New Delhi: As India and China blamed one another for the ‘martyrdom’ of their men in the violent face off in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, security analysts warned that the situation has got out of control and needs tit-for-tat handling.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry was the first to react by accusing India of crossing the border and "provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides". A spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry said that Beijing has lodged "strong protests and solemn representations" to Delhi.
It was only close to 8 p.m. on Tuesday after two high level meetings attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, the three Service Chiefs and the External Affairs Minister that the External Affairs Ministry responded to numerous media queries.
Referring to the de-escalation agreement reached between Senior Commanders on June 6, 2020, the MEA Spokesperson, Anurag Srivasatava, said, While it was our expectation that this would unfold smoothly, the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley. On the late evening and night of 15th June 2020, a violent face off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there. Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.
In a statement, the MEA almost counselled China, "Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side.”
China’s Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui and Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri are reported to have met in Beijing. Security analysts say that the Chinese resistance to India’s determined infrastructure building is understood to have provoked the Chinese to resort to arm-twisting tactics by way of an unarmed combat. Major General Vinod Saighal, who has been invited two times in the last five years as a State Guest to China, says, “This is a standalone incident. This time around, we also decided to build up our forces in the border which is something that they did not expect. They would have moved back had we agreed to what they wanted which is halting construction of our infrastructure all the way to Daulat Beg Oldi. They are alarmed with that. That is why they came in. Our creation of infrastructure is a problem for them because it enables our forces to move up equally fast. They made it known to us that if we stop the infrastructure creation, then they would go back to their earlier position. It is very clear that they don’t want India to have a potential as good as theirs. This is the real bone of contention. We have attempted to checkmate them all along the border.”
As far as the casualties on both sides, Major General Vinod Saighal said, “The situation appears to have gotten out of hand. I don’t feel that it was pre- meditated. Our officers always lead from the front. All of them are on the frontline face to face. Such fisticuffs are bound to happen if there is eye ball to eye ball confrontation for long. Fisticuffs, sticks and stones are quite common in such situations."
Noted strategic expert Colonel Anil Bhatt says, “Anything that India does to upgrade its strategic infrastructure does not go well with the Chinese at all. Construction of this 255 km long road linking Darbuk-Shyok and Daulat Beg Oldi, which is well within Indian territory, is roughly parallel to the Line of Actual Control. This was bad enough for them but construction of a lateral from this road in Galwan that goes up to the Line of Actual Control, has really alarmed them. All this talk of reported retreat was misleading. This is too advantageous a position for them to leave. Tackling this situation would need tough and proactive measures with political will, not mere platitudes. We need to retaliate with force and deception and give them a taste of their own medicine. What is deeply disturbing is that the Commanding Officer of our battalion deployed there was targeted and killed.” Meanwhile, BJP did what it is best at by reposing confidence in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. BJP President J P Nadda said “the borders of India will remain intact under the leadership of PM Modi.” India’s grand old party, Congress, was quick to put out a statement to express shock over the “killing of our brave officer and soldiers by the Chinese.”
