THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-July 3, 2017- Topic 1

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Tension at Bhutan tri-junction suits neither China nor India

The boundary stand-off with China at the Doka La tri-junction with Bhutan is by all accounts unprecedented; it demands calmer counsel on all sides. The tri-junction stretch of the boundary at Sikkim, though contested, has witnessed far fewer tensions than the western sector of the India-China boundary even as India and Bhutan have carried on separate negotiations with China. China’s action of sending People’s Liberation Army construction teams with earth moving equipment to forcibly build a road upsets a carefully preserved peace. 

In fact, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit in 2014 the stretch was opened as an alternative route to Kailash Mansarovar for Indian pilgrims as a confidence-building measure. That the PLA decided to undertake the action just as the year’s first group of pilgrims was reaching Nathu La cannot be a coincidence. Moreover, it came only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with President Xi in Kazakhstan. The warmth that officials reported at the meeting was obviously misleading, and it is important for India and China to accept that relations have deteriorated steadily since Mr. Xi’s 2014 visit. The stand-off comes after a series of setbacks to bilateral ties. Delhi has expressed disappointment over China’s rejection of its concerns on sovereignty issues, and refusal to corner Pakistan on cross-border terrorism or help India’s bid for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership.In turn, India’s spurning of the Belt and Road Initiative and cooperation with the U.S. on maritime issues has not played well in China — neither has the uptick in rhetoric, including statements from the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister questioning India’s “One China Policy” on Tibet, and from Army chief Bipin Rawat on India being prepared for a two-and-a-half front war.

These issues have to be addressed through sustained dialogue. In the immediate term, however, talks must focus on defusing the tensions at the tri-junction. China has made the withdrawal of Indian troops a precondition for dialogue. This would be unacceptable to India, unless the PLA also withdraws its troops and road-building teams. Apart from its own commitments to the status quo, Beijing must recognise the special relationship India and Bhutan have shared since 1947, the friendship treaty of 2007 that commits India to protecting Bhutan’s interests, and the close coordination between the two militaries. For its part, India would be keen to show that it recognises that the face-off is in Bhutanese territory, and the rules of engagement could be different from those of previous India-China bilateral clashes — at Depsang and Demchok in the western sector, for example. Bhutan’s sovereignty must be maintained as that is the basis for the “exemplary” ties between New Delhi and Thimphu. The Indian government has been wise to avoid escalation in the face of China’s aggressive barrage, but that should not stop it from communicating its position in more discreet ways.

Vocabulary

Unprecedented: never done or known before.

Example: The government took the unprecedented step of releasing confidential correspondence

Synonyms: unheard of, unknown, new, novel, groundbreaking, revolutionary

Stretch: a continuous area or expanse of land or water.

Example: A treacherous stretch of road

Synonyms: expanse, area, tract, belt, sweep, extent

Equipment: the necessary items for a particular purpose.

Example: Office equipment

Synonyms: apparatus, paraphernalia, articles, appliances, impedimenta

Warmth: the quality, state, or sensation of being warm; moderate and comfortable heat.

Example: The warmth of the sun on her skin

Synonyms: heat, warmness, hotness, fieriness, coziness

Rhetoric: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

Example: Born into a rich provincial family, he studied philosophy as well as rhetoric and law.

Synonyms: oratory, eloquence, command of language, way with words

Defusing: remove the fuse from an explosive device in order to prevent it from exploding.

Example: Explosives specialists tried to defuse the grenade

Synonyms: deactivate, disarm, disable, make safe

Exemplary: serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind.

Example: An award for exemplary community service

Synonyms: perfect, ideal, model, faultless, flawless, impeccable

Discreet: careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage.

Example: We made some discreet inquiries

Synonyms: careful, circumspect, cautious, wary, chary, guarded