Confusion on PM Modi’s remarks gives China advantage: Experts
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday in a clarification said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the all-party meeting that there was no Chinese intrusion into India was a consequence of action taken by the Indian Army, including the 20 soldiers who were killed in the violent face off at Galwan Valley. “The government will not allow China to make unilateral changes at the LAC. What is Indian territory is clear from the map of India. This government is strongly and resolutely committed to that,” the statement read. Saturday’s clarification came after a furore that Modi’s remarks were seemingly in contrast to the stand taken by the external affairs ministry over the issue.
“Neither anyone has intruded into our territory nor taken over any post. Our forces are doing what they have to do to protect the country. Our patrolling capacity has increased due to newly built infrastructure, especially along LAC,” Modi had said at the all party meeting.
Military and diplomatic experts however say the prime minister’s statement has caused confusion and shows India’s weak stand against the Chinese.
A senior officer, on the condition of anonymity said, “I don’t know what to say as this has obscured the actions going on at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. He was not needed to say all this. With the clarifications things can get even more complicated and the MEA regarding the PLA’s desire to raise a structure on the Indian side of LAC was already there.” A former diplomat, who did not wish to be named, said that the confusion over Modi’s statement has handed China an advantage.
“They can now parrot their narrative of not entering Indian territory with ease. The prime minister’s words have only created confusion among Indians and also given credence to the Chinese narrative,” he said. An expert at the Institute of Chinese Studies Debashis Chaudhari said that though it feels like both sides want de-escalation but the damage has already been done. “Statements from both sides show that escalation is not an option. However, the damage was done on June 15 and the following two days. Instead of solving the issue at hand, the faceoff has given rise to a new dispute over the Galwan Valley. China, which hitherto did not claim the Galwan Valley is now claiming it. Military level talks are fine but the solution to this escalation can come only through diplomatic channels,” he said.