Tag: LAC Standoff

US Supports Indian

LAC Clash: US Supports Indian Efforts To Deescalate Tension

By LokMarg

The United States Department of Defence said that it continues to closely watch developments along the Line of Actual Control at the India-China border and noted that China “continues to amass forces and build military infrastructure along the so-called LAC.”

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder in an on-Camera Press Briefing on December 13 (local time) said that China is growingly asserting itself and being proactive in areas directed toward US allies and partners in Indo-Pacific.

Asked about the December 9 face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, the spokesperson said, “The DoD continues to closely watch developments along the line of actual control at the India-China border.

“We have seen the PRC continue to amass forces and build military infrastructure along the so-called LAC. But I would defer you to India in terms of their views. It does reflect though, and it’s important to point out, the growing trend by the PRC to assert itself and to be provocative in areas directed towards US allies and our partners in the Indo-Pacific,” the Pentagon spokesperson said.

“…We will continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the security of our partners. And we fully support India’s ongoing efforts to de-escalate this situation, Ryder said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament on Tuesday that Chinese troops had attempted to transgress the LAC at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in a bid to “unilaterally change the status quo” but were given a firm and resolute response forcing the Chinese side to retreat. In his statement in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Singh said the face-off led to a physical scuffle that led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides but “there were no fatalities or serious casualties” to Indian soldiers.

“The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” Singh told Parliament.

On Tuesday (local time), the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US is closely monitoring the situation and that Washington is ” glad to hear that both sides appear to have quickly disengaged from the clashes.”

” We are closely monitoring the situation. We encourage India and China to utilize existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries. Again, we are — we’re glad to see that there has been some disengagement on the clashes at this time,” the White House Press Secretary said.

The US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price also in his press briefing on December 13 (local time) stated that the Price stated that the US is glad to hear both sides have quickly disengaged after the clashes in Tawang.

“…we’re continuing to monitor very closely and to engage with our Indian partners,” Price said.

Responding to a question on the strategy of the US in case the situation escalates, the spokesperson said, “India is indeed an important strategic partner of the United States bilaterally, in the Quad, and other multilateral fora as well. So we’re always, with that in mind, in close contact with our Indian partners, both from our mission in India as well as from the State Department here in Washington.”

“… we do strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions, military or civilian, across the border at the established Line of Actual Control,” he said adding that, “We encourage India and China to utilize existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries.” (ANI)

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A Bengaluru-Based Commercial Space Designer

‘It Cost Me To End Ties With China, But I Don’t Regret It’

By LokMarg

Anantha VR (38), a Bengaluru-based commercial space designer, says his business was heavily dependent on quality Chinese imports but Wuhan virus and Galwan clashes made him snap the trade link

As an owner of an architecture firm, how could I let the opportunity of rebuilding the country pass? As country after country is left ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is upon us, especially business owners, to lead the way and to let people know that the world is going to be all right again.

Some tough decisions need to be made in the wake of changed strategic environment and a belligerent neighbour on our eastern border. I stopped all my business with China, even though my business was heavily dependent on it! In fact, the Indo- China standoff that started around May 2020 helped me crystallise my decision. I made this choice on my free will and I am not regretting it.

Our Bengaluru-based firm Hidecor is into designing new office/commercial spaces as well as renovating already existing ones and we have clients ranging from Titan to Big Basket to Furlenco to Decathlon etc. Before Work-From-Home or WFH became the new normal, office spaces, especially with regards to ergonomics, were constantly evolving to help people become more comfortable and efficient at the workplace. The WFH is going to come back in a big way because they help provide structure to business.

I used to import all items for designing office spaces from China, be they then furniture, carpets, flooring materials, or lighting fixtures etc. I visited the country too around 5-6 times in the past three years.

Anantha VR during one his business trips to China

So while most people were just responding to what was going on in China as the news of pandemic started trickling in around January, I had been aware of it around November 2019 that China was trying to suppress news regarding the deadly virus.

ALSO READ: ‘China Ban Is Short Term Hardship, Long Term Blessing’

Every year Chinese people suffer from seasonal cold between November-February and China faces a public health crisis, but in 2019 it was different. Moreover, the way China was suppressing the news I knew it was serious. When they started side-lining whistle-blowers warning of an impending pandemic, I first started thinking about ending business ties with China.

When the pandemic exploded in Wuhan, our business was anyway stuck. There are so many things about the way China handled the pandemic that don’t add up. China might be efficient when it comes to large-scale production in little time but the way they suppress and divert information even about crucial issues wasn’t something I was comfortable with.

A few months passed by without any work because production of goods and materials had halted worldwide. While we were all waiting for the lockdown to end, China snuck up from behind and started creating tension at the LAC in Ladakh. Whatever little trust I had in China was gone after this. I felt the whole border skirmish and the continued standoff since May is a ploy to divert the mind of the Chinese public from the way the government has handled the coronavirus crisis.

ALSO READ: Will Chinese Aggression Draw Global Attention?

I have a close relative in the Army so I have an emotional connect with what’s going on at the border. You can call the Galwan Valley incident as the final nail in the coffin for my business links with China. That was the day I decided to cut off ties completely with China.

I am all in favour of Atmanirbhar Bharat even though our country has a long way to go in matters of end to end manufacturing and it will take us nearly 5 years to be truly self-reliant. Our supply chain is still dependent on various other markets in the world. But we need to start somewhere, right? I now buy products from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and deal with Indian brands such as Feather Lite, Monarch, ISIT etc.

I wouldn’t say our business hasn’t been affected or that it has been an easy decision. Our profit margins have dropped from 10-15% but we ‘soldier’ on with fortitude. We recently opened a new branch in Hyderabad and are keen to do business with local manufacturers.

Slowly orders have started coming in and we hope the whole country works together in making our country atmanirbhar. We business owners alone cannot do it. The customer also has to be ‘vocal for local’. We hope the pandemic gets over soon and office spaces start buzzing with chatter, laughter and productivity.

While many businesses have shut shop, there are several others that are opening new branches and we are glad we are being chosen to design their spaces. The pandemic has meant that office/commercial spaces require complete overhaul, especially with regards to social distancing.

Watch – ‘Indo-China War Untenable For Both Nations’

By LokMarg

As Line of Actual Control between India and China hots up, with both militaries delaying disengagement, TV news channels are on an overdrive sounding the war bugle. Nationalism is the flavour of the season amid common masses, and electronic media is encashing the sentiment to the hilt.

Amid this hullabaloo, LokMarg finds some saner, educated voices among common people who advise caution against the hysteria. While Saurabh Upadhyay, a social activist, says chances of a war, despite their two bloating egos, are little due to international pressure, Nishi Yadav, an educationist, feels both countries are making an effort to avoid military confrontation at the highest level and this is a mutually beneficial situation. Dr Ravi Chauhan, an academic, too believes no country will like to indulge into a war which will set them many years back.

Even as all of them repose faith in Indian armed forces capabilities, they counsel peace and development to continue. Watch the video:

LAC Standoff: De-escalation, Disengagement Or Status Quo Ante

By Dr. Krishnendra Meena

The border standoff between India and China in Ladakh continues amidst calls from the international community to tone down the rhetoric and resolve the issue bilaterally. India and China, on their part have continued deliberations at both diplomatic and military levels. The nuances of negotiations, though, not available through the media to the general public indicate that the talks initially, were centred around de-escalation of the situation wherein violence had occurred on the night of 15th June in Galwan Valley and there were number of casualties on both sides. Gradually, the discussion moved towards the process of disengagement as both the parties had amassed a huge number of troops in the region.

The roots of the current standoff, however, go back to the months of April and May this year when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China moved to the many patrolling points on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and built structures (permanent and temporary). The build-up of the Chinese troops along the LAC which is disputed at many places and substitutes for the international border, till one is finalized, was unprecedented and reminded of the Chinese tactics of occupation in the South China Sea. Boundary-making process is a very sophisticated technical exercise which involves primarily four stages of Definition, Delimitation, Demarcation and Administration.

ALSO READ: India, China Faceoff Will Linger On

In the case of the LAC, even the first stage which involves defining the boundary on the map is not clear at many points and locations. The matter becomes more complicated with the Chinese ignoring continual Indian demands to share the maps with the Chinese perception of the LAC. Though the mechanisms to resolve the boundary disputes are in place since the year 2005, the Chinese have refused to share the maps in all the deliberations. This raises a lot of questions and problems and has been one of the major challenges for the Indian side. The Chinese perception which they have often invoked in the media through their spokesperson have never been displayed through maps.

Nevertheless, even during this difficult phase, the discussions between the two sides have continued: at the External Affairs Minister level and at the level of the National Security Advisors of both the countries. This is followed by the talks by Corps Commanders of India and China at the ground situation in Ladakh. Chinese focus, however, remains on the disengagement and de-escalation and they have made it a very protracted process with constant insistence on the perceptions of the LAC. It is noteworthy that progress has been made on the ground over the course of the last month and forces have been gradually moving back to their respective territories and away from the LAC.

Indian Analysts, on the other hand have argued that total disengagement will be a long haul, especially at the Pangong Tso and the Depsang Plains. These two spots are extremely critical from India’s military and strategic perspective and that is precisely the reason that the Chinese want to maintain a stranglehold over them. The Depsang Plains lie in close proximity to India’s Air Force Base at Daulat Beg Oldie which is advantageous to India in adverse conditions.

ALSO READ: ‘China Strengthening Military Bases In Gilgit, Baltistan’

At the Pangong Tso, the LAC is disputed and according to reports, Chinese have encroached more than 8 kms. inside the Indian version of the LAC which runs at Finger 8 (fingers are mountain features jutting out into the lake from the North Bank) and the Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) used to patrol till this point. The Chinese have occupied area till Finger 4 and have built concrete structures effectively covering more than 60 square kms. of the area and therefore will be difficult to evacuate through negotiations. On the other hand, one of the parties can afford a conflict.

Indian stance, therefore, should be to press the negotiations towards the restoration of the status quo ante, or the situation which existed prior to the month of May 2020. Media reports in India indicate that during the last round of talks between the Corps Commanders on 14th-15th July, demand for status quo ante has been made by the Indian side to Chinese counterparts. Chinese media reports indicate little and only say that progress has been made on the disengagement of forces.

On the other hand, the pattern along this part of the LAC, due to altitude, difficult terrain and inclement weather conditions is that of withdrawal of forces from heights during the winter months and moving back to the permanent bases in the area. Given the situation this year this may not happen at Pangong Tso and Depsang Plains and the Indian side should be ready to face the vagaries of weather, terrain and altitude.

The experience of the Indian Army at the Siachen Glacier can be drawn to withstand the Chinese in the area. One way or the other, the strategic geography of the area of these crucial points will play an important role in the future of this picturesque militarized space.

Watch – ‘I Used To Spend 5-7 Hours On Tik Tok Daily’

By LokMarg

Millions of small town boys and girls are missing watching and uploading of short videos on Tik Tok. They said the app was not only a good pastime but also allowed them to showcase their talent before a vast virtual audience. While they do not mind banning of the app after border hostilities, they yearn for an easy-to-use replacement for the Chinese app