A day before the BRICS Summit in Kazan, India’s External Affairs Ministry announced that India and China have reached an agreement on the “patrolling arrangements” and the resolution of the military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in a breakthrough that include the remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang.This happened after several weeks of talks between Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators.
India’s big ask for the last two years—restoring patrolling rights in Depsang and Demchok—has been achieved after prolonged military-diplomatic talks.
India had long been pressing for complete disengagement along the LAC to be the first of the ‘3-D’ process. So now the first D – disengagement – has been done.
Nitin A. Gokhale opines that the whole process needs a step-by-step approach laced with a dose of pragmatism, considering India’s experience in the last four years.
Discussions on the other two Ds (de-escalation and de-induction) will also happen at an appropriate time when decided by both nations.
The conflict began in early 2020 when both sides increased their troop presence along the LAC, with tensions peaking in June 2020 after the violent clash at Galwan Valley, which resulted in casualties on both sides. This marked one of the deadliest skirmishes between India and China in decades. And trust was the biggest casualty.
Over the next few years, several rounds of diplomatic and military talks were held to negotiate disengagement in specific areas, including Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Hot Springs.
Despite these efforts, issues in areas like Depsang Plains and Demchok remained unresolved, with both countries keeping troops stationed in high-altitude areas, leading to further strains.
India’s approach towards managing the conflict with China has been realistic, says Nitin. India is part of the Quad but unlike the other three constituents of the bloc, it has a long unsettled boundary with China. So while it’s important to stand up to any Chinese aggression at the borders, it’s also prudent not to get swayed by those who have prickly ties with the dragon but are located far away from its shores.
