Breach of sovereignty!

Even though Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LOC) do not represent formal border lines, yet they do represent the sovereignty of India. They act as a de facto borders as there are no immediate signs of a solution with two of our hostile neighbours. India’s soft foreign policy – even ring kissing gestures – cannot soften the blows that are meted out from both these nations.

In the last 17 months, the People's Liberation Army of China has violated the LAC (as agreed on 1993 and 1996) more than 500 times. They have thus illegally entered Indian territory almost 29 times per month or shall we say, 7 times every week. This, in spite of the 1996 agreement, which stressed on, "No activities of either side shall overstep the line of actual control." This agreement is undermined by a series of violations that are more of well-planned infiltration tactics. This on-going attack on our national sovereignty and repeated audacity of waging a pseudo-war vividly echoes China’s intention of increasing its military presence in the region. The annual report published by US Department of Defense titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China” states that “to improve regional deterrence, the People’s Liberation Army has replaced the older liquid-fuelled, nuclear capable CSS-3 intermediate-range ballistic missiles with more advanced and survivable solid-fuelled CSS-5 MRBMs and may be developing contingency plans to move airborne troops into the region.” This corroborated the series of attacks conducted by PLA against the Indian Army stationed in the north-east region of the country. Recently, Sikkim witnessed Chinese incursions that were sharply at odds with China’s reaffirmed commitment in maintaining  the status quo with regards to LAC just a couple of weeks before. So much so that, China has been very vocal on their claims over areas beyond LAC and shows legitimately as part of their own nation! China’s claims in Arunachal Pradesh (referred to as Southern Tibet) and Aksai Chin in J&K are defined with aggression and intimidation. China, in the past, went to the extent of blocking aid from ADB meant for Arunachal Pradesh on the pretext of the state being part of their territory and has already constructed airports and metalled roads up to the LAC while no such infrastructure facility is available on our side of the border.

The same is true for our neighbour on the other side of the nation. Pakistan, who is infamous for series of attacks on India and breach of peace-agreements, has violated ceasefire along the LOC in J&K for more than 100 times since 2010 with more than 44 cases of violations in 2010, 51 in 2011 and 7 in 2012.

The 4000 km long border (between India and China) is more of  an agreed peace arrangement between the two nations. Since, we have already lost more than 36,000 sq. km to China and today these areas have become an integral part of China, such violations of LAC are actually signs of China's dirty intentions that are visible in block letters as writings on the wall. Similarly, we have lost more than 15,000 sq. km of our sovereign land to Pakistan in form of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and an additional 5,000 sq. km to China (as a brotherly gift by Pakistan to China).

India must go public about these incidences and should leave no opportunity in affronting Pakistan and China for the breach of treaties. India must engineer a push in the right direction, morphing from a soft state to a country that asserts itself in global geo-politics, especially in safeguarding its sovereignty.