India, China work on first steps: More reliance on surveillance among measures to reduce trust deficit at LAC

Currently, Indian patrols go out at regular intervals to dominate the LAC and conduct surveillance to keep a watch on any unusual activities. Following the agreement between the two sides in October last year, both sides have been carrying out coordinated patrols to avoid clashes between the troops on the ground.

“The icy winters of Ladakh make it challenging for troops to go for a larger number of foot patrols. The surveillance infrastructure, which is constantly being upgraded and strengthened, will ease this and reduce the number of troop casualties due to the cold,” a source said.

The robust ISR infrastructure will also reduce the necessity of sending out additional patrols, beyond what is sent out currently, to monitor these areas, thus reducing the stress on Indian troops, the source said.

Patrols require detailed coordination and the difficult weather conditions in the Ladakh region, particularly during the winter months, often increase the chances of a delay in their return. This in turn, at times, increases the chance of confrontation.

One of the outcomes of the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ dialogue on the Boundary Question between India and China last month was to set up an expert group, under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), to explore “early harvest in boundary delimitation in the India-China border areas”.

Discussions in the diplomatic and military levels are underway to prioritise existing border areas that can be taken up first for the resolution of issues.

“The low-hanging fruits can be resolved first, thereby enhancing trust, before moving on to larger issues,” a second source said.

Even after the disengagement along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, a full de-escalation is yet to take place. An estimated 50,000-60,000 troops are still stationed on either side of the LAC in the region, particularly in the depth areas.

In the August dialogue between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, it was also discussed that the border management mechanisms at diplomatic and military levels will be used to carry forward the process of border management, and discuss de-escalation, beginning with the principles and modalities thereof.

The two sides had also shared the view that peace and tranquility have been maintained in the India-China border areas since the 23rd SR Talks and agreed on setting up a Working Group, under the WMCC, to advance effective border management to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

In October last year, Indian and Chinese negotiators had arrived at an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC, which led to “disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020”.

This announcement was made by India and it was followed by a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders’ summit in Kazan, Russia.

In April this year, The Indian Express reported that India is in the process of geotagging established patrolling points, key features, and landmarks, to help demarcate the LAC clearly, aiding easier identification of disputed areas for future talks aimed at resolution and to enable smoother patrolling by Indian troops while preventing clashes with Chinese soldiers.

So far, 21 rounds of military commanders’ talks, 34 rounds of WMCC talks and 24 rounds of SR dialogue on the boundary question have taken place between the two countries.