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Lately, Chinese aggression at the LAC (Line of Actual Control) made news headlines. In this light, it is important to have an understanding of our border with China, and this study cannot be complete unless we talk of LAC.
What is LAC?
(Souce: https://www.wikipedia.org/)
First things first. Let’s know that LAC has no connection with LoC (Line of Control), which separates Indian-controlled territory from Pakistani-controlled territory. While LoC was agreed upon by both India and Pakistan in the 1972 Shimla Agreement, LAC has never been agreed upon by any of the parties, India or China. It is only an idea that separates Chinese-controlled territory from Indian-controlled territory.
Indian authorities stress that LAC is 3,488 km in length. By contrast, Chinese authorities consider it to be only 2,000 km in length. Let’s know more from the Indian perspective. LAC has three sectors- the eastern that comprises of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the western that lies in Ladakh and the middle that lies in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It is also interesting to note that it wasn’t until 1959 that the term ‘Line of Actual Control’ was first used officially in a letter by the then Premier of China to the then Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru.
Why is there a disagreement over LAC?
As we have noted earlier, it was in 1959 that the concept of LAC was introduced. However, India did not accept this notion both in 1959 as well as in 1962 when India and China went to war. It was only in 1991 that the Indian PM PV Narasimha Rao and Chinese Premier reached a consensus over ‘maintaining peace and tranquility at the LAC.’ This was done to prevent any transgressions and skirmishes. As the alignment of LAC was not clear, the two countries decided to have in place a Joint Working Group so that the disputes can be brought to an end. However, even after several rounds of meetings, the group could not reach clarity on LAC.
When PM Modi visited China in 2015, he proposed that the two countries must clarify the LAC in the interest of peace. However, this proposal was rejected by Chinese authorities, and the current situation is no different from the past, which means confusion over the demarcation of LAC prevails.
Lastly, it must also be noted that LAC doesn’t mean India’s actual claim line, which is the official border between India and China and includes Aksai Chin and Gilgit-Baltistan under India’s sovereignty, as depicted in our official maps.
LAC dispute and COVID-19
One must also note that the martyrdom of Indian soldiers at the LAC has come in the wake of the global COVID-19 crisis that originated in China. Various countries have demanded an inquiry into China’s role in the outbreak and spread of the disease. And hence, it cannot be denied that Chinese aggression at the LAC may be an attempt to divert attention from its culpability in the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
(Previous blog: India As Chair of WHO’s Executive Board)
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