On May 10,around 150 soldiers of Indian and Chinese troops clashed in North Sikkim( Naku La) over undemarcated boundary issues which adjoins the 3,448 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). At an altitude of more than 16,000 feet, hand- to- hand fighting took place between Indian and Chinese troops. As per Indian Army Statement, aggressive behaviour and minor injuries on both sides have been reported. As per Reports, 4 Indian troops and 7 Chinese troops had injuries. Much details about of clash is not available due to security issues except courageous act of a young Lieutenant of Indian army who objected and became furious at Chinese Major Claiming Sikkim to be a part of China and not of India. Upon this, Lieutenant came up with a reply. After few hours, troops disengaged after interaction and dialogue at local level.
This standoff took place after 2017 doklam clashes when Indian army executed Operation Juniper and positioned 270 army troops in doklam to deter a team of Chinese People'd Liberation Army soldiers from constructing a road that would have circumvented Indian posts in Dokalam, and provided the Chinese access to Jampheri Ridge and clear line of sight to Siliguri Corridor. This standoff lasted for 73 days and finally Chinese army decided to back down and halted the construction of road.
Similar clashes emerged in Eastern Ladakh on May 5-6 in an area called Finger-5 on the northern bank of 134 km Pangong Tso lake. Around 400 troops clashed here. Also, the Chinese army's helicopters flew close to the LAC during the clashes. While troops of PLA resorted to violence using iron rods, stones and punches, they allowed helicopters to fly at the location where India is pressed in the Sukhois fighters in response to it. As per Army, it was a mere coincidence and nothing else.
This type of clashes signal an incremental deterioration in bilateral ties and emergence of an enduring rivalry. Setting up of Djibouti base by China leads to the Chinese interference in border states such as Nepal and Bhutan. Also ties of Chinese with Pakistan through Belt and Road initiative, India is emphasising on deterrence and need to resolve the issues. China's Growing assertiveness and aggression, peace on Sino- Indian Border will remain under stress with increasing intensity, frequency and depth of Transgressions.
In the year 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Xinping engaged in a 2-day informal summit in Wuhan and declared the respect in each other's sensitiveness, concerns and aspirations. But recent clashes in Sikkim and Ladakh indicates that " status quo " has not been seen. In fact China has sped up its halted road construction towards doklam a few hundred metres to the east directed towards Torsa Nala in Tibet which is the base of Doklam Plateau. It indicates increasing Concentration of Chinese troops in Tiberian forward military base in Yatung.
India and China have settled border issues with their other neighbours but no settlement so far between India China. India settled it's border issues with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. China settled it's border issues with Myanmar, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India and China is facing 'Commitment Problem'.
A commitment problem arises when two states who would be better off in present if they consented to a mutual beneficial argument are unable to resolve their disputed due to different expectations of future strengths and thus a consequent inability to commit to future bargaining power or a division of benefits. India is assuming that its material power and leverage is going to improve over time so there is no benefits in accepting china's ' benign hegemony'.
China is also expecting it's increase in material strength and it's superpower status in coming decades.
This leads to the non acceptance of ' Status quo agreement' that seeks to formalise the existing LAC.
Also the problem of controlling important mountain passes and strategic choke points can be resolved through mutual demilitarisation or by creating mutual hostage conditions. India and China can divide strategic points equally to end over the clashes.
Best way to guarantee "peace and tranquility" on the Sino- Indian border is to focus on military-to-military communication, which would allow the two sides to immediately clarify any relavant issues at a more senior directive level....
kindly post something about terrorism
ReplyDeleteWe are working on it...Surely will post about it.
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