It is evident that the absence of a clearly demarcated Line of Actual Control came in handy for the Chinese PLA to make gradual ingresses into territories to which India also lays claim (‘Exclusive’, Page 1, “Xi’s mobilisation order, months of planning preceded border moves”, July 13). The stamp of approval for the mobilisation order by none other than the Chinese President himself only emboldened the PLA to adopt aggressive, and subsequently violent moves. Considering the nature of terrain in the Ladakh region, it will be a humongous task to undertake the process of delineation. However, nothing is impossible and both countries need to set aside their mutual rancour, adopt a strategic stance, hold detailed negotiations and evolve a robust mechanism for implementation.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
The Chinese leadership seems to treat border incursions as war games to test its own military preparedness and the LAC as a laboratory to experiment with geopolitical posturings. India needs to re-examine its policy of tactful equivocation about China’s occupation of Indian territory. While calculated restraint may allow China to pull back without loss of face, India may create a moral hazard of incentivising Chinese border violations as cost-free adventurism. Compelled to prioritise verification over trust in its dealings with China, it makes sense for India to depend on its own satellites in the sky to keep a hawk-like eye on China’s border manoeuvres.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram
