Chapter 60: The Strategic Buffer

With India's internal consolidation well underway and its economy defying global depression, Adav's strategic foresight turned to India's northern frontier. High in the Himalayas lay Tibet, a vast, sparsely populated plateau, often overlooked by Western powers, but critically important in Adav's geopolitical calculus. The Codex's [Geopolitical Analysis] module provided stark projections of future Chinese expansionism, highlighting Tibet as a crucial strategic buffer zone. Moreover, it identified Tibet's vast glaciers as the source of India's most vital rivers, making control over the Tibetan plateau intrinsically linked to India's long-term water security.

Adav envisioned not an annexation of Tibet, which would be both morally complex and logistically challenging, but a deep, pervasive economic and cultural influence that would subtly integrate the region into India's sphere. He briefed Prime Minister Bose on the strategic necessity, framing it as a humanitarian effort to uplift a struggling neighbor and protect shared ecological interests. Bose, ever pragmatic, understood the underlying national security implications.

The plan was subtle, long-term, and entirely non-coercive. It began with seemingly innocuous humanitarian aid and infrastructure projects, designed to win the trust and goodwill of the fiercely independent Tibetan people and their revered religious leaders. This would be a quiet penetration, a cultivation of loyalty that would serve as India's ultimate defense against any future encroachment from the north. The objective was to create a de facto protectorate, securing India's northern flank without drawing international condemnation or provoking an early conflict.