Progress on LAC clarification

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, JUNE 29. India and China have made considerable progress in narrowing down their differences in determining the alignment of a 545-km. border stretch and have constituted an eminent persons group which will draw up a road map for improving ties.

Experts from India and China, during the two-day meeting here, tried to determine the alignment of part of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which straddles Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. While the maps stating individual positions on the LAC alignment were exchanged in November last, experts from the two sides this time sought to reconcile their differences. ``The process of reconciliation proceeded very well,'' the Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Highly placed Government sources, however, said the LAC clarification did not mean any agreement on the boundary question. The prime purpose was to ensure that ``peace and tranquillity'' prevailed along the border. Once the LAC is jointly determined and fixed, it will become the basis for the removal of troops and equipment from the border area to mutually acceptable destinations on either side. The progress in the middle sector is, therefore, meant to render stability to part of the Sino-Indian border after an interim boundary has been jointly determined.

After nine rounds of discussions, both sides are now imparting a sense of urgency to defining the LAC. The expert group is now expected to meet within the next six months. This meeting is likely to be preceded by talks by the Sino-Indian Joint Working Group (JWG). The External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, has said India is intent on concluding the clarification of the LAC by December. After determining the LAC in the middle sector, the two sides are expected to align their perceptions in the western and eastern sectors as well.

The LAC clarification in the western sector is expected to be more difficult as the area under consideration is much larger than the middle sector. The altitudes in this area are also high. But since this zone - designated sub-sector north by India - is part of the Tibetan plateau, large portions of it are flat.

While progress on the LAC clarification proceeds, sources say both sides are also engaging each other on the political track. The key to the normalisation of bilateral ties may lie with Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese in the past, have apparently produced records to show that they have traditionally exercised administrative control over Tawang. If India can show flexibility over Tawang, China is likely to relent to Indian perceptions along the rest of the boundary with minor modifications. India, however, has made considerable investments in building defences and an administrative architecture in the Tawang area.

The meeting also constituted a eminent persons group to look at all aspects of the bilateral relations. This group from the Chinese side will be headed by Mr. Liu Shuqiang, a former Vice- Foreign Minister. The 14-member Indian group will be headed by Mr. R.L Bhatia, a former Minister of State for External Affairs. It will include Mr. Narayanmurthy of Infosys, Dr. R.K Pachauri of the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI), Mr. Rajesh Shah, who formerly headed the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the former Ambassador to China, Mr. Chandrashekhar Dasgupta.

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