GS 2 – IR
Origins of the Border Issue
- The India-China border in the Himalayan region was a colonial legacy, shaped by British cartographic decisions.
- Characteristics of the border:
- Remote, uninhabited areas → lack of demarcation.
- No mutually agreed maps or ground verification.
- India’s Post-Independence Position:
- Considered the colonial-era maps (Survey of India) final.
- Did not initially pursue negotiations with China.
Making of the Conflict
- Western Sector (Aksai Chin):
- Neither India nor China had a permanent presence initially.
- China built a strategic highway (Xinjiang–Tibet Highway) through Aksai Chin in the 1950s → consolidated control.
- India objected, claiming Aksai Chin as part of Ladakh (J&K).
- Eastern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh):
- India asserted control based on the 1914 Simla Agreement with Tibet, marking the McMahon Line as boundary.
- China rejected this → considered Tibet under its sovereignty.
- Chinese Proposals:
- In 1959, China offered:
- Accept McMahon Line in the east as India’s border.
- Accept Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the west as China’s border.
- India rejected → stuck to its interpretation of colonial maps.
- In 1959, China offered:
The 1962 War & Aftermath
- Oct–Nov 1962: China launched attacks in both Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Outcome:
- China retained control of Aksai Chin (~38,000 sq km).
- Both sides withdrew to their respective positions along the LAC.
- Post-war situation:
- The border remained unsettled but stabilized along the LAC.
Post-1962 Normalisation Attempts
- 1962–1979: Minimal engagement; relations remained strained.
- 1979: Atal Bihari Vajpayee (then Foreign Minister) visited Beijing.
- Marked the first high-level contact after the war.
- Set the stage for dialogue on normalisation and boundary resolution.