“Inch-by-inch” in far-away Demchok..
How many of you read this “news” on 27th? I am guessing most of you missed it. I did too…until I was alerted to it by a friend on fb.
…The government ban on construction in Demchok, one of the disputed points in eastern Ladakh, is riling residents, who claim that the Chinese side is speedily ramping up its infrastructure and the Centre is just ‘watching’
..Even the Leh administration cannot go ahead with any construction activity here without getting it approved from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs.
“When China is steadily building infrastructure on its side, there is no point in imposing restrictions on us,†says Gurmet Dorje, who hails from the area and is an elected councillor in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
Demchok is not just any other town in Ladakh. It is on the “Line of Actual Control” between India and China. It also has a long history of “complaints” (and more recently, “warnings”) by the Chinese.  More than 2 years back, in December 2009, China had apparently lodged its protest with India regarding construction of a road in Demchok. More recently, The Tribune newspaper claimed it had
…obtained pictures of Chinese soldiers holding red-coloured banners to warn local residents in the area. “This is the Line of Actual Control, you are on Chinese Territory,†read the banners.
The “history” of Chinese incursions in Demchok goes back to at least a few years...Writing in Jan ’08, Tarun Vijay cautioned us about taking this matter lightly:
Thupstan Chhewang, belonging to the Royals of Leh is a highly respected Ladakhi leader who was once president of Ladakh Congress party. His one member party in Parliament is supporting UPA…Â His unassuming soft spoken personality exudes confidence and a rare dedication for the cause of his people and the nation. If he has raised an alarm on the Chinese incursions in Ladakh it must be taken seriously.
Of late Ladakh has been witnessing a continuous trespassing by Chinese shepherds and soldiers in Chushul area where we fought a famous war of Trishul mountains led by Major Shaitan Singh (who received Param Vir Chakra after his and his brave men’s bodies were discovered one year after their martyrdom) and in the vast grass lands near Demchok.
…Chinese are known to enter our region in a clandestine manner. In the initial stage they would do it through innocent passages into our territory using shepherds, soldiers and traders. If caught, they would say, oh nothing to worry we simply went wayward.
If not, it continues for years, the intruders would leave their marks, some properties and cattle too. Make some permanent bases. Later these small ‘marks’ would be used to claim that ‘since ages’ Chinese have been using that piece of land – see the ‘proofs’!
We were caught napping during Kargil intrusion. When patriotic Ladakhi shepherds told the Army about Pakistani intrusions initially, it was not taken seriously. In the same way alarms about the latest Chinese intrusion are being taken lightly and in some ‘strategic’ quarters its being suggested that such talks would hamper the growing trade between the two nations.
In Jan ’10, work was abandoned on a road construction project under veiled threats from Chinese:
…The letter (from a village in Ladakh) says that Chinese army officers have been threatening labourers who are making a road under the NREGA scheme.The threats are verbal, but they are enough for the workers to completely abandon the project.
LAHDC Chairman Chering Dorjay said, “People of Demochok were building a road under NREGA scheme, while doing they were threatened by Chinese army. It’s not true that Government had asked them to stop work, people stopped work after they were threatened and subsequently we reported the matter to Deputy Commissioner (DC), Leh.
…Ladakhi authorities say that last January (i.e. in 2009), Chinese army men went as far as to enter Indian territory and assault nomads camping on the winter pastures.Dorjay said, “They came in large numbers and verbally threatened our people and there are incidents when they physically assaulted our people. Last year they burnt one of the tents of our nomad Demchok winter pastures.†In the past, in Ladakh, Chinese helicopters have violated the airspace and their troops had walked way inside Indian territory and painted on the rocks, perhaps all these signs are enough for the Indian side to sit and take a strong note.
This was followed by another “warning” and halting of work in October last year (2010). Â Although some brave words were uttered by an ex-CM in response, nothing came out of it…
…Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has threatened China of revenge in Leh during summer amid reports of “incursions” into Indian territory in J&K’s Ladakh region.
Farooq Abdullah told reporters in Jammu on Sunday that India will show its strength during summer as there is extreme cold this time in Leh.
The “Establishment” played down these incidents and put them on “perceptional differences about the Line of Actual Control“. But a crucial slip of tongue almost went unnoticed. While referring to Demchok, here is what Chief of Army General VK Singh said:
In this particular case, the so-called T Point… is an area (through which) the Chinese have, over a period of time, felt that the LAC passes through.
That sounded familiar. So I did some digging. Sure enough, this was part of a pattern. So how exactly did the Chinese stance evolve over a period of time? Thanks to Google, I stumbled on this news-report from Aug 2005. That report had “Brigadier Manvendra Singh…officer in charge of the area“, quoted as saying:
Not a single shot has been exchanged in the area (Demchok) and there is complete peace.
What happened between 2005 – 2011? And was this change from an environment of “complete peace” to incremental aggression a well-calibrated Chinese tactic? There are reasons to worry…A PTI report from Jan ’10 mentions how their is unanimity amongst officials that:
..we (India) are withdrawing from LAC and our area has shrunk over a period of time. Though this process (is) very slow but we have lost substantial amount of land in 20-25 years
Why does this matter? While I am hardly qualified to comment on the strategic importance (or otherwise) of Demchok, one thing is clear. It would be a mistake to ignore Demchok as just another sleepy town in the mountains…For one, it is bang on the border with India’s most dangerous strategic rival. It is also possibly the shortest (and easiest) route to Kailash Mansarovar.
Related Post: Inch by inch, slowly but surely, we keep loosing territory…
Some options to deal with China are in comment #8 on this post:Â https://satyameva-jayate.org/2011/10/12/inch-by-inch-3/
After reading breaking india by Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan, I dont think we will survive as Hindustan for too long. The faster we realize this the better it is for our and our children future. Mera Bharat Mahan
shyam, Instead of running away the BI book should motivate us to unite and fight for our survival.
It is time we Indians unitedly vote out congress.Congress under Sonia is least concerned about nation.Sonia want to disintegrate India thereby destroying Hinduism.Remember ultimate target is our religion.Let us raise above caste & religion & vote out congress once for all.
Courtesy, Naveen , from China red flags Indian road:
…ndia has abandoned construction of an eight kilometre border road in Demchok after threats from Chinese soldiers. But China’s duplicity is all too evident. It speeded up infrastructure across the Indus including survellieance systems.
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Aggressive posturing by China has brought the development activities to a screeching halt in forward areas and the latest casualty is the construction of an irrigation canal in Demchok area. On contrary China is making stride in infrastructural build up on its side
…On a hill across the Indus river the Chinese have built a green roofed structure overlooking the Indian territory. Also a horse stable for chinese soliders and even a radar and survelliance system.
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The angry people of Ladakh have started questioning India’s soft policy towards China and now the Government of India’s recent decision to put a blanket ban on the sort of construction work all along the border has made the people feel that India is giving way under Chinese pressure.
Placing here for the record: Chinese troops enter India, dismantle bunkers. Some excerpts:
14 Sep 2011 05:44:18 PM IST
LEH: Chinese troops are reported to have entered into Indian territory and destroyed some old Army bunkers and tents in Chumar division of Nyoma sector
…While some reports suggested that the Chinese troops in helicopters entered one-and-a-half kilometres into Indian airspace, other reports said that the helicopters landed in Chinese territory and then the troops marched into the area to dismantle the bunkers, a move aimed at displaying that the area belonged to them.
The Army denied that any such incident had taken place.
..Another version quoted to eyewitnesses, who are often the grazers, said that Chinese helicopters landed near the Line of Actual Control and then marched in to destroy old bunkers of the army and tents of ITBP.
…senior Army officials said that Chumar was an area were the LAC was not clearly demarcated and there was always a difference of perception in the area.
Chinese troops had in July 2009 entered nearly 1.5 KM into Indian territory near Mount Gya, recognised as international border by India and China, and painted the boulders and rocks with red spray paint.
The incursions were reported from the area, generally referred in the Chumar sector in east of Leh, and painted “China” in Cantonese with Red spray paint all over the boulders and rocks.
On June 21 in 2009, a Chinese helicopter had entered the Indian airspace and is reported to have air-dropped canned food again at Chumar, which is northeast of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir..
Placing this here for the record:
China ‘stalls’ J&K irrigation project
Published: Monday, Aug 20, 2012, 9:12 IST By Ishfaq-ul-Hassan | Place: Srinagar | Agency: DNA
The Chinese Army has reportedly forced the Jammu and Kashmir government to suspend work on the irrigation project in Leh district of Ladakh division.
Work on the project had started in 2004-05. Last month, the Chinese Army threatened the workers and officials to stop the work. However, they did not cross the line of actual control this time around.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_china-stalls-j-and-k-irrigation-project_1730132
Posting this in full. 25 years on, Wangdung remains with the Chinese:
Misamari, Jan 30: For the Indian army’s 4 Corps that defends the country’s borders with China in the east, Wangdung was never the ‘flower on the lofty heights’ that Imphal and Kohima came to be for the Japanese during World WarII. But though the position could have been easily retaken by ‘limited offensive action’, Wangdung remains in Chinese hands, more than a quarter of a century after the Chinese took over the abandoned bunkers of our Special Services Bureau (SSB) in the winter of 1986.
“That upsets many of our forward units which were prepared to throw them out and were confident of doing so, but we have been restrained by the Indian government from doing anything that will escalate the situation in the sensitive eastern Himalayas,†said a serving major general commanding a division in Arunachal Pradesh.
He, however, told the Seven Sisters Post on condition of strict anonymity that the Indian army dominates the heights and other positions around Wangdung.
“The Chinese are not able to get any tactical advantage out of their position at Wangdung but for our soldiers, that remain a sore — a position we lost and which was not regained,†he said.
But the heights around the area have dotted with high grounds with names like ‘Ashis Top’ and ‘Jay Top’ — named after officers of the Indian army who evicted the Chinese from these high ridges with offensive actions that were never reported in the media. Many died on both sides in intermittent skirmishes, that could have escalated to a second war between the two giant neighbours but didn’t. Many bravehearts of the Assam regiments were involved in this fighting.
Sumdorong Chu (Sangduoluo He for Chinese) is a rivulet flowing north-south in the Thag La triangle, bounded by Bhutan in the west and the Thag La ridge to the north.
On June 26, 1986, India lodged a formal protest with China against intrusions in the Sumdorong region beginning on June 16. Beijing denied any intrusions and maintained that its troops were in a location north of the McMahon Line, though India maintained the Chinese troops had intruded south of the Line. The actual region of the incursion was the Thandrong pasture on the banks of the Sumdorong Chu in the Wangdung region, which falls under the Zimithang circle of Tawang district. Initial reports put the number of Chinese at 40 — some of them armed and in uniform — who were soon reinforced to a total strength of about 200 men. Statements by Indian ministers in the Parliament described the intrusion as being between 1-2 km deep as the crow flies, supplied by mules along a 7-km trail.
By August 1986, the Chinese had constructed a helipad and began supplying their troops by air. Regarding the Chinese presence as a fait accompli and to prevent further ‘nibbling’, the Indian Army began aggressive patrolling across Arunachal Pradesh at other vulnerable areas. In September ’86, India sought a way out of the crisis by offering not to re-occupy the area in summer of 1987, if the Chinese withdrew in the winter.
This offer was rejected by China whose troops were by now prepared to stay through the winter. By September-October, an entire Indian Army brigade of the 5th Mtn. Division was airlifted to Zimithaung and ‘Operation Falcon’, focused on the occupation of ridges overlooking the Sumdorong Chu valley (including Langrola and the Hathung La ridge across the Namka Chu rivulet) was initiated.
In October, 1986, China warned it will teach India “a lesson†and started a chorus of protests when Arunachal Pradesh was made a full state of the Indian Union on 20 February, 1987. China moved in 20,000 troops from the ’53rd Army Corps in Chengdu and the 13th Army in Lanzhou’ by early 1987 along with heavy artillery and helicopters. By early April, it had moved 8 divisions to eastern Tibet as a prelude to possible belligerent action. Troop reinforcements on the Indian side — which had begun with Operation Falcon in late 1986 — continued through early 1987 under a massive airland exercise ‘Operation Chequerboard’, that involved 10 divisions of the Army and several squadrons of the IAF and redeployment of troops at several places in the Northeast. One-third of the fresh deployment was in and around Wangdung, where they were supplied and maintained solely by air.
Frayed tempers were calmed after both sides decided to continue talks and pull back troops from a position of ‘close confrontation’ in Sumdorong Chu valley. Following the Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on April 1995, the two sides agreed to a simultaneous withdrawal of their troops from the four border posts — two Indian and two Chinese — in the Sumdorong Chu.
But while the Chinese withdrew beyond the Macmahon Line after the 1962 war, they continue to retain Wangdung — and that itches forward units of the Fourth Corps.
Meanwhile, Chinese troops sneak 10 km into Ladakh, PTI news, April 19:
In a deep incursion, Chinese troops have entered the Indian territory in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in eastern Ladakh and erected a tented post, setting the stage for a face-off with Indian troops.
A platoon-strength contingent of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) came 10 km inside the Indian territory in Burthe in DBO sector, which is at an altitude of about 17,000 feet, on the night of April 15 and established a tented post there, according to highly placed sources, which said that a Chinese Army Platoon usually consists of around 50 men.
Troops from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have also established a camp approximately 300 metres opposite the location, the sources said. The ITBP has asked for a Flag meeting with the Chinese side but there has been no response as of now, sources said.
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The DBO, located in northernmost Ladakh, is an historic camp site and located on an ancient trade route connecting Ladakh to Yarkand in Xinjiang, China.
It lies at the easternmost point of the Karakoram Range in a cold desert region in the far north of India, just 8 km south of the Chinese border and 9 km northwest of the Aksai Chin LAC between China and India. Temperature plummets as low as minus 30 degree Celsius in the winters.
Other than Siachen Glacier military base, it is India’s northernmost built-up area.
Placing this link here for the record: The border according to China by Claude Arpi
From dna exclusive: Hindi-speaking Chinese troops intrude into India again, break security cameras, Jul 9, 2013 by Saikat Datta:
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A little over two weeks ago, Chinese troops intruded into the same areas in the Leh-Ladakh sector that had sparked off tensions in April and threatened the locals in Hindi. The troops even broke the high-resolution cameras that the Indian Army had set up in the area a month ago.
While the army headquarters is tight-lipped about the incident, the broken camera equipment was returned to an Indian Army patrol at a flag meeting on July 3 in Chusul area following furious negotiations between the two sides.
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The Chinese patrol was proficient in Hindi and threatened locals, asking them to vacate the area, claiming it to be their own. The incident was reported to the government by Indian intelligence agencies and confirmed by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. It was, however, kept under wraps as the government did not want another international controversy while it was also battling the Uttarakhand floods.
Ironically, this flare up took place even as Union defence minister AK Antony was scheduled to travel to China for a bilateral visit this month.
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The Indian Army has stopped patrolling the Chumar sector as part of a bilateral deal between Delhi and Beijing. However, the June 17 incident shows that the Chinese continue to be as aggressive as ever.
From 50 Chinese soldiers on horses and ponies intrude into Indian territory, by PTI | 21 Jul, 2013:
NEW DELHI: Riding on horses and ponies, around 50 Chinese soldiers intruded into the Indian territory of Chumar in Ladakh on July 16 staking their claim over the area.
The Chinese troops started their incursion in the Chumar area on the evening of July 16 and they remained in the Indian area till the morning of July 17, sources said.
Army sources confirmed the incursion saying that Indian troops had intercepted the PLA patrol in the Chumar area and after the usual banner drill between the two sides, the PLA patrol went back into their territory.
Sources said the intruding Chinese soldiers asked the Indian soldiers to vacate the area claiming that they were standing in Chinese territory.
The incursion by Chinese land forces comes soon after its two helicopters violated Indian air space on July 11 in the Chumar sector.
In the same area, PLA troops had intruded and taken away an Indian surveillance camera on June 17.
The latest incursion took place on the day when India gave approval to the creation of a 50,000-strong Mountain Strike Corps along the border with China.
This gets worse: Chinese troops crossed Line of Actual Control 150 times this year:
With three incursions in the past five days, Chinese aggression in Ladakh is showing no signs of let-up. According to sources, the incidents happened on July 16, 17 and 20, when Chinese troops crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and came two kilometres inside Indian territory in Chumar sector.
Sources said the Chinese Army patrol has crossed the 4,087km LAC more than 150 times this year. In fact, ever since the intrusion in Daulat Beg Oldie in April, which lasted three weeks, the incursions have become a frequent affair.
From Chinese troops make fresh attempt to violate international border near Leh by PTI | 25 Jul, 2013, LEH/NEW DELHI: Close on the heels of over a dozen incursions since the face off in Ladakh in April from across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Chinese troops made a fresh attempt to violate the International Border at Chumar area in North east of Leh on July 20 but were forced back by Indian troops.
The ‘assertive posturing’ by the Chinese troops, who had climbed a small mountain where they faced Indian troops, has been flashed to all units along the Sino-India border in the area to keep a strict vigil on their movement, official sources said today.
Chinese troops claimed it was their territory and they were headed towards to Tible area, five kilometres deep into the Indian territory.
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All Indian units located along the LAC have been asked to maintain a tight vigil in their Area of Responsibilities (AOR) and launch frequent patrols to the higher reaches, the sources said.
From Chinese troops stop Army from patrolling in Indian territory, PTI | Aug 4, 2013: :
LEH/NEW DELHI: Amid a spate of incursions by China in Ladakh, its troops are also resorting to tactics like preventing Indian Army from patrolling posts in this sector along the border which was well within India’s territory.
In what is being described as an aggressive approach by China, the tactics have come to the fore in the wake of yet another incident last week when Indian troops launched its patrol “Tiranga” from Trade Junction area in north of Ladakh for two posts located 14 km up in the higher reaches along the line of actual control (LAC).
The Indian Army personnel were stopped by Chinese troops who came mounted on heavy and light vehicles, official sources said on Sunday.
The patrol party was shown a banner that it was Chinese territory and that they cannot proceed to the posts, they said.
…These posts are well inside Indian territory, the sources said, adding that from April this year, the patrol for these forward bases were launched 21 times and only twice it could complete its mission.
Chinese have erected an observation post which kept a vigil on movement of Indian troops and as soon as an Indian patrol party is ready to leave, they are intercepted midway and sent back, the sources said, adding the matter would be taken up during the next Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) at Chushul.
In the same sector in Ladakh, there were instances when Chinese military vehicles were spotted in Depsang Bulge and Daulat Beg Oldi(DBO) sector where the two armies had seen a 21-day stand-off from April 15 this year.
…In the last BPM meeting held on July 27, India also raised objections to a tower being constructed in the Chinese side on the LAC in Demchok-Fukhche sector.
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The Indian side led by Brigadier Sanjeev Rai told the Chinese team that PLA troops were regularly entering into the Indian area, sources said.
It gave instances like on July 16 and 19 when the Chinese troops entered 1.2km deep into Indian territory, on July 17 (2.5km), on July 20 (aggressive patrol entered 200 metres) and intervening night of July 25-26 (3.5km).
These incursions mainly happened in Chumar and Demchok areas, located 300km from Leh.
The sources said that the “assertive posturing” by the Chinese troops was a worrying trend which had been seen lately after the April 15 faceoff at the DBO sector.
Chumar is the last town after which Himachal Pradesh starts. This area also has the distinction of having a defined international border with China. This area is not accessible from the Chinese side whereas the Indian side has a road almost to the last point on which the army can carry a load upto nine tonnes.
Must read: Smaller nations stand up to China’s hegemony, we don’t by RN Ravi, April 29, 2013:
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The misfortune of India is that its government rarely shares the true facts with the people and tends to be disdainful of the popular sentiment, cynically trashing even those concerns that have bearings on the strategic national security of the country.
The latest aggression by the PLA in grabbing the Indian territory is consistent with China’s forward policy that it has been pursuing for the last several decades to acquire more and more strategic depths in the region beyond the Aksai Chin — a territory of India sandwiched between the restive Tibet and Xinjiang provinces of China.
Aksai Chin has been under forcible occupation of China since 1962. Having grabbed this area, China has built a vast network of strategic infrastructures — roads, airstrips and military garrisons on it. The highway linking Xinjiang and Tibet, the two turbulent peripheries of China, passes through the Aksai Chin. The strategically located Karakoram Pass in this sector offers an alternative connectivity between these regions.
In a far-sighted strategic move to secure its unstable and tenuously held far-flung provinces, China captured Aksai Chin in 1962 and four months later got a crucial chunk of Jammu and Kashmir, west of the Karakoram Pass adjoining Xinjiang, under Pakistan’s occupation through an illegal treaty with Pakistan on March 2, 1963. Not content with grabbing a large Indian territory, some 38,000 sq km and building through it an all-weather connectivity to its remote provinces, China has been steadily nibbling more and more areas of India in this sector.
Taking advantage of its superior military capabilities along the border, China has been making increasingly aggressive military pushes along Karakoram-Daulat Beg Oldi- Track Junction- Burtse axis in the Depsang Plains inching closer to Shyok river and seeking to substantially alter the “differing perceptions†of the LAC in its favour, forcing the Indian troops to yield and incrementally retreat. Loss of territory in this sub-sector grossly undermines India’s strategic future vis-a-vis China in this sector and increases vulnerabilities of its supply axis to the Siachen sector vis-a-vis Pakistan.
Although the latest aggression by China caught the attention of the nation, thanks to the media, the countrymen have been kept in the dark about their ongoing numerous such transgressions. While in 2005 there were 150 transgressions of the Indian LAC in this sector, the number increased to about 240 by 2010. In fact the Chinese aggression escalated after 2009.
They built a 20 km motorable road along Jeevan Nallah in 2010 and 15 km long motorable road along Raki Nallah from JAK II to GR 626516 in 2011– both on the Indian side in the Depsang Plain without a scintilla of resistance.
China looks at this sector as crucial for the strategic defence of Xinjiang province, a multi-ethnic restive region predominantly inhabited by Uighurs waging a violent separatist insurgency alleging hegemony of Han Chinese and iniquitous ill-treatment by the Chinese government. It is also crucial to ensuring stability in the restive western Tibet. China has been steadily adding to its strategic depth in this region at the cost of India. These are to deny India any future capabilities to challenge its predominantly comfortable position in this region — the Aksai Chin, Tibet and Xinjiang. These aggressions will also severely impede India’s plan to build strategic infrastructures including roads in this sector.
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In the eastern subsector along the tri-junction with Myanmar, the Chinese have escalated aggression in recent years in Tatu Bowl-Dichu area in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. Here again escalation began since 2009. Until then Chinese patrol did not transgress our perception of the LAC except for rare marginal detour. However, suddenly in 2009 they intruded into our territory over 100 times and have been building up the pressure since then. In 2011, they breached the LAC over 125 times.
This area falls along the flow of Lohit river as it enters from Tibet and joined by two tributaries — Dichu and Wach Chu. The Lohit river flows into India at this point through a gap in a mountain feature known as Madan Ridge. At this point Madan Ridge forks into two spurs. While the McMahon Line is along the northern spur, the Chinese have built a road, in 2009-2010, up to the base of the southern spur, way within the Indian territory. This severely inhibits India’s border patrol to the tri-junction with Myanmar and China as the patrols follow the track passing through this point. It has the potential to drastically alter the tri-junction to the huge disadvantage of India.
It is a fact that China disputes India’s map delineating the border all along except in Sikkim sector. As mutually agreed, pending final settlement both the countries are to respect the status quo — that is not to disturb the Line of Actual Control by far determined by the 1962 war. It is also a fact that China keeps its perception of the LAC dynamic. Consistent with its strategic interests it keeps altering it from time to time claiming and grabbing more territory.
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When it comes to China, the Indian establishment responds with a cringe. Going for a full-scale war with China to defend its territory, for now, is not a rational option for India. War should not be a preferred option in contemporary international relations. There are alternative tools for settling such disputes. However, trashing away our territory and blithely calling the aggressions as mere “acne†is a humiliating capitulation and betrayal. ..
Excepts from BDCA with China, a pernicious fraud on India by RN Ravi:
…To make matters worse for itself, India restrains its border guarding troops from patrolling its LOAC. Unlike India’s border with Pakistan where Indian troops have their posts at the Line of Control and regularly patrol the LoC, India does not allow its border guarding forces even to venture up to the LOAC. The troops are not allowed to go beyond the Line of Patrolling, a unilaterally chosen retreat position of India that runs far behind the LOAC. With no boots on the ground the Indian stance at the LOAC is militarily untenable.
China takes full advantage of this institutionalised military vacuum between the Indian LOAC and the LOP. It moves its troops forward without any resistance.
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China has already taken, post-1962 war, a fairly large tract of India’s land in the sub-sector north in Ladakh. Since 2005 and especially after 2009 it has shown enhanced belligerence in this sector and has moved its troops further deep inside the Indian territory beyond its stated claims in 1960 and what it captured in the 1962 war. It has been steadily nibbling into the Shyok valley, an area of crucial strategic significance for India, to maintain a tenable position in this sub-sector and retain its claim at the strategic Karakoram pass linking India with Xinjiang and Central Asia.
On the eastern front, in Arunachal Pradesh, during the last four years Chinese military pressure has increased manifold at strategically sensitive points on the border. Its aggressive push since 2008 in Tatu Bowl/Dichu in Anjaw district along the Lohit river is alarming. Today it dominates the only route for Indian patrols to visit the India-China-Myanmar tri-junction. Fearing a likely face-off with the Chinese, India has stopped patrolling this segment of the border.
China has, bilaterally, fixed its border with Myanmar at the Diphu Pass at the India-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the India-China-Myanmar tri-junction fixed by the McMahon Line down by over eight km. Chinese advance along the Lohit has serious adverse geo-strategic consequences for security in India’s North-East.
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The BDCA, the latest among the agreements, is repetitive in its essence and more ambivalent in its language than the previous agreements. The Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility Along the Line of Actual Control signed in September 1993, the first among such agreements, was far more emphatic in its intent and language than the tame and highly ambiguous BDCA. It inter alia states, ‘No side shall overstep the line of actual control’ and adds that ‘in case personnel of one side cross the line of actual control, upon being cautioned by the other side, they shall immediately pull back to their own side of the line of actual control’.
On the issue of air intrusion it categorically obligates the two countries ‘to ensure that air intrusions across the line of actual control do not take place’.
Contrast these with the corresponding clause Article II of the BDCA: ‘The two sides shall assist the other side in locating personnel… and aerial vehicles that may have crossed or are possibly in the process of crossing the line of actual control in the India-China border areas’.
Instead of pressing the Chinese for fixing the LOAC, the core interim issue pending the final settlement of border, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned home diluting the earlier commitments of China for non-aggression and assuring the Chinese that our troops will share sweets with their Chinese counterparts on our national days and festivals (article V, BDCA)…
From Chinese troops enter deep into Indian territory: Sources, LEH/NEW DELHI, August 18, 2014
….Official sources said on Monday a patrol of Indian troops noticed the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel on Sunday while moving from their base towards the higher ‘New Patrol base’ post in Burtse area of North Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir. The area is at an altitude of 17,000 feet.
The sources said the troops after walking barely 1.5 km from their base spotted the Chinese personnel in Indian territory 25 to 30 km from the perceived Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Adhering to newly drafted Standard Operating Procedures, the Indian troops returned back to their base.
The troops went on a patrol again to the ‘New Patrol base’ post in the wee hours of Monday.
However, the team found no change in the situation as it noticed the PLA personnel still sitting on the ground with flags reading “this is Chinese territory, go back†in their hands.
A Quick Reaction Team had also accompanied the Indian patrol but nothing could be achieved as Chinese refused to budge from their position, the sources said, adding finally Indian troops returned to their base and informed their higher ups.
Here’s Brahma Chellany on what India can do vis-a-vis China:
..Under pressure from an unyielding and revanchist China, India urgently needs to craft a prudent and carefully calibrated counter-strategy. For starters, India could rescind its recognition of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, while applying economic pressure through trade, as China has done to Japan and the Philippines when they have challenged its territorial claims. By hinging China’s market access on progress in resolving political, territorial, and water disputes, India can prevent China from fortifying its leverage.
Moreover, India must be willing to respond to Chinese incursions by sending troops into strategic Chinese-held territory. This would raise the stakes for Chinese border violations, thereby boosting deterrence.
Finally, India must consider carefully the pretense of partnership with China that it is forming through trade and BRICS agreements – at least until a more balanced bilateral relationship emerges. After all, neither booming trade nor membership in the BRICS club offers protection from bullying.
At Demchok, Chinese army stops water supply for Indians in Ladakh…
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Sources said that since September 5, 2014, Chinese army is not allowing India to carry on this project and stopping “our labourers to construct the small water supply project”.
“When Indian army came in defence of our civilians, Chinese army left the T-point area. But on Saturday, Chinese civilians and regular army soldiers reached the T-point in the trucks to threaten the labourers and contractors,” they said.
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The matter has been sent to Army and the state government so that the ministry of external affairs can talk to the Chinese government. Otherwise construction work cannot be carried out after two weeks, with winters starting in the Demchok area.
Hi Shanthanu,
I am quite surprised to see the Chinese are advancing towards India.
Field Marshall Kariappa was stopped by Pandit. Jawaharlal Nehru, if not POK and other Pakistan administered area would have been with India.
Fortunately, PM – Narendra Modi is taking these in a stiff action.
We need to get the Indians who are living in different parts of the world to get the UN’s intervention. We can start on FB and Twitter on this topic.
Regards
Prakash