remark coincided with his urban middle class supporters, particularly residing in the high rise apartments, giving a call for boycott of Chinese goods. His observation; “India wants peace. But when provoked India will and is capable of giving an appropriate answer under any circumstances. And on the subject of our martyred, brave soldiers — the nation will be proud that they died while hitting back”, ought to be seen in wider perspective.

Strange enough while Modi promised of proper reply, the Chinese official urged India not to “underestimate China’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty.” In a way he was threatening India. He also repeated Beijing’s earlier accusation that it was India’s troops who’d crossed line of actual control on June 15 and initiated attacks on Chinese soldiers.

Though 20 precious lives of soldiers have been sacrificed it is really intriguing that so far no tangible reason has surfaced in the public domain about the genesis of the clash. If the foreign minister Jaishankar is to be relied he had said; “the Chinese side took premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties.” He also did not clarify the “Why” factor.

The tension has been building up for quite some time, but ironically the Modi government did not make any significant move to diffuse the crisis. Indian clarification that our troops came under attack when they protested the actions of Chinese soldiers, who constructed a fresh post in the buffer zone that was designed to ensure peace, does not sound plausible. It might have triggered the clash, but what was the reason for Chinese soldiers entering into Indian land constructing camps?

It’s the first time in 45 years that a military skirmish of this nature along Himalayan border had turned deadly. While it signalled a sharp deterioration in ties between the two regional giants, this exposes the futility of nine visits of Narendra Modi to China for meeting his dear friend Xi Jingping. If in India’s perception China has been source of trouble, then there was no justifiable reason for Modi to undertake nine journey to that country.

There is no denying the fact that Modi care for USA interest more than India’s. Modi having built a strong bond with Xi should have taken care to sort out the issues of China pushing it in Indian Ocean and subverting India’s relations with Nepal. Chinese assertiveness has been India’s biggest foreign-policy challenge. But Modi never gave that amount of care it deserved. Instead of keeping national interest at the top he tried to project him as the champion of Donald’s cause. One question could be asked why in spite of several one to one meetings China’s Xi Jinping has played his hand extremely poorly when it comes to India?

As usual the BJP has been trying to ridicule the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his tweets and questions, but thing is certain theses have been of much embarrassment to Modi and his government. “Why is he hiding?” Rahul Gandhi, the most prominent opposition leader, wrote on Twitter. “Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened. How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?” A whole bunch of myth has been created about Modi-Xi relations, but what happened on June 15 will not help Modi to weather the storm. Media friendly to him has already feeding the unsubstantiated reports that Indian troops had won the skirmish. They must realise that they might have been boosting the image of Modi but in fact lessening the pressure to retaliate.

After the Balakot incident of air strike the Modi government went all out to strengthen its claim of being a true nationalist leader and party, but after Ladakh carnage a hush hush has descended. From Modi to Amit Shah every threatened “ghar main ghush ke marenge” but after Galwan they are maintaining silence.

Just recall the happiness level of Modi post Balakot. In the middle of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi told a poll rally in Latur, Maharashtra: “I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan? Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack)?”

Galwan has been the Indian territory. The Galwan Valley had been a settled area on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since the 1962 war, but Chinese troops intruded into the area last month amid multi-point transgressions into territory claimed by India. But the government instead of acting fast to defuse the crisis allowed it to be dragged. A prompt intervention would not have allowed space to China to “unilaterally change the status quo” in the Valley.

Like his leader Modi, the Home Minister Amit Shah too maintained passive silence. Last year intervening in debate on Pulwama Shah had vowed to give his life for the integrity of Jammu and Kashmir and a reminder that it included Aksai Chin. But he did not utter a single word this time.

This incident has nevertheless compelled Modi to part away from his usual practice of not listening to others. He would be meeting the presidents of political parties on June 19 to discuss the situation. Usually he talks to nation over TV or radio. But this time he would reach out to the opposition even before he had shared with the country his thoughts and anguish about the deaths of 20 soldiers in Ladakh.

For the past few weeks, the Congress and some others have been clamouring for details on the Ladakh front, questioning the Prime Minister’s silence and repeatedly pleading with Modi to take the nation into confidence. It has been a frenetic five weeks of “unquiet front” in Ladakh between India and China. During this period Washington supported its strategic partner, India, with a strong anti-China statement.

Congress leader was politically correct in saying; “The PM has maintained a worrying silence since May 5. Can you imagine any other Head of Government not saying a word for 7 weeks since the intrusion of foreign troops into a country?” (IPA Service)