OPINION

The current standoff with China at Doklam plateau clearly brings out the need for interoperability both with Bhutan and Nepal, in addition to other South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations. Unfortunately interoperability has not been strength of the Indian strategic class. On the other hand China, has achieved a high degree of the same with Pakistan, and with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),   the foe becomes common.  This implies that with shared economic interests what may be a two front war for India becomes a single front for the CPEC nations.  It shows high levels of understanding between the two nations -- Pakistan and China. Strategic affairs commentator Pravin Sawhney clearly spells a warning, when he writes, “Pakistan and China have high levels of interoperability which is the ability of two armed forces to operate with ease as one whole in a combat environment. This helps strengthen deterrence, manage crises, shape battlefields and win wars. The invigorated Pakistan military – which would be supported by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in all conventional war domains (land, sea, air, space, electromagnetic and cyber) without showing its hand – is the new military threat facing India.” The Indian Navy of course has the Malabar series of exercises in the Indian

 In 2014, this government made a promise to the people of India, to safeguard their health, to provide the men, women, and children of this country the best chance to survive and thrive. One of the key initiatives was to protect as many of our children against as many diseases as possible, with the introduction of new vaccines into the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), as well as by ensuring these reach the unreached. This was one of the most significant policy decisions in public health arena taken because of the visionary leadership of Shri Narendra Modi Ji.  Today, I can say that promise is well on its way to being fulfilled.  For decades, our children have died from diseases that could be prevented. Introduction of new vaccines is key to reducing childhood and infant mortality and morbidity in the country.  In the last two years, through the UIP, we saw the introduction of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Rotavirus vaccine (RVV) against diarrhoea, and the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, to protect against both measles and rubella. The latest weapon in the arsenal being introduced is pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). More than 130 countries worldwide have introduced PCV as part of their childhood immunization programmes, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) global recommendations. This vaccine provides protection against one of the most common causes of pneumonia—a bacterium called pneumococcus. This bacterium also causes other diseases such as ear infections, meningitis and blood infections, with some of these resulting in death or serious disabilities.

All states in the North-East region lack in good governance due to instability, crumbling coalitions and politics of mistrust and lust for the highest executive post in their respective states.  It is generally said that the decision on formation of the coalitions and break ups are taken in the shortest possible time over dining tables. Further the politicians have been openly making mockery of anti-defection law by switching over all the members of a particular party in the Assembly enblock or walking over comfortably with the two third or more members with an aim to create new alignments with similar or ideologically different political parties to stake claims for the formation of alternative governments.The NE region has also been witnessing legal battles after formation of the alternative governments; Arunachal Pradesh witnessed dismissal of the government headed by late Kalikho Pul  and re installation of the earlier Chief Minister and unusual comments by the Apex Court about the role of Governor. It looks that the politicians in North Eastern states are yet to understand the importance and relevance of the governance for economic development and feeling of taking all fellow partners along in the best interest of the citizens of the state.

Before the advent of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ganga, the most revered and national river of India, was facing the challenge to its existence due to discharge of increasing quantities of sewage, trade effluents and other pollutants on account of rapid urbanization and industrialization. The stretch of Ganga covers a length of 2525 kilometers across five states namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It has a catchment area of 8,61,404 square km covering over a quarter of country’s land area and sustaining 46% of the total population of the country. It touches 118 towns and 1657 Gram Panchayats across 66 districts of 5 states of India. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), created in June, 2014, is being supported by State level Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and west Bengal. The main activities undertaken under Namami Gange include sewage and effluent management including creation of new and rehabilitation of existing STPs, complete sanitation coverage of Gram Panchayats, development of model cremation/dhobi ghats, development of decision support system in GIS platform for efficient planning and monitoring and creation of an IT based monitoring centre with capabilities of real time alerts and prediction. For long term protection and rejuvenation, a provision has been made for 100% funding for the entire life time cost of the treatment of assets created including O&M cost for 10 years.

The Doklam plateau standoff with the Chinese, and the Gorkhaland agitation are both running concurrently, and the Chinese are past masters in the art of fishing in troubled waters. Today, they have done it with the political class of the nation; tomorrow they will try it with the ongoing agitation of Gorkhaland. 
The agitation is located guarding the Northern approach as we term it in military parlance of the “Chicken Neck”.  The Chicken Neck is a narrow piece of land connecting the North East with the rest of India. It has Bhutan on one side, Bangladesh on the other side, and a troubled Siliguri district where the Gorkha land agitation is on, also colloquially called the “Siliguri corridor”. 
Gorkhaland as brought out time and again by this author fits well into the security structure of the modern look east policy of India. The aim of the Chinese is to touch a key core concern of India that is threaten the Chicken Neck a narrow piece of land that connects  the rest of North East India with the mainland.
Once a road is built by the Chinese at Tri Junction, where the current military standoff is taking place, this area comes under medium artillery range and can be interdicted at will. China also bullies Bhutan thus tests whether India will stand besides Bhutan to further test Nepal India relations.  The Chinese have diplomatically built inroads into Nepal and are testing the waters militarily. India has a special place in foreign policy of Nepal; vide the first four of the ten clauses treaty of friendship 1950 with Nepal.