Tensions between India and China are now beginning to ease. Following the agreement reached a few days ago, the disengagement process at the LAC has now been initiated. Temporary tents and buildings set up by soldiers from both countries on the border are currently being dismantled.
After the agreement is signed, everything on the LAC will become the same as it was before June 2020. In June 2020, the situation here was tense after Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed violently in the Galwan Valley. Patrols have been stopped in many places.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar once said in the program that after 2020, they have blocked many areas, and we have also blocked them. But an agreement has now been reached on patrols. Now we will be able to patrol the same places we patrolled before 2020.
This agreement is very important for the relationship between India and China. The agreement is the result of negotiations at diplomatic and military levels.
What is this agreement?
India and China clashed at five locations along the Line of Actual Control: Depsang, Demchok, Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso and Gogra Hot Springs. After several rounds of negotiations after 2020, the armies of the two countries have withdrawn from the Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso and Gogra Hot Springs. However, there is a risk of clashes due to the deployment of troops in Depsang and Demchok.
But now with the agreement, Indian and Chinese troops will withdraw from five locations and be able to patrol here as before. This will maintain peace on the border.
Patrolling in Depsang is also important from the Indian perspective as Daulat Beg near the Karakoram Pass is 30 kilometers from the Odi Post. There is also a flat area between the hills that can be used for military activities. while Demchok fell near the Indus River. If China takes control here, it could affect the water supply to North Indian states.
Also Read: What is the controversy over patrol points on the Line of Actual Control, know- What are the implications of the agreement for Indian and Chinese armies
But the controversy is not over yet
The agreement on patrolling the Line of Actual Control is seen as a hope of thawing the ice in relations between the two countries. However, the border dispute between India and China is still not over.
India and China share a 3,488-km-long common border. It is also known as the longest disputed border in the world. This border is divided into three parts – East, Central and West. Ladakh is located in the western region.
There is no formal border between India and China due to China itself, so no solution to the dispute can be found. China claims sovereignty over 90,000 square kilometers of Arunachal Pradesh and calls it part of southern Tibet. Similarly, under the agreement signed on March 2, 1963, Pakistan handed over 5,180 square kilometers of Jammu and Kashmir to China. China has illegally occupied 38,000 square kilometers of Ladakh. Overall, 43,180 square kilometers of land remain in dispute.
What happened to resolve the border dispute: In 1993, the two countries reached an agreement to resolve the border dispute through negotiations. In 1996, another agreement was reached, deciding that the two countries would not use force against each other. Since then, further agreements were signed in 2005, 2012 and 2013. It was decided that the situation between the two countries on the border would remain unchanged. However, despite these agreements, China continues to engage in provocative activities along the border.
Also Read: From Aksai Chin to Tawang… where are the tensions between India and China, Read – The story of the world’s longest disputed border.
There are also border disputes with Pakistan and Nepal
– Dispute with Pakistan: After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, Pakistan attacked India. India has a 3,323 km long border with Pakistan. Pakistan illegally occupies 78,000 square kilometers of Jammu and Kashmir, known as POK.
– What happened to resolve the border dispute: After Pakistan occupied Indian soil in 1948, the matter was brought to the United Nations. India has made it clear that nothing will progress unless Pakistan negotiates on terrorism.
– Dispute with Nepal: India and Nepal share a 1,751-km-long border. The Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1815. It was decided that Nepal’s border would extend from Mahakali in the west to the Mach River in the east. But the boundaries here are not fixed. As a result, the border dispute between India and Nepal continues to this day.
– What happened to resolve the border dispute: In 1981, a group was formed to determine the border between the two countries. It also sets a 98% limit. Nepal currently has disputes over Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. And India has made it clear that all three are part of it.
Also Read: Here’s Why LOC Can’t Become LAC! China-India Border Gun Ban Agreement
India borders 7 countries
India borders 7 countries. Its length is 15,106 kilometers. The seven countries bordering India are Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Among these seven countries, only China, Pakistan and Nepal have border disputes. There was previously a dispute with Bangladesh over the 6.1-kilometer border, which was resolved in 2011. Later, in 2014, the maritime boundary issue between India and Bangladesh was also resolved.
