Ladakh Conflict, Indian Stance on Ladakh, Aksai Chin, Sino-Indian Relations, Sino-Indian Military tensions
Ladakh conflict finds its
roots in the partition of India in 1947. Pakistan and India had been contesting
for Ladakh since the end of British rule in India. Kashmir has been a disputed
region between India and Pakistan since then. But, under the cease-fire agreement in 1949,
the southeastern part of Ladakh remained with India and Pakistan got the
remaining parts.
Surprisingly, China became part of this conflict and gained control of northeastern parts of Ladakh from the Indian side in the 1960s. Sikh empire had annexed Ladakh into Jammu state in 1834. After the Sikhs were defeated in 1846, British commissioners tried to discuss the border matter with China. Both parties sufficiently agreed to recognize a border but, borders were not demarcated. Although the boundaries of Karakoram Pass and Pangong Lake were well defined, the areas of Aksai Chin remained undefined.
Thus, India claimed
Aksai Chin to be the easternmost portion of the Indian union territory of
Ladakh. But, China considers Aksai Chin as the autonomous region of Chinese
Tibet and Xinjiang, after it gained control of this region. Aksai Chin or
Pinyin (as named by China) is the part of the Kashmir at the northernmost side
of the Indian subcontinent in Asia (south-central). It includes almost all the
area of Chinese-administered part of Kashmir that is considered the Ladakh part
of Kashmir by Indian authorities.
So, Ladakh is believed to be
a part of a larger Kashmir. The largely undefined area of Ladakh, especially after
partition in 1947, became the root cause of the problem. That may support the
Indian stance, as Kashmir dispute is between India and Pakistan. Thus, Ladakh
should have belonged to either Pakistan or India.
The recent tensions in
Ladakh started when Chinese troops reportedly entered Indian Territory of
"Galwan Valley" and resisted the efforts of road construction by
Indian authorities. As per Indian stance, the road was being constructed in the
undisputed Indian Territory. Military tensions between India and China in the
eastern part of Ladakh increased further when Indian Army resisted the attempt
of alteration of LAC by People’s Liberation Army of China in Pangong Lake’s
southern bank that is already undisputed area.
So, as per Indian claims, it
seems like China has been creating problems in the undisputed area under
India's control. Over 20 Indian soldiers including an officer were killed in a
border area. These deadly tensions between two nuclear powers demand an
appropriate solution to the situation that may be acceptable to both the
parties. China and India need to agree to a common point, and clearly define
the border area in order to resolve this matter. World powers may also have to play
their role and mediate to avoid any clash in this part of the world.
Visit also: Indian Maritime Strategy 2015
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