Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 30: The Central Government is understood to be seriously discussing a very significant proposal to bring para-military Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) under operational control of Army to more effectively man the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in five Indian States including Eastern Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Army has been constantly demanding that the ITBP should be brought under operational control of the Army as it would go long way in monitoring the Chinese activities in more effective manner and keep strict check on their (the PLA’s) intrusions, which, although, were already on decline during the past couple of years.
Presently the ITBP, whose jawans are trained for posting in rugged mountains, were deployed on front line along 4057 kilometers LAC that India shares with China in five States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
However, among five States, the Eastern Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir remained the most focal point between India and China and had witnessed maximum incursions, which have now come down to great extent due to frequent meetings between the two sides and opening of one more Border Meeting Point (BMP).
Sources said the Army has submitted that the ITBP should be placed under its operation control all along the LAC with China as it would increase troop strength and help in better tackling of any kind of Chinese incursions. The Army has cited that it has better resources, which it can utilize to the advantage of the Indian troops and strengthen the Indian positions along the LAC.
The Army is reportedly of the view that LAC with China in all five States including Eastern Ladakh falls under the category of “most important, significant and strategic borders” and therefore, it was imperative that it gained control of the LAC with India’s hostile neighbour (China) like Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.
The Army’s opinion, which was yet to be considered by the Government of India, was based on ground assessment of the situation along the LAC in all five States having un-demarcated LAC with China.
While the Army comes under the command of the Defence Ministry, it was the Union Home Ministry that controls all para-military forces including the ITBP. In view of, a decision on handing over operational control of the ITBP to the Army along the LAC, has to be taken by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On July 22, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China had intruded into Barahoti area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand but retreated within few hours. The Chinese troops had returned after the ITBP asked them to do so.
Sources said the incursions do take place due to different perceptions of 4057 kilometers long boundary between India and China, which hasn’t been demarcated. Both the sides keep patrolling the LAC in aggressive manner to ward off any possibility of incursions. This too, sometimes, lead to confusion on incursions in view of un-demarcated boundary.
According to sources, the number of incursions by the Chinese troops along LAC with India has been constantly on decline after takeover by the NDA Government at the Centre. Number of transgressions was 555 in 2014, which came down to 387 in 2015 and almost similar declining trend is visible this year too.
However, according to sources, despite sharp decline in transgressions by the PLA troops along the LAC, India was not taking any chance and has decided to go ahead with its infrastructure preparedness especially in the Eastern Ladakh, where it had deployed a number of tanks and made other preparedness to meet with any eventuality.
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