Yesterday Modi government convened a high-level meeting to review the situation along China-India border in Sikkim section after tension between the two countries flared up following a scuffle between Indian Army and China security force. Members of the meeting were Home Ministry, Indian Army, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police officials. Earlier this month Chinese troops entered the Indian side in this area of the border and destroyed two makeshift bunkers of Indian Army. The incident took place near Lalten post in the Doka La general section.
An official said, “The situation along the border in Sikkim area is closely being monitored”. On 20th June, in a meeting, the Chinese troops also informed Indian Army that the Nathu La Pass has been blocked barring Indian pilgrims traveling to Kailash and Mansarovar from entering Tibet.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Home Minister, Hansraj Ahir, said that the government will find a solution to settle the issue after holding a discussion. The government officials have described the incident as China’s attempt to ‘open another front along the border line.
He also said, “After the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, relations between both the countries have blown hot, blow cold, the incident could be an attempt by the Chinese side to open confrontation in Sikkim”.
But interestingly Chinese foreign ministry also lodged a complaint with New Delhi and Beijing for alleged ‘crossing of boundary’ by Indian troops in the Sikkim section. The last such transgression happened earlier in this zone only in November 2008 when Chinese soldiers destroyed some makeshift Indian Army bunkers in the area.
China has accused Indian troops of crossing into its territory from the state of Sikkim on India’s northeastern border, the Chinese foreign and defense ministries have said this, complicating an already difficult relationship.
A spokesman, Geng Shuang, of China’s foreign ministry, said Indian guards obstructed the normal activities by Chinese forces on the border and asked India to withdraw immediately, on this Monday.
Mr. Geng also added that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been defined by treaties, noting that the government of India has repeatedly confirmed in writing that there is no objection to it. Earlier this month, Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that both the countries should work together to manage their differences appropriately. The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama visited India in April 2017, to a region controlled by India but claimed by China also stoked tensions between these two countries. Actually, Beijing brands Dalai Lama as a separatist.
Now it has become a serious issue for both the countries. That is why Central government yesterday called a high-level meeting to review this issue. The theme is that we don’t want to make any decision against China and on the other and we don’t want to lose anything in this case.
