China today is afraid of only one country and that country is India. And perhaps that is the reason that China keeps on doing something to irritate India, be it its intrusions in Indian territories or the dam over the Brahmaputra and perhaps to test its strength and strategy to deal with China’s extremely superior military power.

Alarming news appeared on last October 15 that said, ‘strong evidence has now emerged to suggest that China has begun constructing a dam on the river which it calls the Yarlungzangbo (better known as Yarlong Tsangpo to the Tibetans). The dam over Brahmaputra will certainly be extremely damaging for India. The National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) confirmed the start of construction at the Magnum site on the Brahmaputra.

Indian Prime minister raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart, but he denied any construction. And unfortunately instead of finding the actual position by its own sources, the Prime Minister of India believed the Chinese information. Isn’t the NRSA version reliable enough to pursue the matter further with the right international agency if it’s going to affect the economy of a region of the country? Why the government or the Prime Minister is keeping the whole country in dark on the issue? What has been the preparation of India as the news started appearing years ago on such possibilities? According to a report in 2007, ‘China was preparing to build a dam on the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) to have twice the hydroelectric output as the Three Gorges.’

The whole of Himalayan range that feeds all the rivers of India is under China and Nepal. Should Indians be made to believe that if China wishes and develops a technical capability, it can demolish Himalaya and transform India into a desert?