Developments on our northern frontier are disturbing to say the least. An almost four and a half decade long truce between India and China has been virtually shattered with the killings of 20 Indian jawans. Though, both countries maintain that the unfortunate incident was the result of a local situation getting out of control, it is not enough to sway suspicion on the true nature of the incident. There was a deliberate attempt by unknown forces to provoke the conflict for sometime, aimed at disturbing peace in the region. To foil such attempts, the best that both New Delhi and Beijing could do was to show restraint and maturity. Some progress was made in this regard as discussions between the two countries had also started. Troops on both sides of the border started going back to their original positions. But, it appears that somebody, somewhere didn’t like such a quick and reasonable settlement. So the provocation went a notch upwards and caused renewed tensions between India and China. The situation at present is so alarming that even United Nations (UN) asked both countries to defuse the situation at the earliest.
India-China relationship is virtually like a roller-coaster ride. The bone of contention between the two sides is the disputed border. It is interesting to note that the LAC which marked the boundary between the two countries is devoid of official recognition. There are many points in the nearly 4000 km long border on which both countries lay claim. Many a times, such claims created tensions, but, what goes to the credit of both sides is that in all past occasions, including the two-month-old Doklam stand-off, disputes were settled peacefully, if not permanently. Border talks between the two sides have been ongoing for quite some time now. But given the complex nature of the dispute, it will still take some time to be resolved. In this scenario the clash on the Galwan River was definitely meant to create a conflict between the two sides. However, it is anticipated that the situation will not deteriorate much further, as both India and China are committed to peaceful coexistence and good neighbourly relations. But what is intriguing is the fact that India and China never had any dispute in the Galwan area indicating that vested interests have a role in the new situation. As both New Delhi and Beijing know very well, efforts to include a new place in border talks will signal a rejection of all decisions previously taken and neither side will be interested in starting the process afresh as that would be detrimental to the progress thus far.
So, until and unless some facts come out, we will not be able to know who the culprit is. As the finger now points to the involvement of vested interests in aiming to turn India-China relations back to 1962, both sides should remain cautious. The situation demands great diplomacy rather than a strong armory. Both countries should be careful to prevent Galwan like incidents. Regular engagements between the two sides are crucial and if required informal summit meetings must also be held. It is a test for both countries to prove their resolve for peace.
