Untrustable neighbour

Less than five days of the process to restore status quo ante had started at the standoff locations at Galwan Valley on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, China once again showed its true colours. A violent clash that took place as the Chinese troops attacked on Monday night leaving as many as 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel dead. It was only during the whole day on Monday that the Indian officers at patrol point 14 in the Galwan Valley had engaged with their Chinese counterparts, finally agreeing to move back by 2.5 km on both sides. But, while the majority of the Chinese troops had left, one small contingent decided to stay put at the patrol point. And when an Indian officer went there to find out why they were still hanging around there, he and his men were attacked with iron rods and wooden sticks, the latter having iron nails fixed on them. The fisticuffs turned into a kind of street-fight, causing serious casualties on both sides and taking the total that were killed in action to 20 in three days. While the narrow Galwan Valley definitely belongs to India, the presence of Indian troops on the LAC and construction of roads inside Indian territory has apparently antagonised the Chinese, who reportedly fear that India will one day or other launch an attack on Aksai-Chin. As the Indian Army has clearly stated, the attack on Indian troops is a blatant attempt by China to unilaterally change the status quo in the Galwan Valley. On Tuesday evening however, the Indian Army said that Indian and Chinese troops had disengaged at Galwan — the spot where clashes occurred on the intervening night between June 15 and 16. The Chinese foreign ministry on its part naturally blamed Indian troops for 'provoking' the conflict. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Indian troops had twice crossed the border line for what he described as "illegal activities", and attacked the Chinese personnel, which according to him "led to serious physical conflict between the two sides". Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been monitoring the situation on a real-time basis, meanwhile has said the death of at least 20 soldiers in Galwan Valley "will not be in vain". Modi said that India would be "proud that our soldiers died fighting the Chinese". It is worth noting that Modi has shown utmost restraint in his public messages on the issue. He has also gone on record saying that India wants peace, but, if instigated, is capable of giving a befitting reply.