In order to solve geopolitical fault lines between India and China, issues have to be addressed in the old fashioned way of traditional diplomacy, writes Jay Desai.
Disengagement at Hot Springs could finally happen, but ‘legacy issues’ Depsang and Demchok could take longer, so tensions between India and China are expected to continue.
The gesture by both sides in eastern Ladakh and North Sikkim came in the midst of tense standoff between the two sides in several friction points in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.
Almost all soldiers deployed by PLA at forward points along LAC for the winter are in their early 20s, a move seeking to ensure they can take on harshness of climate.
The 4 Corps under the Eastern Army Command has set up an integrated surveillance centre manned by soldiers from both the Army and the Air Force which tracks the LAC 24x7.
The coming winter could be difficult for Indian troops, and sources fear that by March-April next year, there could even be fresh bout of violence, including possible use of firearms.
The Indian side is expected to seek disengagement as soon as possible in the remaining friction points besides pressing for resolution in Depsang Bulge & Demchok, govt sources said.
India is already well within the targeting range of Beijing’s existing missiles. But an arms race is not good at all for Delhi’s own positioning in international relations.
The manner in which the Modi govt and military have recorded the surgical strikes, Balakot airstrikes and Ladakh crisis has ensured that no authentic account will be written for posterity.
What is Shiv Sena’s ideology? We might say it’s been a convenient mix of extreme ethnic chauvinism & unforgiving Hindutva. Within the second, the party retained space to manoeuvre.