Chinese incursions demand firmer steps from India

New Delhi: After Arunachal Pradesh, is China eyeing Uttarakhand, ask some. Incidents have been reported of Chinese incursion along the Indo-China border. The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has denied it but said the forces are on high alert.

Incidentally, this has come even as the Indian Army is asking for pro-active patrol along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

Chinese troop intrusions into India are now pushing a more assertive Indian response. The army is demanding that its patrols be allowed to move into sensitive areas on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control.

The army has reportedly argued that Chinese troops are repeatedly entering sensitive areas in Ladakh, Bara Hoti in Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh encouraged by the scant opposition .

The chief minister of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Pokhriyal said, "This is the head part of the Indian nation. It must always be well protected and held high. The patrols on the Indian side of the border must increase."

There have been several arguments in favour of strengthening patrol.

• This is undermining India's control over its own territory,
• The army must therefore be allowed to patrol intensively and close to the LAC in these areas.
• The army must have better operational control over the ITBP, as is the case with the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Pakistan border.text

The army's request is presently with the China Study Group, which comprises of the secretaries of the ministries of Defence, Home and External Affairs.

It also includes the chiefs of intelligence agencies.

It was this group which imposed these restrictions many years ago.

Some have argued that infrastructure must first be improved before restrictions on army patrols are lifted. There are also fears that an assertive response from India could trigger a confrontation with China.

But the army says it is at a severe tactical disadvantage at present. The bureaucracy in Delhi must bite the bullet and lift the curbs on its patrols on India's side of the Line of Actual Control.