History often repeats itself goes the adage that perfectly fits on the India-China stand-off at LAC in eastern Ladakh. With the crisis deepening, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held direct talks in Moscow for more than two hours this week to try and dial down tensions along the Line of Actual Control reducing to yet another five-point agreement.
This five-point agreement seems to have the reminiscence for Indians of Panch-sheel agreement of Nehru-Chou-En-Lai days when China back-stabbed India violating the ‘pious principles' of Panch-Sheel.
Jaishankar reiterated India's demand for the restoration of status quo ante, that is, return to the positions held in April, before Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh. This condition, many feel, is not relevant now keeping in view the historically established character of Chinese leadership. Their cunning policy of always moving five steps forward and taking two steps backward for calming down its targeted neighbour has been always paying them dividend.
Adverse Propaganda and pre-hand false allegations are their time-tested strategy when dealing with their adversaries. Jai Shankar also told Wang that the Indian Army never tried to transgress the LAC, refuting a frequent Chinese allegation. The immediate task New Delhi feels is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas.
The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May.
The known soft-pedalling in regard to the China-India border dispute in the past decades has apparently given China the impression that India can be browbeaten into accepting the Chinese position ultimately even though the governments may make loud noises for public consumption. The Nehru period and subsequent tendency to give in to the Chinese in the wake of their aggression of 1962 and the decades of failure to work out a good deal are like an albatross around New Delhi's neck. They have inevitably led to India being virtually taken for granted.
But, in the wake of the recent tension, Indian Army gave PLA a surprise when they took control of key heights facing Chinese positions and India's refusal to accept their occupation of strategic points on the border that would give Beijing a lasting political and military advantage.
Indeed, India's steadfastness is perfectly understandable and a welcome change from the earlier weak position but the Chinese are far from reconciled to India's new-found confidence.
Engaging the opponent in dialogue and doing simultaneous deception was what they did in 1960-62. This time, viewing the renewed confidence of India and being under tremendous pressure, this Agreement like many others in the past, may be a ploy by the Chinese to gain time to their advantage and then hit hard. That is necessary for them to prevent any untoward incident for the time being. But India should not fall in Chinese trap for gaining time and relenting on its LAC positions. India should now insist on Chinese taking their pre-April 2020 position without accepting to descend its troopers from the vantage hill-tops for ensuring full stop to future Chinese misadventure.
