By Rahul Dixit
Two years of stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops along friction points at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has seen a big breakthrough with the beginning of the disengagement process in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in eastern Ladakh. The front-line troops will get back to their respective areas while all the temporary structures and other allied infrastructure will be dismantled as per the agreement made between the two countries. While the disengagement can be seen as a major opening for further thaw in military relations between the two neighbours, it has to be taken with a pinch of salt by New Delhi as the process nowhere finds mention of restoring the status quo ante which India had been pressing for since 2020. The obstinacy shown by the Chinese side and its reluctance to acknowledge existence of more friction points along the LAC makes it highly imperative for India to be extremely cautious in the strategic eastern Ladakh sector.
Ever since the bloody and primitive clashes in Galwan Valley which gave China a bloodied nose courtesy India’s bravehearts, things have remained tense along the northern border. That the Galwan incident had shown the Chinese what Indian troops were capable of could be seen in the further moves by Beijing which kept on efforts for unilateral change in status quo in other sectors but did not dare to move ahead. India was quick to recalibrate the situation and fortified its front-line with quality infrastructure and potent ammunition. The Indian response was effective in opening up all channels for dialogue between the two sides and now the beginning of the disengagement process.
However, the disengagement of troops is just a marginal progress in the overall border situation. Gogra-Hotsprings is only part of the bigger problem which lies at the friction points of Depsang and Demchok. Both the critical positions have remained hot for the last two years even as the stubborn Chinese side refuses to accept these two locations as friction points. Beijing’s total focus is only on eastern Ladakh. It is a clear trick of avoiding the Indian position on having the April 2020 status quo in the Ladakh sector. The possible meeting between Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping a few days later in Samarkand must find assertive mention of this point.
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