Letters to the Editor: Trade restrictions against China must be imposed

Bellicose China has been forcefully pursuing a state policy of territorial aggression, both on land and water, against its neighbours; and who knows it better than India — the close neighbour facing her unceasing cavalier posture along the long borders stretching from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh UT for decades since the 1950s. India has been already confronting the military face-off with China on the Ladakh borders for more than one and a half years. China had unilaterally occupied the disputed areas in east Ladakh in April 2020. Beijing is yet to fully vacate the neutral areas despite holding many military-level meetings; and this typical posture betrays its brazenness.

A few months back, there were media reports of the construction of new villages and also of the stockpiling of military hardware in the areas close to the Arunachal borders. The very recent such report was related to the satellite images of four new villages in the Bhutan territory near Doklam — which came to news in 2017 where the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA were locked in a stand-off for over 70 days until China retreated from the area. Similar news also poured in recently from the Philippines about its vessels carrying supplies to the troops in the area of its domination in the South China Sea blocked by the Chinese Coast Guard.

Given China's repeated border incursions on Indian territory and other countries, Beijing has been deliberately engaged in willful hostilities with its neighbours disregarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the other nations. Such unilateral despotic acts have exposed China as an international bully and also an expansionist. In India's exigencies, China deserves to be named and shamed globally through diplomatic counter-attacks. It is also incumbent on India to earn the confidence of many countries including the affected ones like Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and other countries bordering China. This will unite the other affected countries against the Dragon. Scaling down trade and commerce activities with China will not only economically squeeze the belligerent Asian country but also checkmate her.

Pannalal Dey

Guwahati

'Tractor Morcha'

on Parliament!

Samyukta Kisan Morcha has clarified that a tractor morcha will be held on November 29 in parliament. The winter session of Parliament is also taking place during this period. Against this backdrop from November 29, 500 protesters will march to Parliament every day with the help of tractor trolleys. Therefore, there are indications that the overall situation will be sensitive.

The farmers had called for a tractor parade on Republic Day. The route of the tractor parade was decided after a meeting with the Delhi Police. But as soon as the farmers' tractor parade started, the riots started. Tractors were pushed in different directions without going as planned. A large number of protesters reached the Red Fort with tractors. They then entered the Red Fort and hoisted a yellow flag over the ramparts of the fort. The tractor broke the barricades. There was a lot of confusion during the tractor march. Offensive and annoying types of things like performing various stunts with the help of tractors, putting tractors on the body of the police took place. Farmers' organizations had claimed that those people were intruders. How to believe it? This is called insensitivity. The organization calling for the agitation is responsible for what happened in the agitation. The people who spread unrest are not ours. So the responsibility cannot be shaken. Society pays close attention to such things. The Constitution gives every citizen the right to agitate democratically for their demands. But no one has the right to hurt society. Protesting by harassing the people means that if the people are harassed, the government should take note of the protest. Petrol-diesel prices have gone up. How can a tractor march be affordable? The problem of air pollution in Delhi is very serious. Therefore, schools and colleges have to give leave. At the same time, insisting on a tractor march means contributing to Delhi's pollution as well as playing with people's lives.

The number of protesters is high and the police force is relatively small. How could the police cover the angry protesters? What will the organizers of the tractor march say on it? Police have to charge batons to keep the situation under control. If the protesters are injured in this, then a new mess is created. Therefore, the police have to be careful not to provoke the protesters and make the situation worse. The biggest challenge for the police is to keep the situation under control. In short, the police are in trouble from all sides. What are your demands and what do you do? There should be a constant awareness of this.

Jayesh Rane,

Mumbai