BJP’s Fact Finding Committee warns against Chinese incursions

By Pramod Kumar

"CHINA has built 13 airports at the border and most of them including Lhasa, Qando, Nyngchi, Ngaji and Xigaza are operational now. Apart from rail links it has also established several missile points there. It has constructed metalled roads up to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and has reportedly deployed two lakh army personnel on the border. It has the potential to move two more divisions to forward areas during emergency. On the other hand there are virtually no metalled roads on Indian border and more distinctly in those areas which are under threat. There are just wind sandy rubble tracks which Indian security forces are using today. Such a road system in no way can serve our requirements during war time. This state of affairs exists both in Eastern and Western sectors of India," reveals a latest study of Indo-China border conducted in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim by a high powered Fact Finding Committee of BJP leaders.

The report further reveals: "China now has 40,000 km road network in Tibet, apart from rail links of 1,118 km, one from Lhasa to Gormo in Qinghai province. This would enable China to mobilise large forces by train and by road onto Indian borders.

Earlier, this exercise not only took a long time but also was impossible during winter but the new rail line into Tibet and the expressway have changed the scenario totally."

The Committee was constituted by Shri Nitin Gadkari on January 29 to investigate and compile a dossier on the reported incursions by Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Indian soil. It has already visited the border areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim and will shortly visit Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh before submitting a final White Paper. BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Lok Sabha MP Shri Rajan Sushant, former MP and national secretary Shri Tapir Gao and former J&K BJP president Dr Nirmal Singh were other members of the committee.

"The issue of infrastructural developmental in border areas has totally been neglected even after humiliating defeat of 1962. Today, the presence of Chinese army at the border is three to five times more than the Indian army. It must be taken seriously," said Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, team leader of the Fact Finding Committee.

The committee submitted its report to BJP president Shri Nitin Gadkari at the party’s National Executive Meeting in Patna on June 12. The report demanded the Central government to immediately make the recommendations of China Study Group on Infrastructure Development public and also implement the Group’s recommendations expeditiously. Stressing the need to set up a Parliamentary Group for detailed study and overseeing the border issues, the Committee said a statutory high powered autonomous border management group should be constituted at the national level.

India shares 4,056 kms of boundary with China divided into three sectors-Eastern, Western and Middle. In the Eastern Sector China claims an area of 94,700 sq. kms in addition to whole of Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Sikkim as its territory. The Western Sector comprises the area of Aksai Chin and the Western boundary in Ladakh, is located along the Lanka La, Niagzu stream and Demchok and Teshigong through the Emis Pass, which was originally under the control of Ladakhi kings. Aksai Chin is strategic to China to sustain control over Tibet. Here China claims about 38,000 sq kms of land in Aksai Chin. In the Middle Sector the area extends up to Spiti Valley and Shipkila Pass. In Garhwal area of Uttarakhand, Satluj-Ganga

watershed has been the traditional boundary. Here China claims about 1,300 sq kms as their territory. After 1962 war, China illegally occupied 20,000 sq kms in Arunachal Pradesh and 38,000 sq kms in Ladakh region, excluding 5,180 sq kms area ceded to it by Pakistan in 1963.

The committee visited Eastern Sector-Tawang, Zemithang, Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh-from March 23 to 28. It found that the Thagla Ridge, where the 1962 Indo-China war had begun, Namka Chu and Sumdrong Chu Valley are under Chinese occupation since 1986. As a result lot of traditional grazing land of local people has been lost. Even an important and sacred Buddhist statue has been displaced by the Chinese Army. In Central Arunachal Pradesh under Upper Subansiri district, the Asa-Pila-Maya Army camp which was in Indian territory is now under Chinese occupation. Similarly, in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh under Dibang Valley district, the Athu-Pupu range, an important sacred place for local people, is now under Chinese occupation since 2006. In Chaklagam range in eastern part, three mountain ranges frequented by Indian hunters have also been occupied by China in 2006. Similarly, in Kurung Kumey district seven of the nine army base camps have been occupied by Chinese Army.

In the Western Sector in Ladakh which was visited from April 1 to 4, the committee realised the urgent need to improve conditions of roads and also the requirement of advanced surveillance equipments. The committee found that the Chinese are far ahead of India in this regard in this region. Now they need not patrol the border all the times. They have advanced equipments with the help of which they can take action immediately in an emergency. The Chinese have also intruded in Mangyur in Demchok area, opposite to Dungti post, Chumar in Nyoma block, places near Pengong Lake, etc. Here certain posts are unmanned and some are unduly spaced as there is no post within 40 km and the Jaarsar post is 8 km from the LAC.

During its visit to Eastern Sector in Sikkim from May 30 to June 1, the committee witnessed the absence of even basic road right from Gangtok to the border posts. Even after 60 years of Independence the abysmal facilities are a telling story of the Indian side. It is not only roads, even the basic telecom communication is absent beyond Lachen. It was for the first time that any civilian/non-uniformed personnel ventured to visit the East Changeri Post 18,000 ft with only six per cent oxygen level. At this location virtually no vehicles can ply and diesel genset cannot be used for power.

The committee emphasised on the immediate need to create new posts to man the gaps at different points to stop incursion. For this purpose, the strength of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) should be increased. It also stressed the urgent need to increase Army’s strength to match deployment on Chinese side of the border. "The Government must take up construction of pucca (metalled) roads on priority basis before it is too late. There is also urgent need of making the Advance Landing Grounds (ALGs) at Chushul and Furchok workable. The Government should also speed up construction of Airports in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim," the report added.

Stressing the need to boost the morale of ITBP by improving living conditions of the personals the report suggested to involve the local people in guarding the border by recruiting them in Territorial Army. "In Ladakh area, there seems to be lack of coordination between the security forces and the local administration to deal with border issues. Similarly, there seems to be lack of communication between the security forces and the local people. The people say the ITBP doesn’t trust them. The local Riboos (grazers) will play a vital role when the question of deciding the boundary will come. We suppose that they shall be one of the deciding factors as their claim over the land under their occupation shall not be so easy to ignore. So, it is imperative on the part of security agencies to improve relations with them," the report said suggesting to open the Ladakh region for tourists, as it will also reduce the travel distance to Kailash Mansarovar to less than a half. In ancient time this was the familiar route to Kailash Mansarovar.


source: The Organiser