External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, responding to queries in the Lok Sabha on Friday, emphasised the progress made in disengagement along the India-China border while acknowledging existing complexities.
His response came after Congress MP Manish Tewari raised concerns over accessibility to patrolling points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Addressing Parliament, Jaishankar said the final disengagement agreements with China pertain to Depsang and Demchok.
He reaffirmed that Indian forces would continue to patrol up to the eastward limits of India's recognised patrolling boundary.
Tewari referenced a paper presented in 2023 by a senior IPS officer, which claimed that 26 out of 65 patrolling points between the Karakoram Pass and Chumar were inaccessible to Indian security forces due to Chinese transgressions.
In response, Jaishankar dismissed the paper’s assertions, stating, "What somebody wrote as a paper is for that somebody to answer for. I can answer for the government."
The Minister stated, "I highlighted that the last of the disengagement agreements had taken place, which pertained to Depsang and Demchok. Those disengagement agreements also had certain provisions where both sides, on a temporary basis, agreed to put certain restraints on themselves. I would urge the honourable member to read that statement again."
Jaishankar detailed that disengagement at friction points in eastern Ladakh has been fully achieved. He reiterated that the next priority would be de-escalation, which involves addressing the massing of troops along the LAC and associated activities.
"The situation arising after our counter-deployment in 2020 called for multiple sets of responses. The immediate priority was to ensure disengagement from friction points so that there would be no further untoward incidents or clashes. This has been fully achieved," Jaishankar said, while reiterating that dialogue remains crucial to the resolution process.
Bilateral efforts
Jaishankar’s remarks follow the October 21 announcement of an agreement between India and China on patrolling arrangements along the LAC.
The deal, subsequently confirmed by Beijing, marked a step forward in resolving long-standing issues stemming from the 2020 military clash.
The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan further strengthened this understanding, with both leaders directing the revival of bilateral dialogue mechanisms.
Earlier this month, Jaishankar had remarked that India-China ties were witnessing incremental improvements but emphasised that de-escalation remained a critical objective.
Concerns
Manish Tewari’s question highlighted persistent concerns over patrolling rights and the accessibility of certain areas along the LAC. He queried, “When seating arrangements were made for 272 candidates, why only 192 question papers were brought in one set?”
The Minister, however, maintained that disengagement agreements ensured that the Indian security forces would operate within their designated boundaries.
Bilateral relations between the two nations remain delicate, with both sides navigating post-2020 tensions.
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