Context: 

Recently, two Major General-level talks between India and China were held on August 18 as a follow-up to the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks held earlier this week.

More on the News:

• General level talks were held at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and Chushul along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh to work out the finer details of resolving the existing friction points.
  • The two countries have been locked in a border conflict for more than three years after fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020.
• India and China have Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) points at Chushul and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in eastern Ladakh.
  • DBO lies close to the Depsang Plains where Chinese PLA troops have continued to deny access to the patrolling points in the area from 2020.
  • Chushsul lies close to the south bank of Pangong Tso, where Indian troops in a surprise operation in 2020 had occupied several heights.
• The two sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in the Ladakh sector in a speedy manner through continued dialogue. 

India-China Border Dispute

• Border Dispute: India’s border dispute with China is the most complex and longstanding one, involving an ill-defined, 3,440 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) that runs along the Himalayan region. 
  • The dispute stems from the legacy of British colonialism and the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
  • The two countries have had several clashes and stand-offs along the LAC, most notably in 1967, 1987, 2013, 2017 and 2020-2021.
• The latest conflict in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 was the first fatal confrontation between the two sides since 1975, killing at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. 
  • The two countries have also been competing to build infrastructure and assert their claims along the border, which has increased the risk of escalation.

About India Border Dispute and Challenges

• Location: India is located in a strategic position in South Asia and occupies a dominant position in the Indian Ocean. 
  • India has a coastline of 7516.6 km and 1382 small and big offshore islands. 
  • India has a total land frontier of approximately 15,200 km, which it shares with seven neighbouring countries: China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Afghanistan.
• India’s border with Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar are considered open borders.
• Constraint in Peaceful Border: India’s internal security challenges are invariably linked with the security of India’s borders especially when India faces adversary in its Northern and Western Sector.

Existing Border Dispute Settlement Mechanisms with neighbors such as: 

• Bilateral talks: India has engaged in direct talks with its neighboring countries to resolve border disputes. 
  • For example, India and China have held several rounds of talks to resolve their long-standing border dispute.
• Joint committees: India has set up joint committees with its neighboring countries to discuss and resolve border disputes. 
  • For example, the India-Bangladesh Joint Boundary Working Group was set up to resolve border disputes between the two countries.
• Agreements: India has signed agreements with its neighboring countries to maintain peace and tranquility along the border. 
• For example, India and China signed the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in 1993.
• International organizations: India has sought the involvement of international organizations such as the United Nations to facilitate peaceful resolutions to border disputes. 
• For example, India has raised the issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir at the UN.

Other Border Dispute of India with Neighbours

Way Forward: 

• Non-lethal Strategy: There is a need to have a humane approach towards border guarding and ensuring right to life of the border population, enabling a strong state administration to deliver the basic needs of the population and deter transborder crime syndicates from exploiting the economically weaker population. 
• Ease of Living, Trusted Trade and Trusted Travelers: Smooth movement of people and trade can be implemented by adopting technologies like use of Biometric data( facial recognition) which is used at smart borders to identify people and run random security checks. 
• Electronic Sensors: Responsive intelligence network, supported by disruptive technologies like AI powered data bases, will enable smooth and monitored movement of people and trade along the borders. 
• Command Centres: Utilize cognitive analytics and AI/ML for behavior prediction and quick interception.
• Drones and Counter Drones: Replicate the procurement of indigenous drones and develop counter drone technology for detection and interception. 
• Anti-Smuggling Syndicate Measures: Establish synergy between stakeholders for prosecution and deportation of transborder criminals. 
• Technological Training: Maintaining and sustaining new technological solutions will require upgradation of skill of the existing manpower to be bridged by use of contractors in the interim and also reviewing the recruitment intake. 
• Strategic Communication Strategy: Build narratives and sensitize forces on border management to achieve effective communication. 
• Budgeting: Increase capital outlays three to four times to modernize and adopt smart border management solutions.

News Source: The Hindu