Disengagement to Demobilisation: Resetting the Relations

China is a master of spinning deceit and covert action exploiting strategy and statecraft as means of ''Combative coexistence'' with opponents. Throughout their history chinese have had their share of brutal conflicts at home and with neighbours.

- LT GENERAL J.K. SHARMA(RETD)

THE NARRATIVE ON THE Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China and in the Sub Sector North (SSN) and rest of Eastern Ladakh since July 5, 2020, has been of disengagement. This has manifested only into minor thinning and some withdrawal of opposing forces on the LAC, particularly the areas of Hot Spring, Gogra, Galwan and Fingers along with the Northern Bank of Pangong Tso. Much of this has happened after series of talks at the level of Corps Commander from military side and then political and diplomatic parleys of July 5 between the Special Representatives of two countries, i.e National Security Advisor of India and Foreign Minister of China. How the disengagement is translating itself on the ground and its implications on the status quo ante that India has been seeking has become a matter of debate, especially on the mechanism of disengagement and what kind of concessions are being given by either side in terms of real estate. This whole matter further is of even greater concern as the analysts and strategists are yet to get a clear insight into the explanation as to why China adopted this stance at all. The reasons could be many from India’s cosying up with the USA, issues of domestic legitimacy of Xi Jinping, India’s infrastructure development close to the LAC and/or many more, but it will not be business as usual for very long. The relation in which Prime Minister Modi had been investing ever since 2015, never losing an opportunity to strike a personal rapport, are heading further Southward with every passing day.