Chinese intrusions into Indian territory
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2017
July: Chamoli
PLA intruded into Chamoli 3 days ahead of Doval's China visit, Aug 01 2017: The Times of India
An intrusion by a detachment of 10-15 Chinese troops took place in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on July 25, just three days before national security adviser Ajit Doval's visit to Beijing for a BRICS meeting, even as the standoff in Doklam remains unresolved.
Government sources played down the transgressions in Barahoti in Chamoli, saying similar incidents had occurred in the past and were sorted out by local commanders. But the incident showed that Chinese soldiers continue to intrude across the Line of Actual Control in different sectors to lay claim to disputed areas.
Indian Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand told TOI, “No incursion has happened in Barahoti as is being claimed. Such reports are in correct.“ Col Anand added, “Transgressions do happen but they are mainly due to differing perceptions of LAC .“
The Uttarakhand state government has, however, ordered an inquiry . Government spokesperson Madan Kaushik said, “At present, we are not aware of this incident, but we can't completely deny it.“ The Barahoti incident saw 10-15 PLA soldiers “transgress“ almost one km into a disputed pocket -a mutually agreed `demilitarized zone' -on July 25.Though they left around two hours later, sources said a similar incident took place in the same area on Sunday as well.
Government sources, however, did not read too much into the intrusions. “Transgressions occur due to differing perceptions between India and China about where the LAC actually lies, right from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. Around 300 such transgressions by the PLA are recorded every year,“ said a source. China remains adamant about Indian troops unilaterally withdrawing from the ongoing face-off in the Doklam area, which is actually Bhutanese territory but coveted by China. The Doklam imbroglio is different from usual transgressions across the LAC since it is located in a third country (Bhutan), and India has reinforced its military posture near the tri-junction in the face of escalating rhetoric from China.
Indian and Chinese armies conduct `aggressive patrolling' along all three sectors of the 4,057-km LAC -western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal). Eastern Ladakh, in particular, has remained a major flashpoint.
Transgressions in the middle sector are rare. On July 25, Chinese troops entered the disputed area in Barahoti to threaten Indian shepherds grazing cattle in the area around 9am, ITBP officials said. After ITBP troops reached the spot, the Chinese troops quietly went back to their territory. But they returned on Sunday morning, before leaving once again.
While Indian soldiers do not enter the demilitarised Barahoti zone, an 80 sq km sloping pasture about 140 km from Dehradun, ITBP troops patrol the area with their weapons in a non-combative mode.
India and China in 1958 had listed Barahoti as a disputed area where neither side would send their troops. In the 1962 war, the PLA did not enter the middle sector and focused on western and eastern ones.
In 2000, India had unilaterally agreed that ITBP troops would not carry arms in the three posts of Barahoti as well as Kaurik and Shipki (Himachal). ITBP men, in fact, often patrol in civil dress in the area.
