In a major social media address, the government on Monday announced that India and China have reached an agreement to re-guard in the remaining conflict zones on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, where tensions have continued since the Galwan Valley conflict in 2020.
In a press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the agreement is an important step towards non-alignment, especially in the remaining areas of conflict, showing the sensitive areas of Depsang Plains and Demchok.
Experts suggest that while this is an important step in de-escalating tensions between the two countries, India should be aware of China’s motives.
Participating in an India Today TV interview, geographer Brahma Chellaney said that while it is a welcome move to diffuse some tensions with China, New Delhi should not see this as a success.
“The Chinese have yet to issue their statement regarding this understanding, and we must know that China will not reverse the land expropriation in Depsang and Demchok,” said Chellaney.
“What this new surveillance system is, only time will tell, because the information is slowly coming out, as it did in the case of buffer zone planning,” he added.
According to Chellaney, three things are needed to end the standoff — separation, demobilization, and demobilization of the rival forces.
“Today, what was announced by the Indian side is only related to the first step, the expulsion of opposing forces. The second and third steps will be very difficult because China has created new infrastructure related to the war on the border of India,” said Chellaney. .
“Returning to the status quo ante, both in terms of how the border looked like before April 2020 or how territorial control existed on the Ladakh border before April 2020 when China took its land from Indian territory, is not coming back,” he added. .
Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) supported Chellaney’s argument. “A lot has happened in the last four-and-a-half years in terms of infrastructure development, migration and the like. Reversing all of this overnight without a detailed agreement may not be possible,” he said.
According to Lt General Hasnain, the ascent happens in seconds, but the descent always takes years.
“If you look at the decline, I think it’s a question of putting a pause button, and it will move a lot, with a lot of increase. One should not look at it as if one day is good, there is an announcement, and everything is strange and resolved,” he said.
He said the government’s announcement is in preparation for the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Kazan on Tuesday.
“There is a good atmosphere behind it (a possible meeting). That’s all,” he said.
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