In a report which should worry the Indian government, the media reported on Monday that China will operate bullet trains to Tibet, close to the Indian border in Arunachal, before July this year. Construction started in 2014 on the railway line connecting Lhasa with Nyingchi in eastern Tibet. It is the first electrified railroad in Tibet and is slated to begin operations in June 2022. In the last 20 years, China has massively upgraded road, railway and air infrastructure in the Tibet region near the Sino-Indian border. This has given them a certain edge.
On the other hand, the Indian government has failed to improve infrastructure on its side of the border. Look at Arunachal itself, where a large number of border areas still remain unconnected. Forget air and rail connectivity, there is no proper road connection. Everyone is aware that constructing roads in the mountains of Arunachal is not easy. But unfortunately the babus sitting in an air conditioned rooms in Delhi, who never step a foot in the state, take decisions regarding the infrastructure needs of the state. If India has to counter China, there is a need for massive upgrading of infrastructure, including rail, road and air, in the state. Unfortunately, for now China is way ahead of us. Before it is too late, India has to catch up. 2020 saw a rise in tension between the two nations. The Chinese have been behaving very aggressively. An uneasy truce is being maintained along the border. India needs to learn from the Galwan incident, where many soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.