Today China defended People’s Liberation Army (PLA) helicopters hovering over Barahoti region of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, saying China and India have a territorial dispute in that eastern section of their boundary and the Chinese military carry out regular patrolling in the relevant areas.
When the media asked Chinese foreign ministry about the incident, Mr. Hua Chunying said, “in principle, India and China have territorial disputes in the eastern section of the India-China border”. The Chinese military of the PLA carries out regular inspection and patrolling in those disputed areas”. Mr. Hua also said, “We are hoping that both the countries will make efforts to maintain peace in the border areas”.
Earlier, Chinese choppers had entered at least 4.5 km into Indian Territory in the disputed region, an area that China claims as its own and recognizes as Wu-Je. The disputed Barahoti region is one of three posts in that sector, comprising Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and Himachal Pradesh (HP) where ITBP jawans are not allowed to carry any weapons and are in normal civilian clothes under a unilateral decision which had been taken by the Central government in 2000.
The government official of India said that the choppers, which returned to the China side after about 5 minutes patrolling, could have carried out aerial photography and air born survey of Indian ground troops which can be a reconnaissance mission. The helicopters were identified as the Zhiba series of attack choppers.
Already it has been decided in 1958 both the countries India and China, that the region Barahoti of Chamoli district, an 80-squre kilometer sloping pasture, as a disputed area where neither side will send their troops. And in the 1962 India-China war also, the PLA did not enter the 545-kilometerm middle sector, focusing on the Ladakh in western side and in eastern Arunachal Pradesh areas in the eastern sectors.
However, after that India-China War in 1962, the jawans of ITBP patrolled that disputed area with a number of weapons in a non-combative manner, under which the gun barrels was positioned downward. In June 2000 the Indian side had unilaterally decided that ITBP troops would not be carrying arms to three posts — Barahoti, Kauril, and Shipki in Himachal Pradesh. It was decided during the prolonged negotiations on resolving border disputes. The border dispute between India and China covers more than 3,000 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). But China claims that Arunachal Pradesh (AP) in the Eastern Sector as South Tibet. India asserts that the said dispute covered the area of Aksai China which was occupied by China during 1962 India-China war.
The news is very small but the consequences of these types of news are more than enough. Now it is not happening but maybe one day we will have to fight again for border dispute as we are doing now with Pakistan for Kashmir area.
