India And China: Is The Situation Worsening At The LAC?
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2020-09-04 11:57:03
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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
It pains the Chinese military establishment that while India occupies several strategic heights in eastern Ladakh, it recently thwarted its attempts to occupy some positions near Pangong Tso. They cannot digest the fact that in the event of war, the Indians will have control over commanding heights and any push by the PLA to advance into Indian-held territory will be easily repulsed. Hence, the Chinese have started a massive buildup in the Chusul sector of eastern Ladakh and the situation, as per a senior army officer, is like a "tinderbox".
Although India is engaging the Chinese in negotiations at all levels - military and diplomatic - Chinese foreign minister clearly showed that China has something else in mind when he told an international audience in Paris that since China's border with India was not properly demarcated, such disputes will keep on happening. Also, the Chinese army agrees to certain things during the Brigadier-level talks and the very next day, or even the same day, it tries to advance at some point or the other at the LAC. China is playing a devious game and its agenda is clear - it wants to occupy by force the land which is in Indian control for many years by claiming that India is wrongfully occupying the same.
The military buildup by both sides is worrying. There was already a deadly combat - although hand-to-hand - but it showed that tensions run high along the LAC and even a maneuver by either side can be the reason for the other side to get edgy. While India maintains that the Chinese should restore the status quo ante as it existed in April, the Chinese are adamant that any withdrawal must be by both sides. That effectively means that while the Chinese will withdraw from Indian-held territory, India will be pushed back on its own land. The Chinese will then claim that the vacated positions were never held by India. How can India agree to such a proposal?
India has repeatedly said that diplomatic talks are the best way to solve the dispute. But it wants the Chinese to approach the talks "sincerely". That can only happen if the Chinese rein in their army at the LAC. If the army is given a free hand to make inroads into Indian-held territory on the ground while the top brass engages India in talks, it smacks of deceit. China has to first decide whether it wants a peaceful resolution of the dispute or wants to settle it militarily. If it is the former, it should withdraw its troops, restore the status quo and sit across the table to settle matters. If it is the latter, it should stop holding sham talks that have no meaning.
