Issue No: 21
I.
Moneta
INTRODUCTION
When the whole world was transfixed
with the Mexican standoff between
the nuclear armed USA and the
erstwhile USSR in Cuba, China had
attacked India on October 20th,
1962. Triggered by the Tibet issue
and the border disputes between the
two countries, in the brief war that
ensued,
China
had
emerged
victorious who had also called the
official ceasefire.
India shares a border of a substantial
3488 kilometres with China, which
can be subdivided into three sectors:
Western Sector: This refers
to the border shared by
Jammu and Kashmir, Xinjiang
and Tibet. As per the claims of
Indian Government China is
illegally occupying an area
43,000 sq. km in this sector.
Central Sector: This refers to
the
border
shared
by
Himachal
Pradesh
and
Uttrakhand with Tibet
Eastern Sector: This is the
sector where the Indian
Sovereignty is challenged by
China over an area of 90,000
sq km. This area falls mostly
in Arunachal Pradesh, Bum
La, Lo La, Asaphi La and
Tawang which incidentally
happens to be the most
sensitive area.
July 2017
The mounting military tensions at
Doklam, the tri-boundary area
connecting Bhutan, China, and India,
have generated the impression that
India and China are going to repeat
their 1962 war. Official Chinese
media and think tanks have warned
India that conflict can lead to war if
not handled properly and India
should learn lessons from history.
When asked about the possibility of
the current dispute escalating, Luo
Zhaohui, China's ambassador to
India, did not dismiss the likelihood of
such a development.
11