Indo-China talks hold promise for Ladakhis

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 7

It was a big relief for both India and China to have concluded first round of military delegation-level talks on the stand-off in Ladakh in a decent exchange of notes and the promise to hold more such exchanges in future. More importantly, this is what the people of Ladakh were looking for.

That these talks have capped all speculation and conjectures of military clashes due to the current stand-off at three strategically crucial areas in Ladakh is a solace for the people who had been witness to ugly episodes during Kargil war of the summer of 1999.

This relief has flown to them from a read-out of the official release by the ministry of external affairs on Sunday, a day after the talks on Saturday.

The statement covered all the concerns with positive dots as it looked forward to resolution of the crisis in more talks to be held on the stand-off. The statement itself was a lesson on drafting the statements on critical issues that involved two Asian giants that determine the future of the region and beyond its boundaries.

Ladakh impasse is not just a localised version of the situation that stares at the leadership of the two countries. Ladakhis know that, and they are also aware of its long-term implications and international ramifications.

The two big countries are big and they have big responsibility in the world, and closer home in South Asia. The pandemic of novel coronavirus has affected all the countries. There is an alarming rise in the number of infected people from Afghanistan to India. China is seeking to recover from the economic distress.

Anything happening at this time will touch the international fault lines from Washington to Kabul via Pakistan. This crisis has to be handled delicately. Nationalism will not deliver the solution. It lies in cool and calculated thinking with a clear vision of maintaining future bilateral relations between Delhi and Beijing. That leads to their role in stabilising the situation in the whole of the region.

India showed its maturity in releasing the statement through MEA, reaffirming that the military talks were backed by the diplomats. Its draft was reassuring for the whole of the region. It should be seen as a continuation of India’s firm policy to have good neighbourly relations and affirm its all-time position that it has the capacity and capability of dealing with issues with neighbouring countries and others in the comity of nations.

Coronavirus is a front and centre issue for the nations, therefore any escalation of things anywhere can hamper the global efforts to fight the virus.

India has taken a very wise step this weekend. It will deliver its benefits in the Chinese-India bilateral relations in the long run. Ladakhis are happy that the talks have shown some promise.