Three months after intruding into India in ladakh and staying put for more than a fortnight, Chinese troops again transgressed the line of Actual Control (lAC) in Arunachal Pradesh last week by coming more than 20 km into Indian territory. They retreated after five days when the Indian Army rushed reinforcements.
The intrusion took place on August 11 at Plam Plam unmanned Army post in Chaglagam in eastern Arunachal Pradesh and a long range patrol of the Indian Army detected about 25 Chinese soldiers camping there on August 13. When the Indian Army asked them to return to their post across the lAC, the intruders refused claiming it was Chinese territory.
The Chinese asserted that they had been patrolling near Plam Plam, situated at a height of more than 14,000 feet, since 2001, but the Indian patrol countered this claim.
The Indian team retreated and came back with reinforcements to the disputed site on August 15. It was only then that the Chinese troops returned across the lAC, officials said here on Wednesday. There were unconfirmed reports about a second transgression in the same area about 20 km from Plam Plam on August 19. Reports said after a brief face-off with the Indian Army at Kohlho, the Chinese soldiers retreated.
The Chinese are trying to build a track connecting Plam Plam and Kohlho and reports indicated that they even tried to bring in construction equipment and vehicles inside India. The Army Headquarters sought to play down the Plam Plam incursion, saying the Chinese troops have gone back to their areas and such incidents keep taking place as both sides enter areas claimed by the other side while patrolling the disputed lAC. The Army maintained that both the sides patrol up to the boundary of their perceived territory.
However, it is clear that a 20-km intrusion, and that for over two days, cannot be a result of mistaken perception. With Parliament in session, the Government clearly wanted to keep the matter under wraps. In fact, when the media tried to confirm reports of the intrusion a week ago, the Defence Ministry had completely rejected it. The Pioneer had even contacted the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday. He had also denied any information about such an intrusion by the Chinese.
The Plam Plam area falls under 2 Division of the Army and troops from it, including soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles were rushed to the face-off site on August 15, officials said, adding this sector is manned by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
However, the Army carries out long range and short range patrols in the forward areas along the lAC. The long range patrols cover their designated area for about six to seven days and cover 40 to 50 kms. Given the rugged terrain, the patrols march for six kms a day and carry food and tents as they have to brave the elements at those heights, they said.
The Chaglagam area, also known as “fish tail” because of the shape of the lAC in the area, has consistently seen intrusions by the Chinese in the past but they have always gone back immediately. China lays claim over the entire Arunachal Pradesh which is rejected by India.
Downplaying the latest face-off, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin termed it as non-event and said: “We don’t take up non-events in diplomatic practice. What has happened or not is up to sentinels of our borders to answer. They know the factual position on this and I think they have answered that.” He said: “There has been a rebuttal by the Army on this and we don’t want to go beyond that. And consequent to that, obviously, if that is what the position was, we don’t focus on non-events in diplomatic practice.”
This response came when he was asked whether India has taken up with China the issue of incursion in Arunachal Pradesh. China has violated the lAC more than 500 times in the last two years besides 155 till July this year. Chinese helicopters have also intruded into Indian airspace 28 times in the last three years in ladakh sector.
In April, Chinese troops had entered 19 kms inside ladakh and pitched tents in Depsang plains there. This resulted in a 20-day face-off between the Indian and Chinese armies and it ended after several rounds of parleys between the top officials of the two countries.
