But India-China problems still persist
On the face of it, the peaceful resolution this Sunday of the 20-day-long face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in northern ladakh is to be welcomed. With troops from both countries now having retreated to the positions that they held prior to April 15, before the People’s liberation Army moved 19 km into Indian territory and camped in the Daulat Beg Oldi sector, the possibility of a military confrontation has been averted. Such a confrontation, even if it were to be only a ‘localised’ border skirmish, would have benefitted neither India nor China.
In the short term, it would have jeopardised Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid's May 9 visit to Beijing and Chinese Premier li Keqiang’s trip to India later this month. And in the long run, it would have complicated an already challenging relationship. However, it is imperative to know the price that India has paid or accepted to pay Beijing to get the latter to quit Indian territory. As of now, there is no official information on the details of the deal that New Delhi has struck with China. This has fuelled suspicions of a sell-out to the Chinese.
Already, there are questions on why India agreed to remove its troops from the site that it considers to be its own. But even assuming that acceptance of status quo ante was a tactical move, news reports quoting sources from the Ministry of Defence as saying that the deal was based on some sort of a quid pro quo arrangement, has worried many. Reportedly, the Chinese had to be offered a ‘face-saver' to convince them to leave. This, if true, is problematic on multiple levels. If New Delhi did pave the way for China's retreat when it was the latter that had unilaterally intruded into sovereign Indian territory, then it essentially tantamounts to rewarding Beijing for its wholly unacceptable actions. And, it sets a dangerous precedent.
Also, in the absence of any official confirmation on the concessions made, two factors provide cause of concern. First, the Chinese turnaround came suddenly, and after more than a fortnight of acute hostility during the course of which they only dug in their heels deeper. The softening of stance could be because India upped the ante in recent days by signalling that it may cancel Mr Khurshid and Mr li’s visits. While this would have embarrassed Beijing, it is unlikely that this possibility alone resulted in a change of heart.
This brings us to the second point: Did India give in to the demands China made during the earlier failed flag meetings between the militaries of the two countriesIJ Beijing had categorically stated that it wanted India to stop all ‘development' work in the region. In recent years, India has re-opened three airstrips — in Daulat Beg Oldi, Fukche and Nyoma — and also built a forward post in Chumar.
Meanwhile, China has build roads and railway lines that have boosted its own troop deployment capabilities in that strategic region where the contested borders of India, China and Pakistan meet. Even if New Delhi does not disclose the details of the concessions now, the deal will unravel over time. Until then, given the trust deficit that plagues the Government's relationship with the people, there will be speculation that the UPA regime buckled to unjust demands from the Chinese in a bid to end a row it could not handle.