Who is Afraid of the Chinese Dragon? I Am (Paperback - 2010)

India and China are the largest developing countries with more than one-third of the world’s population. They are rivals in the quest for economic, military and political power and influence. Post 1950, relations between India and China have been plagued by border disputes, India sheltering the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees and regional rivalry. These issues are difficult to resolve. Both neighbours claim that the other occupies territory that is rightfully theirs. China is unhappy with the presence of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees in India and considers them a potential threat to its hold over Tibet.

There are other problems too. India cannot ignore China's military alliances with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar. Most Indians do not realize the extent to which China has succeeded in controlling all of India’s neighbours except Bhutan through military and economic aid, and has projected itself as the bulwark against Indian hegemony in the region. India cannot prevent China from being friendly with its neighbours and providing them with military equipment, military assistance and economic aid. The only option before India is to make itself militarily and economically strong enough to make China and its allies averse to a military adventure against it.

The aim of this book is to make the Indian leaders and the Indian public aware of the extent to which the Chinese have encircled India over the last thirty years and the comparative weakness of the Indian Armed Forces vis-à-vis what China and its allies can deploy against us if it chooses to. The book also highlights economic, political and other weaknesses in our national security. The book is an attempt to make our leaders, media, intelligentsia and the educated realize the precarious state of our defence preparedness and take appropriate actions before it is too late. Policymakers, defence strategists, those working in military and paramilitary forces and common readers will find it highly informative.

Col. Bhaskar Sarkar, a graduate in Civil Engineering and a postgraduate in Military Science and Management, served in the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army for 28 years. Presently, he is working as a civil engineer and management consultant.

Col. Sarkar is a prolific writer. His other books are Pakistan Seeks Revenge and God Saves India; Tackling Insurgency and Terrorism; Kargil War: Past, Present and Future; Outstanding Victories of the Indian Army; Thirty-Nine Steps to Happiness; A Practical Approach to Vaastu Shastra; All We need to Know about Earthquakes; Nationalism: The Economic Strategy for Survival of Developing Countries and Introduction to World Religions.