• Chinese Troops gave a rude response and did not offer any cup of tea to the Indian soldiers

• It may be the first hope for the freedom of Kashmiri people from the clutches of Indian fascism

• Galwan Valley is taken over by Chinese forces and it is adjacent to Siachen Glacier

China takes over parts of Kashmir from India in Ladakh region. Chinese forces took over the are in the Himalayan Region which is famous as Galwan Valley. India has been claiming it as an undisputed area and Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Last few days have seen continuous rhetoric from the Indian side. However, a clash between India and China resulted in killing of 20 Indian soldiers. The Chinese government claims that Indian troops continue to provoke violence by crossing over to their territory.

It is India’s usual attitude that it interferes in the neighbor’s territory everywhere. This attitude exists across all its borders including Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. Resultant, the country is having worst relations with all its neighbors.

Indian forces continue shelling in Pakistani Kashmir from Indian Occupied Kashmir. This usually results in skirmishes as Pakistani Army has to protect the civilian population in the area.

India has also taken several anti-Kashmir steps in recent past. These include allowing the Kashmiri domicile for Indian population and imposing lock down by putting curfew in the region for over 10 months.

China’s Take Over of Galwan Valley

However, the Chinese Government has calmly given a statement after taking over the Galwan Valley from India. “The sovereignty over the Galwan Valley area has always belonged to China,” claimed PLA spokesperson Colonel Zhang Shiuli. This may be the first step towards getting further occupied area from India. As China claims its boundary up to the Shyok River.

It has been a wake up call for Indian side as they saw Chinese troops in the area. There were images coming out where the Chinese soldiers were scolding their Indian counterparts and telling them to get out. The Indian troops maintain silence and request for dialogue. However, they (Indian troops) have to move out of area to avoid an untoward situation.

According to Indian media, Indian Army was not expecting Chinese troops in this season as they are usually busy in exercises. Instead, India military sources claim that China is violating the spirit of border agreement. “They are not confining their troops to exercise grounds, rather spilling them from Galwan into other areas of contention in Eastern Ladakh.

Galwan Valley and India-China War of 1962

Galwan Valley has been a point of contention between India and China for years. The India-China war of 1962 also began after initial skirmishes in this region.

Actually, India claims the entire Aksai Chin Plateau. However, the China’s border claims include the west of the river along the mountain ridge adjoining the Shyok river valley. These claims and counterclaims led to a military standoff in the Galwan River valley in 1962.

On 4 July, a platoon of Indian troops set up a post in the upper reaches of the valley. Thus, the post ended up cutting the lines of communication to a Chinese post at Samzungling. Therefore, the Chinese interpreted it as a premeditated attack on their post, and surrounded the Indian post, coming within 100 yards of the post. The Indian government warned China of “grave consequences” and informed them that India was determined to hold the post at all costs. The post remained surrounded for four months and was supplied by helicopters. 

As the war began, the Chinese PLA bombarded the Indian post with heavy shelling and employed a battalion to attack it. The Indian garrison suffered 33 killed and several wounded, while the company commander and several others were taken prisoner. By the end of the war, China reached its claim line and took over the area.

It is 58 years after the 1962 war that China is again claiming the land further into Kashmir. It may be noted that Ladakh has been an integral part of Kashmir. However, the Indian Parliament passed a controversial law for turning it into a Union Territory of India.