India-China standoff: Communication gap at root of Pangong Tso’s explosive situation

Arun Joshi
Jammu, July 1

Pangong Tso (lake), the flashpoint between India and China in eastern Ladakh, has reached this pass due to cumulative failure of not comprehending its strategic importance and communication gaps.

Today the situation is far worse than the days when things would defuse with Indian and Chinese troops conducting aggressive drills and then backing off. The threats now are multiple, just as the shimmering multi-coloured waters of the lake.

As things stand today, any trigger could spell catastrophe. The military commander-level talks, along with back channel diplomacy, have not been able to bring about the much needed thaw. This time, the standoff is more menacing because the Chinese have entrenched themselves in Chushul sector, which includes the 135 km long lake -- of which 90km is with China, while the rest is with India.

Had successive governments in India paid attention to the need for regular interaction with people, soldiers, and commanders in these strategic locations, today's situation could have been avoided.

In 2009, when reports of Chinese troops harassing people living close to the borderline started trickling in, then Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra undertook an extensive tour of the region and visited all strategic locations, including the Pangong lake. He travelled on boat up to the Indian boundary at Thakuing, met people living there, and enquired from them about the developing contours of the situation and the requirements for peace.

During the tour, Vohra had also visited Siachen glacier, reckoned as the highest battleground of the world at heights varying from 18,000 to 21,000 feet above sea level, and spent time in Diskit and Thoise.

Thoise is the airfield in Ladakh from where the IAF operates. The idea of the overnight visit was to comprehend the security challenges and identify the timely responses needed, people familiar with Vohra’s visit told The Tribune.

This approach of visiting strategically important places was stopped after he left the state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2018.

Strategic assets require close monitoring by people at the helm of affairs, as sustained interaction with stakeholders is key. The moment communication channels are snapped, we have the high probablity of landing in a situation such as the one at Pangong today.