Making Ladakh separate UT could be reason for Chinese intrusion: Former diplomat

Former Indian Ambassador and well-known strategic affairs expert P Stobdan believes that New Delhi’s decision of making Ladakh a separate Union Territory (UT) could be the reason for recent Chinese intrusion in Galwan river valley and Pangong lake sectors.

“I agree with the proposition that this (intrusion) could be Jammu and Kashmir-centric provocation. As long as Ladakh was a part of J&K, China wasn’t a major factor and its stance remained muted. But post the events of August 5, 2019, the Chinese have been making belligerent noises, almost trying to convey that they have a stake in Ladakh,” Stobdan told reporters.

He said though India did give assurance it will not change the status of Line of Actual Control (LAC), China still went to the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) and raised the issue while supporting Pakistan.

Stobdan, a senior fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, said China viewed the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 37,000 sq km Aksai Chin plateau as part of India, disturbing its strategic designs especially with regard to its ‘Belt and Road initiative.’

Asked incursions by the Chinese in Ladakh were not new, he said, “The present incursion is not a small one. But as I said, the Chinese may have suspected we have bigger geostrategic plans. Ladakh is a lakshman rekha for us and we cannot afford to allow the Chinese in here ”

Stobdan who has written many books and papers on China and its strategic designs, rued India has not worked hard to understand Chinese psyche and their working culture. “But on the contrary, Chinese have been trying to understand us for more than 2,000 years. Chinese came during Nalanda time and took the best of us and they know our psyche, religion and our working style,” he said.

“We only do mechanical understanding of China, which doesn’t serve much purpose. China studied Islamic culture and they are dealing with the Islamic world in a much better way. They didn’t know much about the United States about three-decade back but they worked hard on understanding how they deal with the US. These are hard lessons we have to learn,” Stobdan said.

The former ambassador of India to Kyrgyzstan acknowledged that no attention had been given to nomads and border residents of Ladakh, which are strategic assets. But, he puts the blame on the government of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state.

“Nomads have been ignored but before Ladakh was made UT, J&K government was completely Kashmir focused. The local administration knows the revenue records and local problems. They never gave attention to it and these problems were not highlighted,” he said.