The perils of an unresolved boundary

Synopsis: India–China border issue has a historical and geopolitical context that needs to be understood in its entirety.

Introduction

At the time of Independence, Tibet had the presence of the British Indian government in Lhasa. The British maintained Tibet as a buffer state between India and China. After the withdrawal of the British, the issue of Tibet and the subsequent issue of India China border came up.

Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to China, in her new book “The Fractured Himalaya” traces the history of Tibet, the genesis of the McMahon Line, Communist China’s military takeover and domination of Tibet, and the border row between India and China

What was the Indian stand and Indian position?

The period from 1949 to 1962 was crucial, and Jawaharlal Nehru sought to establish a workable relationship with the Chinese. The negotiations on the issue commenced in December 1953.

India was of the firm view that any military attack on India from Tibet was not feasible. For India, the status of Tibet and Tibetan autonomy was the same as inherited from the British. India considered the McMohan line to be its boundary. India’s stand was thus firm and beyond dispute.

How did Indian diplomacy fail in this matter?

Mac Mohan line of 1914 only showed Tibet and India but did not demarcate Indian and Tibet boundary on the ground. So the Chinese set out a strategy to seek fresh acceptance or demarcation of every stretch of the border between the two.

Indian diplomats, like KM Panikkar, felt that the Chinese understood the Indian position and that the border issue would pose no difficulty. He felt that leaders like Zhou EnLai recognized the legitimacy of India in Tibet and only suggested some political changes. He was of the view that institutions like the telegraph, trade offices would slowly be normalized under normal consulate relations.

What was the Chinese strategy?

Chinese, while discussing the Tibetan issue with India, did not include the settlement of the Tibet-India border. They first sought to take over Tibet, and then negotiate a border settlement with India. In fact, administrators like Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai pointed out that this would be a flawed strategy.

How China was able to complicate the matter for India?

The Indian government had made it clear in Parliament that not only the direct frontier with Tibet, but also the frontiers of Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim, should remain unchanged.

However, Zhou Enlai made no reference to the frontier or borders in discussion with ambassadors of India. These cunning moves resulted in China taking over Tibet, without even settling the border dispute with India and then creating troubles at Indian borders.

Source: This post is based on the article “The perils of an unresolved boundary” published in The Hindu on 26th October 2021.

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