In the Short term, Stabilize the Line of Actual Control

Context:

For the last few years, the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has continued to remain extremely tense.

Need for Stability:

The recent words by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at a media group’s meeting said that “the situation along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh remains very fragile and quite dangerous in terms of military assessment.
This state of affairs is not sustainable and can trigger a major conflict, thereby destabilizing the entire region and adversely impacting the world, politically and economically.

Agreements and Inadequacies:

The India-China engagement got an impetus after the visit by then Indian Prime Minister to China in December 1988.
- Since then, four agreements have been signed between the two countries (in 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2013) to maintain peace along the LAC, laying the framework for dealing with the border issue and covering the spectrum of engagement from the highest levels of government to border personnel meetings in the field.
For more than two decades, these arrangements have served their purpose well. However, the heightened tension on the LAC suggests that there are inadequacies in the agreements.
Article I of the 1993 Agreement stipulates the creation of joint mechanisms to verify and settle LAC-related disputes.
- After 19 years, the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was created in 2012.
- It meets twice in a year but has little to show in terms of results on the ground.
A mutually agreed reduction and redeployment of forces along the LAC, as in Article II of the 1993 Agreement and Articles II and III of the 1996 Agreement, has not seen any progress.
The current mindset among the Indian security establishment is to be “unyielding” with China as it is felt that the “salami slicing tactics ” of the Chinese must be halted.
- While firmness is essential, there is also a need to identify the reasons for rising clashes on the LAC and working on solutions.

Time to consider the following steps:

Peace & Stability: The situation needs to be brought under control and chances of a full-fledged conflict minimized to usher peace and stability on the LAC.
Delineating on the map: Convert the LAC into a Line of Control (LC) by delineating it on the map and on the ground without prejudice to border claims.
- This will reduce the urge among the forward troops to inch forward. This may seem difficult but can be implemented with a display of maturity by both sides and with the use of technology.
No entry zones: The disputed areas on the LAC can be treated as no entry zones; alternatively, both sides should be allowed to patrol these areas as per a mutually agreed frequency.
Joint patrolling: Joint patrolling of the disputed areas must also be explored as this can result in the maintenance of status quo and an increase in confidence.
Existing Confidence Building Measures and engagement mechanisms: They need to be strengthened by providing more teeth to the WMCC and establishing more BPM points so that local issues can be resolved quickly.