China-India border dispute: what are New Delhi’s options to respond?
- Officially, escalation has been ruled out after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a border skirmish with Chinese troops. But calls for a response are growing
- India could target Huawei’s 5G deal, or boost ties with the US. And while all-out war is unlikely, its troops may take matters into their own hands
And among the Indian public, calls for a response are ringing louder as details – unverified by official sources – emerge over the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers killed in hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops on Monday night.
News reports said some of the bodies were mutilated, and soldiers attacked by clubs and rods spiked with iron nails. The sub-zero mountainous terrain of the Galwan Valley in the western Himalayas meant retrieving bodies and assessing the number of casualties was challenging, the reports said. However, the army has clarified that no Indian soldiers are missing.
As the bodies of dead soldiers arrived at their homes, television channels showed massive gatherings of mourners and protests in various cities.
Images of a group of people in Gujarat smashing what appeared to be a Chinese brand of television set went viral. India’s Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale demanded a ban on restaurants selling Chinese food.
