A month long tension between the Sino-Indian troops along Indo-China border in the western Himalayas made to the headlines of national media when it reached the crisis point, earlier this week. On 15h June, 2020, the 3,500 km long, disputed border between India and China in the Ladakh region became the flashpoint of a deadly un-armed flare-up between the respective forces. Cudgels with pointed surfaces, stones and rocks became the artillery in what is being termed as one of the most vicious clashes between the two sides in roughly less than half a decade. The only mortal combat that happened between the two troops was a brief one in 1962, when both the sides come to blows over border demarcation issue, which still remains unresolved and at the heart of occasional conflicts in the Galwan valley region.
It was reported that at least twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the noxious clash in the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The number of causalities on the Chinese front remains unknown as well as the entire incident is being downplayed in the Chinese media. The Indian military experts and stakeholders claim that the Chinese forces were heedlessly infiltrating the LAC and Beijing was trying to alter the current parameters of Gawlan valley incommunicado. Galwan valley has crucial strategic importance for India owing to its proximity to the feeder station in the Nubra Valley for Indian troops stationed in Siachin. It’s proximity to Aksai Chin, the wrangled plateau claimed by India but governed by China, also makes it geopolitically important for China. It is also being speculated that Beijing’s restlessness over the construction of road in the Galwan valley that threatens China’s geo-strategic functions is a key factor that contributed to this bloody demonstration of antagonism by China. Furthermore, the strengthening US-India ties and the furore over the Indian government’s repealing of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, giving Union territory status to Ladakh, are also said to be additional contributing factors.
Major-General level talks between New Delhi and Beijing are going on, the third round of which was held earlier in the day today. As per the recent updates, the Indian media reported that 10 soldiers have been released unharmed by the Chinese counterparts; whereas Beijing denies ever having held any of the Indian soldiers as hostages. The incident escalated hostility towards Chinese merchandise in India, as in several states effigies of the Chinese President Xi Jinping along with Chinese products were burnt amidst the resolve to completely ban all Chinese import. On the global front, Washington has also expressed deep remorse and offered its condolences for the deceased soldiers and their family via twitter. Meanwhile, foreign ministers of both the countries engaged in a telephonic dialogue, seeing each other eye to eye vis-à-vis cooling down of tensions along the border.
