In a sense our country is having see-saw relationship with China. The problem lies in long stretches of undefined border line with that country including parts in J&K State, Ladakh sector. The real difficulty arises first from the McMahon Line drawn by the British during the days of Raj. In Ladakh region, for example, stretches of the boundary line have remained undefined. Both sides have their own perceptions of the border in this situation. Such sectors of border may not be termed disputed but these are definitely undelineated which becomes source of irritation between the two countries.
The second problem is that China is traditionally coveting the territories of her neighbours and has developed the habit of intruding into their border territories. This is lust for land, and in that sense, China is an expansionist country. Our country has been having troubled border relations with China after she emerged in the present avatar of Peoples Republic of China. Strangely, during the British Indian rule, and after the McMahon Line was drawn, China had no problem with that boundary line. But soon after the British left, China raised the boundary issue and with that she revived her expansionist policy.
Indian leadership has been alive to China’s expansionist designs. Additionally, since Pakistan, our neighbour to the west, is also hostile to us, she has formed an unholy alliance with China against us. In return for ceding nearly 5,000 square kilometres of our territory in Aksaichin to China, Pakistan has allowed the Chinese to undertake various infrastructural projects in the region of Gilgit and Baltistan. China has already built the Karakorum Highway connecting Western Chinese province of Xingjian with Pakistan and now, according to intelligence and other reports; China is extending it to PoK. She is also reported to be constructing hydroelectric power generating stations in PoK. Chinese military officers have been paying occasional visits to these developmental works for security and monitoring.
It is but natural that India raises objection to it as is reflected in the statement of Defence Minister Parrikar given in the Parliament. He is justified if he has demonstrated toughness on the issue towards China. PoK is part of the original state of J&K which was acceded to the Indian Union in 1947. India has also passed a unanimous resolution in the Parliament in 1994 in which it has reiterated that PoK is part of Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir but remains illegally occupied by Pakistan. That resolution further says that India has the will and capacity to liberate that part of the State from the control of Pakistan.
This makes it clear that China is conducting construction work on a disputed land whose ownership India strongly claims. There is full justification in Indian Defence Minister asking China to stop all construction or road building work in PoK.
China has been disturbing the border in Ladakh by making occasional intrusion into our part of the territory, staying there for a few days and then withdrawing to its own territory. The case about our western border with Pakistan is different. Pakistan is fomenting active clashes with our security forces by sending in armed infiltrators across vulnerable points in the existing LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and also across IB. It does not claim territory as China does but indulge in subversive activities with the intention of bringing pressure on India in regard to resolution of Kashmir dispute.
Border irritants notwithstanding, our country has adopted definite mode of reaction to threatening activities of our adversarial neighbours, China and Pakistan. A mechanism has been evolved so that in case of escalating tensions on the border, those mechanisms are pressed into service. These, for example, encompass Border Personnel meetings, meetings of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Indo – China border and also diplomatic channels. By and large, these mechanisms do work and normalcy is restored along the border. Though for more than a year now, Pakistani border security forces have been resorting to indiscriminate firing and shelling on the border, forcing civilian population to migrate to safer places, of late a semblance of normalcy has been restored. Infiltration bids by the terrorists in Kashmir have been foiled to a large extent and it is no more easy for them to sneak into our side. Our security forces respond to unprovoked firing and shelling in a befitting manner.
In summing up, we find that, by and large, the response of the Defence Minister to various aspects of border security and related matters with our two neighbours is to be hailed as pragmatic. We cannot expect total change of heart of our two recalcitrant neighbours overnight. Yet irritants have to be handled with care and caution. Old habits die hard. We appreciate the Government continuing the balanced policy of dealing with our two indifferent neighbours but at the same time not compromising national interests.
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