In the midst of the stand-off in Doklam in Sikkim in the eastern sector, the Chinese troops intruded into India in Uttarakhand last week and tried to force the shepherds to vacate the grazing land there. The Chinese returned to their base across the line of Actual Control (lAC) after two hours. The incident took place in Barahoti in Chamoli district. The area is patrolled by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Army.
The 4,000-km-long lAC is divided into three sectors- western (ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh), and eastern (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.) The latest transgression by the People’s liberation Army (PlA) troops took place in the middle sector. Incidentally, the Chinese had intruded into this area last year too in July and carried out an aerial sortie by helicopter. Similarly, in 2015, the Chinese troops demolished some temporary huts erected there by the shepherds on the grazing ground.
Giving details of the latest incident on July 25, officials said a group of 10 to 12 Chinese soldiers came at least one km inside Barahoti and asked the shepherds there to vacate the land. Barahoti is an 80 sq km sloping pasture about 140 km from the Uttarakhand capital Dehradun. They, however, said incidents of similar nature have happened in the past but are normally sorted out locally and should not be given undue importance.
The area is a demilitarised zone as agreed upon between the two countries and the ITBP jawans patrol the region without weapons, they said, adding the jawans perform their duty in a non-combative manner. In 1958, India and China listed Barahoti as a disputed area where neither side would send their troops.
In the 1962 War, the PlA did not enter the middle sector and the fighting took place in the western and eastern sectors. Officials also said the ITBP patrols the Barahoti region in civil dress where Indian shepherds from border villages and people from Tibet graze their animals.
Incidentally, the two countries exchanged the maps of the middle sector some years ago in an effort to resolve the disputed boundary. However, the maps for the other two sectors are yet to be exchanged, they said.
The transgressions on the lAC take place due to difference in perception about the boundary and the two countries in 2013 inked a Border Defence Co-operation Agreement (BDCA) as a confidence-building measure. The pact states that the two sides will take all steps to prevent situations like face-offs and local commanders will resolve the issue amicably according to laid down Standard Operating Procedures.
As regards the situation in Doklam, sources said status quo remains with at least 250 Indian soldiers and more or less the same number of Chinese troops facing each other since June 16. The stand-off ensued after the Indian side objected to China trying to build a road in the region located near Bhutan. The road in question poses a strategic threat to India as it will come close to Chumbi Valley or ‘Chicken’s Neck.’ The valley is about 50 km from the Siliguri corridor which connects North-East India to various parts of West Bengal and other States.
China is insisting that India should pull back its troops before the talks on the issue take place. However, India maintains that the two sides should withdraw simultaneously. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval reportedly discussed the ongoing face-off with the Chinese leadership during his visit to Beijing last week.