A subtle point is being made here by @Lt Gen @rwac48 that I would like to add to. War is nothing but bending the adversary to your will. It is the usual Clausewitz definition of war but the politics is where it plays out although driven by military action.

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Modern wars are limited, intense but short. They may have a limited strategic and/or tactical aim but the focus is more on exploiting the politics in the enemy’s territory by embarrassing the political authority before its own people & destabilising Govt.

Bending the political authority to your will is not sought in 1 go but in incremental steps to keep military action below a carefully selected threshold. But the pressure is sustained over time to repeated application of military pressure. This is what China is doing.

The political authority in the enemy country is undermined by embarrassing before its own people. Or by exacerbating existing fault lines. In democracies, this become especially easier due to frequent elections. The aim is political coercion, not military defeat outright.

Chinese action on our borders is classic 5th generation political warfare where the difference between war & politics is completely blurred & the internal political flaws of the enemy determine how you coerce him & bend him to your will. War has become very political.

Modi ji understands this fact. Which is why BJP IT Cell & the entire propaganda machinery are in full-throated denial of the Chinese incursions in Ladakh. Intuitively, they realise Modi ji is being targeted by the Chinese & hence the effort to ring fence him from political harm.

But even as Modi ji understands this 5th generation warfare, his own politics at home have created his vulnerability. As Lt Gen @rwac48 points out, it is never wise to drive domestic politics on the basis of a contrived national security doctrine. It leads to a big vulnerability.

The Chinese have noted how Modi ji’s entire domestic political strategy is driven by his national security machismo. They noted Balakot. They learned from Doklam. And they understand Modi ji’d domestic political compulsions. And they are exploiting them to embarrass Modi ji.

If you note, Pakistan has long employed 4th generation warfare against us in Kashmir in an effort to compel politicians in India to concede their demands. Pk has no hope whatsoever of a military victory. China has smoothly transitioned to 5th generation warfare.

It is high time that Modi ji & BJP/RSS understand that their shortsighted domestic hate agendas have a huge national security dimension. In the modern era with instant communication, your internal politics is no longer internal. Any mistakes you make can be exploited by enemies.

Like it or not, we face a 5th generation warfare challenge from China. We have no tools to take this war to China. We have no means to embarrass Xi as he embarrasses Modi ji. We can only defend for now. And we must understand that war is more politically than military for now.

Modi ji’s domestic political strategy may win elections but its is both divisive and hate driven and creates humongous opportunities our enemies to exploit. The writing is on the wall.

BJP/RSS need to dispassionately relook at their agenda in the national interest.

Else much grief for everybody lies ahead. U cannot send the polity to the dogs to win elections. And your external enemies will not hesitate to exploit the opportunities you unwittingly create for them.

Trade integrates seamlessly into 5th generation warfare. More on that later.

Lt Gen @rwac48’s article in the IE runs deep. I would recommend every security uncle & pundit read it because for obvious reasons, he has had to leave much unsaid. I have added only a wee bit to what he actually says. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-china-lac-dispute-violence-galwan-river-doklam-h-s-panag-6463940/