Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that no intrusion has taken place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Galwan Valley Ladakh has raised several questions but it gave an impression that the government is trying to appease China and confirmed that it will hide every detail of the Violent Face-Off that occurred between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Army on June 15.
The situation in the Ladakh’s Galwan Valley is very fluid as the violent clash between two Asian giants took place after several decades that claimed the life of at least 20 Indian soldiers while China has not revealed its causalities.
Modi specifically said no foreign soldiers had crossed India’s borders and no territory had been lost and nor is any of Indian post captured. Modi’s statement benefitted China who took an opportunity to accuse Indian troops of making a “deliberate provocation” at the disputed India-China border and also claimed entire Galwan Valley, saying it is on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
China responded that the troops had crossed into Chinese territory and attacked, triggering “fierce physical conflicts”.
Modi’s statement has added another dimension to the India-China border dispute and the entire Galwan Valley issue. Whether Modi made this statement to avoid criticism at home or sheer ignorance about the Line of Actual Control or in a way was sending out a clear signal that his country is not in favour of any further escalation as Indian defence capabilities are in nowhere in comparison to Chinese.
But the violent clash at the Indo-China border points to Modi’s failed diplomacy, foreign policy and now BJP led NDA government is currently facing a serious crisis as which used to boast of its toughness in matters of national security, has failed to do so.
India
declared that 20 soldiers including Colonel, the commanding officer have been
killed when both the militaries entered into a physical confrontation involving
rocks, barbed wire and fists without a single shot being fired.
The 42 days long standoff at the Galwan Valley situated along the western sector of the LAC and close to Aksai China, a disputed area between India and China, turned tense when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a strategic road through the Galwan Valley along the LAC in Ladakh where Beijing has been more assertive in building strategic infrastructure around the LAC. New road built by India along the Shyok River to Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO), the most remote and vulnerable area along the LAC in Ladakh irked the Beijing.
India also completed the construction of a strategically important bridge on the Shyok river in Eastern Ladakh area, close to Shyok-Galwan rivers’ meeting point, the bridge is not on the track moving to Patrolling Point 14.
But the faceoff is not just at the Galwan Valley, Chinese and Indian Armies are also posturing at the Hot Springs and Pangong lake to the south. There are reports that the Chinese are sitting eight kms to the west of LAC passing through Finger 8 at Pangong Tso, have made bunkers and posts.
Indian government, diplomats and military were caught in a surprise when they witnessed massive build up by Chinese PLA in the region in May in the form of tanks, artillery rocket and armored units, trenches were made along with around 10000 PLA troops presence. PLA built up their tents at Finger 4, which India considers as its own territory and has cut off access to the area till Finger 8, until which soldiers carried out foot patrols in the past.
India, then, has been maintaining that talks were taking place on the diplomatic and military level to diffuse the tensions and reportedly mentioned that both the militaries have been agreed for disengagement.
Later government officials have shared details about thinning of troops at Patrol Points 14, 15 and 17 at Galwan and Gogra. The situation was serious since the beginning as several round of talks were held and for the first time in history a major general level meeting also took place in eastern Ladakh between the two sides, which was followed by a several round of talks between brigadier and colonel-level officers to chalk out a disengagement plan.
The Finger Area along the Pangong Tso lake still remains a major cause for concern as the PLA has constructed trenches at Finger 4 (which India considers its own) cutting off an over 50 Square Kilometers area till Finger 8 that Indian troops used to patrol in the past. And if PLA troops happen to make further incursions, the safety of the critical Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie road will be at risk.
India has been dealing with China differently as compared to Pakistan, as multiple incursions by Chinese PLA troops in the Indian territory are regarded as the different perception about the LAC.
This is the first time in the last 45 years that Indian or Chinese troops have been killed on the LAC. In 1975, an Indian patrol was ambushed by the Chinese in Arunachal Pradesh. In 1967, a violent showdown in Nathu La in Sikkim in which 88 Indian soldiers and over 300 Chinese soldiers were killed.
There is also a similar tense situation eyeball-to-eyeball in Nathu La, on the border between China and the north-eastern Indian state of Sikkim. Prime Minister Modi, who met Xi Jinping 18 times and Chinese president was the first state guest when he became the Prime Minister of India in 2014, reflects that Modi tried to appease the dragon but failed miserably.
Union Minister Amit Shah specifically made it clear in August 2019 in Parliament that when he mentions Jammu and Kashmir it includes Ladakh, Aksai Chin and Pakistan occupied Kashmir as these areas are integral part of the country. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops, since then had been conducting incursions and regular combat exercises near the Indian border. But Indian government failed to analyze it and so as the intelligence agencies.
China raised the issue at international forums including the UN Security Council. Since then, Beijing has been making incursions and even reportedly secured around close to 3-4 kms in Galwan River area but no military or government official have confirmed.
China under Xi Jinping has been aggressively pursuing its ambitions of becoming a world power and India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and revoke the autonomy of Jammu an Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has irked Beijing. China has made inroads in Nepal and Bangladesh and the ongoing US-China trade war has turned beneficial for Beijing. While India has been making deals with neighbouring countries on paper while going slow on the ground.
Modi lacks the knowledge of China’s polity and vision which believes in policies set by Mao Zedong an working on it steadily and aggressively after it declared Wall in the Sky in 2009 and implemented Air Defense Identification Zone in East China Sea in 2013 and South China Sea. But on the contrary, Modi government has been accusing Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India and the Gandhi family of Congress for NDA government’s failures and lost engaged in dividing the society to remain in power and provoking Pakistan on television debates and then boasting of conducting surgical strikes in Pakistan while disregarding the fact that India needs a different policy and strategy to deal with the dragon.
By Arti Bali
Sr Journalist (International Affairs)
