Editorial

Line of Discord

This time the issue is LAC, not LOC. There is a difference between Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LOC). LAC is more like shifting sands, it changes with the perception of the party that claims it. Also, LAC implies a kind of occupying power. And the Chinese have proved it time and again that they are too impatient to define LAC in accordance with their own interpretation of ground reality. Of all persons Mulayam Singh Yadav who was once India’s Defence Minister looks more aggressive than anybody else in blaming it on the Manmohan Singh government for taking the April Chinese incursion into Indian territory lightly. He wants stern action, rather armed action, if necessary, to reverse the Chinese infiltration. It’s easier said than done. Not that the Chinese Border Troops made such advances in recent weeks. They did it in yester years. In truth they have been doing it systematically for long to execute a plan aimed at asserting their claims over the disputed territory, still under Indian control.

While criticising Manmohan Singh’s low-key response to the Chinese incursion in Ladakh, Mr Yadav, the redoubtable caste-lord of Uttar Pradesh, described China, not Pakistan, as India’s main enemy. That dragging Pakistan into India-China imbroglio was politically motivated, doesn’t require much to explain. Perhaps he was calculating minority vote by showing his friendly stance towards Pakistan.

Though Manmohan Singh dubbed the latest Ladakh incident a ‘localised problem’, his Defence Minister A K Antony talked tough, somewhat laughingly though, on China and Pakistan at the Commanders’ Conference where commanders of all three defence forces met to brainstorm on the current security scenario. But such tough talks are basically for media consumption. Everybody knows ‘tough talks’ won’t change the line of claim. In reality Mr Antony was playing with the gallery, hopefully to pacify opposition ‘anger’.

Surprisingly enough, all this border flare-up happened at a time when Indian Foreign Minister was about to leave for Beijing to prepare ground for the Chinese premier Li Keqiang’s forthcoming visit to New Delhi.

Not that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers patrolling the volatile border didn’t know the all important Li mission to India. As for border dispute it is an exclusive matter having no connection with usual diplomacy. Before Li many Chinese leaders came to India only to continue the diplomatic game without really making a major breakthrough in the boundary tangle. India-China relations will never improve to the satisfaction of all parties concerned unless the Chinese get back what, they think, they have lost due to historical reasons in the himalayan wilderness. Now it is officially admitted by Indian Defence Minister that the PLA troops actually intruded 19 km into Indian territory, in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh. And three flag meetings of local commanders of India and China failed to end the impasse. It is unlikely for the Chinese to vacate the land they have brought under their control, notwithstanding Li visit. As for India, they cannot do anything other than lodging diplomatic protest that is useless, if not meaningless in most cases.

That New Delhi wants to downplay the recent face off between Indian and Chinese troops in Depsang Valley (Ladakh) is a fact of life. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, asserted that PLA troops pitching tents in Daulat Beg Oldi sector in Ladakh never trespassed and violated LAC. Indian side dismissed the Chinese assertions and maintained that the Chinese were patrolling 10 km inside India’s claim line. Even going by China’s perception of the claim line, a PLA platoon is still said to be camping 2 km inside Indian territory. Moving closer Indian troops are now literally face to face with their Chinese counterparts. Action on the Indian side could also, have led to a ‘misunderstood’ reaction on the Chinese deployment. A similar face off last occurred in 1986 in the Sumdorong Chu Valley (India‘s eastern sector) when about 40 Chinese troops intruded into the Indian side. On that occasion India, besides diplomatic exercises, responded with a major counter-deployment effort, with Indian troops occupying hill features of any valley, where incursion occurred.

It remains to be seen whether the Chinese agree to withdraw their troops a few km on their side, to create a congenial atmosphere before Li’s visit. But much to the dismay of New Delhi, Beijing finally declined to give any time-line for the withdrawal of troops.

At the time of writing China officially took note of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks over PLA’s incursion into the Depsang Valley and said it was willing to work with New Delhi to deal with different perceptions of LAC while maintaining peace and status quo at borders.

Meanwhile, India‘s Premier Chamber of Commerce—Assocham—came out with a blueprint to boost India-China trade ties without which, they think, strategic issues, including the border questions, could not be addressed properly.

India’s trade deficit with China is expected to rise to US $43 billion in 2012-13, up from $40 billion in the previous fiscal. All things considered New Delhi doesn’t want to jeopardise Li’s visit by vigorously pursuing the Depsang Valley stand off. In other words the Singhs look ready to accept the Chinese version of ‘claim line’, perhaps with minor adjustments here and there.o
03-05-2013

Frontier
Vol. 45, No. 44, -May 12-18, 2013

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