-While China reacts strongly with deployment of more troops on Ladakh, Sikkim borders
-Indian skirmishes continue on media front, as Indian anchors hex propagandas against China, Pakistan
-And, Pakistan terms India-Nepal-China triangle, an explosive one
DM Monitoring
SRINAGAR: A Himalayan border standoff between old foes India and China was triggered by India’s construction of roads and air strips in the region as it competes with China’s spreading Belt and Road initiative, Indian observers said on Tuesday.
Soldiers from both sides have been camped out in the Galwan Valley in the high-altitude Ladakh region, accusing each other of trespassing over the disputed border, the trigger of a brief but bloody war in 1962.
About 80 to 100 tents have sprung up on the Chinese side and about 60 on the Indian side where soldiers are billeted, Indian officials briefed on the matter in New Delhi and in Ladakh’s capital, Leh, said.
Both were digging defences and Chinese trucks have been moving equipment into the area, the officials said, raising concerns of a long faceoff. “China is committed to safeguarding the security of its national territorial sovereignty, as well as safeguarding peace and stability in the China-India border areas,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s office said in a statement. “At present, the overall situation in the border areas is stable and controllable. There are sound mechanisms and channels of communication for border-related affairs, and the two sides are capable of properly resolving relevant issues through dialogue and consultation.”
There was no immediate Indian foreign ministry comment. It said last week Chinese troops had hindered regular Indian patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). But interviews with former Indian military officials and diplomats suggest the trigger for the flare-up is India’s construction of roads and air strips. “Today, with our infrastructure reach slowly extending into areas along the LAC, the Chinese threat perception is raised,” said former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao.
“Xi Jinping’s China is the proponent of a hard line on all matters of territory, sovereignty. India is no less when it comes to these matters either,” she said. After years of neglect Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has pushed for improving connectivity and by 2022, 66 key roads along the Chinese border will have been built. One of these roads is near the Galwan valley that connects to Daulat Beg Oldi air base, which was inaugurated last October. “The road is very important because it runs parallel to the LAC and is linked at various points with the major supply bases inland,” said Shyam Saran, another former Indian foreign secretary.
“It remains within our side of the LAC. It is construction along this new alignment which appears to have been challenged by the Chinese.” China’s Belt and Road is a string of ports, railways, roads and bridges connecting China to Europe via central and southern Asia and involving Pakistan, China’s close ally and India’s long-time foe.
Meanwhile, dreams of enjoying a wider influence in the region are looking increasingly wishful as China s blunt response to the attempt to change Ladakh’s territory status and the deployment of 5,000 more troops on the Ladakh and Sikkim borders has left Delhi shell-shocked. The ongoing conflict between China and India is continuing to escalate as China has sent another 5,000 troops to the Ladakh and Sikkim disputed areas. China has said India has tried to unilaterally change the status of the disputed territory. The Indian army that openly oppresses the unarmed Kashmiris has suddenly become a deer caught in headlights. The continued increase in pressure by Chinese troops on the border of Sikkim and Ladakh has left the Modi government and its Army with few options. Other than increasing number of Chinese troops on the border, it has been reported that the Chinese military is also building underground bunkers and eight hundred Chinese army tents have been spotted around the Galwan Valley.
China says India is constructing illegal defense-related structures near the Galwan Valley and reportedly, the Chinese army captured a group of Indian army personnel but later released them. China has said that India violated the Line of Control in Sikkim and Ladakh and more importantly, India has tried to unilaterally change the status of the disputed area.
Indian media has released pictures in which it can be seen that the Chinese Army now occupies areas previously controlled by India. The recent tensions began on May 5, when Indian and Chinese troops came face to face on the eastern Ladakh border.
Meanwhile, India s border dispute with Nepal is also worsening as the Prime Minister of Nepal has released a new map in which the areas of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh have been declared as part of Nepal. On the other hand, Issues have recently emerged between India and Nepal and India and China. As far as tensions between India and Nepal are concerned, a new road opened by New Delhi which passes through the disputed territory has roused territorial dispute between the two countries.
The link road connects Dharchula in the India state of Uttarakhand to the Lipu Lekh pass near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – India’s border with China. India says the new road will facilitate the movement of pilgrims to Kailash-Mansarovar, claiming that it will significantly cut down the duration of the journey. The southern side of the Lipu Lekh pass, called the Kalapani territory, is a disputed region between India and Nepal. Lipu Lekh Pass is on Line of Actual Contact with China and is of huge strategic importance. Observers believe that India’s move to open road aims at monitoring Chinese movements, though New Delhi claims that the road is to facilitate pilgrims.
A treaty signed between Nepal and British India in 1816 determined the Makhali river, that runs through Kalapani, as the boundary between the two neighbours. However, the river has many tributaries that meet at Kalapani. For this reason, India claims that the river begins at Kalapani but Nepal says that it begins from Lipu Lekh pass, which is the source of most of its tributaries.
India and China have 3,500 kilometers long un-demarcated border which runs along Himalayas and is generally a very difficult terrain. China has developed infrastructure and road network in Tibet and Aksai Chin region so that they could have a good access up to the border. Same is being done by India on its side. As per Indian media, Chinese have set up camps in India-occupied Ladakh region which New Delhi claims is its area and reportedly 5,000 Chinese troops are stationed there. China has, however, dismissed India’s claims. For India, it is a loss of face. They are having a problem with Nepal in Lipu Lekh region. In 2017, they also had a Doklam standoff with China. Currently, there are three pressure points developing: one is the China-Sikkim border, Nepal-India border, and the third is in Ladakh region where there is a lake and river Indians believe Chinese have intruded into. As far as Indian army chief is concerned, he recently came up with a statement that these three issues are not inter-connected and that there was aggression from both sides and things will settle down soon. Now Indian analysts are opining that the army chief should have not made this statement and that he must not have played from the Chinese side. Basically, India has shown weakness vis-a-vis China and now China is sitting in the area and India has a loss of face. It is very interesting to find that the Indian leadership right from Narendra Modi to Ajit Doval, Bipin Rawat and even Indian army chief, who otherwise is very fond of media, have not given any public statement as to what is happening. Whereas there is a clutter on social media that Indian has lost hundreds of square kilometers of area and it is being dubbed as ‘second Kargil’ by the Indian media.
If you look at South Asia, it’s geographically endocentric. India has border with every SAARC country. India has problem with every country: military conflicts, water disputes, border disputes. Generally, Pakistan is blamed, even by our own so-called liberals that we have problems with our neighbors, whereas actually it is India which is the ‘bad apple’ and now even smaller nations within the South Asian region are realizing that Indian bully has to be stopped.
The last point is regarding what happen next. This is a million-dollar question. In case, India backs down and just absorbs it in order to not to look the dragon in the eyes, things can settle down. It case India steps up, there are chances of serious consequences, and maybe even a military conflict. Though it is too premature to say this, but a military conflict can take place and destabilize the whole region. Interestingly, Indian media is now claiming that Chinese had detained some of their soldiers along with weapons ‘briefly’ and then set them free.
It is interesting to mention here that Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan was also ‘briefly detained’ by Pakistan. India cannot change the facts by mere changing the words or terminology. Chinese made their soldiers PoWs but they are now saying that they were ‘briefly detained’. This actually shows the dismal state of Indian army’s morale, which is a highly demoralized army now. Things must settle down quickly but on the face of it, this doesn’t seem to be so easy.
Moreover, Instead of raising concerns over the disgrace and embarrassment being faced by Indian forces in Sikkim and Ladakh, Indian political leadership and media is resorting to slinging mud at Pakistan. The recent statement of Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa is being distorted in the Indian media in an attempt to mislead the Indian people and hide the facts from them. Tensions between Indian and Chinese forces are rising with each passing day after Indian forces trespassed into Ladakh region on May 5 escalating tensions.
According to details, 250 Indian Army personnel entered into Chinese territory after which there was a scuffle between Indian and Chinese soldiers. Iron rods and poles were used by both sides and more than 100 soldiers from both sides were injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, India’s dreams of enjoying a wider influence in theregion are looking increasingly wishful as China s blunt response to the attempt to change Ladakh’s territory status and the deployment of 5,000 more troops on the Ladakh and Sikkim borders has left Delhi shell-shocked. The ongoing conflict between China and India is continuing to escalate as China has sent another 5,000 troops to the Ladakh and Sikkim disputed areas. China has said India has tried to unilaterally change the status of the disputed territory.
The Indian army that openly oppresses the unarmed Kashmiris has suddenly become a deer caught in headlights. The continued increase in pressure by Chinese troops on the border of Sikkim and Ladakh has left the Modi government and its Army with few options. Other than increasing number of Chinese troops on the border, it has been reported that the Chinese military is also building underground bunkers and eight hundred Chinese army tents have been spotted around the Galwan Valley.
China says India is constructing illegal defense-related structures near the Galwan Valley and reportedly, the Chinese army captured a group of Indian army personnel but later released them. China has said that India violated the Line of Control in Sikkim and Ladakh and more importantly, India has tried to unilaterally change the status of the disputed area.
Indian media has released pictures in which it can be seen that the Chinese Army now occupies areas previously controlled by India. The recent tensions began on May 5, when Indian and Chinese troops came face to face on the eastern Ladakh border.
