In his Dec. 26 article, "China puts muscle to policy," Brahma Chellaney seems to have put great effort in vilifying China from every angle possible while presenting India as a guaranteed victim of every move China makes in Tibet and beyond.
How about India's reputation in South Asian geopolitics? Aren't their angry protests against Indian highhandedness across the region? India still blames Pakistan for harboring militants fighting for the Kashmir cause, but isn't India a safe haven for militants causing trouble in Nepal? Recent Nepalese intelligence reports about the burning problem in the Terai region of the country explicitly singled out the high level of Indian involvement in instigating the problem.
As for border issues, there are a number of instances where India has created a dispute by effectively encroaching on Nepalese land. In Kalapani, which is the trilateral border point for China, Nepal and India, India boosts a 372-square-km military base, built on encroached land.
In Susta, a current flash point, India has encroached on 14,000 hectares of land preventing Nepalese farmers from cultivating the land. Not to mention India's long-standing border problems with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Chellaney shows his sympathy for the Tibetan cause. No problem. But it is a well-known fact that India plays a villain's role in undermining the hopes of Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal to return to their homeland. Why this double standard? It would be helpful if India thoroughly dismantle its own bullish acts vis-a-vis weaker neighbors before taking on stronger China.
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