Congress criticises Modi’s 'naiveté' on China, poses 6 questions on Ladakh

Ahead of the meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Russia's Kazan, the Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp critique of the Union government's handling of the ongoing standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, which began in 2020.

Describing the four-year impasse as a "complete indictment" of PM Modi’s foreign policy and accusing him of gullibility and failing to protect national interests, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh questioned the nature of the deal reached with China. He also demanded that the government inform the Indian public about the specifics of the agreement.

Six critical questions

Ramesh outlined six key questions to the BJP-led government, urging clarity on the specifics of the disengagement and its implications:

1. Will Indian troops be allowed to patrol up to the country’s claim line in Depsang, as they did prior to the standoff, including the five patrolling points beyond the bottleneck junction?

2. Will Indian soldiers be able to access the three patrolling points in Demchok that have remained inaccessible for over four years?

3. Will Indian forces continue to be restricted to Finger 3 in the Pangong Tso area, despite being able to patrol as far as Finger 8 before?

4. Are patrols permitted to access the previously reachable points in the Gogra-Hot Springs region?

5. Will Indian grazers regain access to traditional grazing grounds in areas like Helmet Top, Mukpa Re, Rezang La, Rinchen La, Table Top, and Gurung Hill in Chushul?

6. Are the buffer zones ceded to China, including the site of the Rezang La war memorial, no longer in place?

The Congress leader accused PM Modi of giving a premature "clean chit" to China just days after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers.

Ramesh referred to Modi’s controversial statement on 19 June 2020, when the prime minister declared, "Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai (no one has intruded into our territory, nor is an intruder already present)."

Congress contends this remark undermined the sacrifices of the soldiers and weakened India's stance in the subsequent negotiations with China. “This entire episode is a reflection of PM Modi’s naiveté about China’s intentions,” said Ramesh, pointing out that despite multiple meetings and diplomatic gestures, including a widely publicised informal summit in Gujarat, Modi failed to understand Beijing’s strategy.

On Monday, Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar attempted to clarify the situation, saying the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) would return the situation to what it was before May 2020, prior to the standoff.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri echoed this sentiment, noting that the recent agreement with China would lead to “disengagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that arose in these areas in 2020”.

China’s foreign ministry also confirmed the agreement, stating that the two countries had reached a solution and were working toward implementing it. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “China has positively evaluated the recent developments and will work with India to implement the solution.”

Congress maintains that while the disengagement is welcome, the government must ensure that India's territorial integrity is preserved, and the pre-2020 status quo is restored.

Ramesh emphasised that this incident has been "India's worst foreign policy setback in decades," and expressed hope that the disengagement would not lead to further concessions.

The opposition’s demands for clarity and accountability highlight growing domestic pressure on the Modi government to address the public’s concerns over the handling of the border issue with China.