Report on India-China Border Subhash Chandra Sarker

A cursory glance through the On the other hand conduct of officials of the two Governments 567-page volume containing the government would become impossible could have been held to a greater reports of the Indian and Chinese if officials went about denouncing advantage. officials which has been released by the Government in public. After the That such a procedure was not the Ministry of External Affairs is sharp and protracted series of ex­ followed has proved particularly un­ enough to convince even the most changes between the Governments fortunate. The reports that have optimistic souls of the extreme in­ of India and China on the boundary come out are not such as could pro­ tractability of the problem that has question denoting their inflexible vide the basis for further discus­ arisen in the form of a dispute bet­ and contradictory standpoints, it sions. The utterly unaccommodating ween India and China over the hardly would appeal to reason to ex­ and belligerent spirit in which the boundary between the two countries. pect that the officials of the two officials approached their task was The two teams of officials had met in countries would be able to produce reflected in the protracted contro­ accordance with the joint com­ an agreed draft which was more versy over the points that should munique issued from New Delhi on likely than not to involve giving up form the agenda of discussions. Even April 25, 1960 by the Prime Mini­ the claims of one of the parties. It on this procedural mailer, two sepa- sters of India and China. The terms is to be remembered that the officials rate reports have been produced. of reference laid down by the joint were asked to determine facts. It is The extreme regidity in the Chinese communique were, inter alia. that not quite charitable to suppose that stand found expression even in the the officials of the two Governments the Governments had been arguing statements leading to the adoption would "meet and examine. check without having first ascertained the of the agenda as summarised by the and study all historical documents, fads from their respective officials. Chinese. The Chinese officials ob­ records, accounts, maps and other But facts of a situation over a period ject that "It i the Indian side) ad­ material relevant to the boundary of time could not be so contradictory vocated the discussion of only one question, on which each side relied as the statements of the Governments question. namely where does the in support of its stand and draw up of India and China were, without Sino-Indian boundary lie." This a report for submission to the two either being wrong. The prospects stand, according to the Chinese. was Governments." If the intention be­ did not become any brighter when no! justified. If the Chinese were hind setting up the joint examination on both the sides, it was the same unwilling to fix the agenda in such had been to promote agreement groups of officials, who had been unexceptionably precise terms, one (there could hardly be any other assisting their Governments in form­ wonders why did they ever agree to justifiable purpose for that). this ing their opinions, were called upon a joint meeting of officials at all. has certainly not been fulfilled, by lake up that reexamination. Did the dispute not relate precisely judging from the contents of the Too Much of Mutual Distrust to the exact location of the boundary Report which is before us.* In It is making too heavy a demand line? Even when the wranglings over reality there is not one but two re­ the points to be discussed were over­ ports one drafted by the Indian on their capacity for self-criticism to expect them to recant before an in­ come, there arose a difference as to officials and the other by the Chinese how they were to be discussed. The officials contradicting each other ternational audience. Not that the position would have been very much Indian side wanted that all evidence on all the important and material under all the three heads — (Basis points. The reports undoubtedly better, had a different set of person­ nel been selected, unless there was in Treaties and Agreements; Basis bear testimony to the diligence and in Traditions and Customs: and perseverance, of the officials to up­ a corresponding change in the pro­ cedure followed. The boldness and Basis in Administration and Juris- hold the stand of their respective diction should be completed for Governments. This constitutes both dispassionate spirit with which offi­ one sector ( the boundary was divid­ the strength and weakness, the use­ cials can work in the secrecy of ed into three sectors—Western. Mid­ fulness and the deficiency of the their own ministerial archives is dle and Eastern) before proceeding volume under consideration. difficult to maintain when they have to deal with a contentious subject under to the consideration of another The very nature of the assign­ the challenging gaze of a foreign sector. To this. also, the Chinese ob­ ment to a considerable degree prede­ Government. Inevitably a spirit of jected. termined the outcome; it tended to contest and self-righteousness clouds This much from the long, long list rule out an agreed report. Officials the atmosphere. which militates of differences has an important bear­ in general are not expected to pub­ against any effort at an objective ing on the outcome of the joint licly arraign their own Governments assessment. On the other hand if parleys. There was too much of -with the formulation of whose the Governments so desired, they mutual distrust between the two policies they are often closely asso­ could have asked their officials to re­ sides to enable them to come to any ciated. evaluate their materials and apprise agreement, even if they had sin­ *Ministry of External Affairs (Govern­ them of the outcome of such re­ cerely wanted to. though there is ment of India ) Report of the Officials assessment. The note thus prepared room for doubt even on this point. of India and the People's Republic of could then have been exchanged and One cannot pronounce a judgment on China on the Boundary Question, New examined by each other and perhaps such contradictory evidence, particu­ Delhi. February 1961. Pp 12 + 342+ at that stage, a joint siting of the larly when one happens to be a 213 Rs 3.00 379 February 25, 1961 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY party to the dispute. Yet even the most dispassionate commentator would also find it a little difficult to understand the Chinese insistence on claiming on the one hand that the boundary between India and China had never been delimited and main­ taining, on the other, almost at the same breath that whatever the Chinese were saying was the truth and noth­ ing but the truth and that here could he no doubt about the Chinese align­ ments. According to the report of the Chinese officials. "The Chinese side pointed out that the unfortu­ nate incidents and other unfortunate happenings which occurred in the past along the border could not be explained away by the lack of pre­ cise knowledge about the Chinese alignment by the Indian personnel." (p. CR-6) Again, according to them, "the occurrence of the border clashes or friction was mainly caus­ ed by the intentional pressing for­ ward by armed Indian personnel in an attempt to change the status quo of the boundary." (Ibid) In other words, the Chinese did not care much for delimitation: Whether delimited or not the boundary as claimed by the Chinese must by difi- nition he the right one. That was the gist of the Chinese stand. Defects in Maps These impudent assertions about Indian aggressiveness can hardly be reconciled with the utter reluctance with which the Chinese had pro­ ceeded to discuss the alignments of the boundary. Apart from being im­ pudent, the Chinese had resorted to practices which are hardly to be com­ mended. The Indian officials' report mentions that in some cases "the translation and examination of the photostats supplied by the Chinese side showed that the passages cited by the Chinese in their state­ ment and said to be taken from speci­ fied documents actually were not to be found in the full texts contained in the photostats" (.p 260). As has been pointed out by the Indian offi­ cials, the Chinese have themselves re­ cognised the defects of their own maps — formally in the case of the border between China and Burma. The formal delimitation of the China. Burma boundary in a recent treaty amounted to an unqualified admis­ sion that an area of about 25,000 square miles of Burmese territory had been earlier incorrectly shown in the official Chinese maps as parts of China. The most shocking disclosure of The submission or the publication it necessary to protest against any- Chinese bad faith was their reluc­ of the report of the officials is no step Indian map official or otherwise. Nor tance to discuss questions pertaining forward in the direction of a reso­ was it until late 1959 that the Chi­ to the boundary of Kashmir State of lution of the conflict. The secretive nese Government had stated that it India west of the karakoram Pass character of the regime in China does viewed the entire length of the and to the northern boundaries of not allow much information to come India-China boundary as undefined. Sikkim and Bhutan. The Chinese out of that country, particularly By taking the initiative in bringing officials brazenly aver, "the western when the Government is apprehen­ out the reports of the two teams of sector of the Sino-lndian boundary sive of the repercussions of such officials, the Government of India as mutually understood by the two disclosure on ideological or political has at least demonstrated its confi­ sides starts from the Karakoram grounds. Some observers had noted dence in the correctness of its own Pass eastwards." (Italics added. See a lack of emphasis in the Chinese stand. page 11 of the first section of the domestic propaganda on the border report which has three sets of pagi­ dispute. Yet later reports definitely nation). To foist such "mutual under­ indicate a change, and an activisation L I C Business in 1960 standing" on India against the cate­ of anti-Indian propaganda, both at THE total amount of business com­ gorical assertion of India's sovereign­ home and abroad. Apparently, a pleted by the Life Insurance ty over these areas is another Chinese turn in the tide of public opinion Corporation during the calendar trickery. According to them, "in elsewhere has shaken the self-confi­ year 1960 is provisionally estimated view of the present actual situation dence which the Chinese had had by at Rs 111.12 crores. in Kashmir, it was also inappropri­ virtue of their physical occupation Zone-wise figures are : ate for the two sides — China and of—much of the territories concern­ India — to discuss the boundary ed. This sudden activisation of the Northern Zone Rs 62.40 crores west of the Karakoram Pass between propaganda campaign against India Central Zone Rs 57.27 crores China's Sinkiang and Kashmir." may also imply a realization by the Eastern Zone Rs 86.86 crores That has not. however, precluded Chinese of the weakness of their Southern Zone Rs 107.41 crores China from starting negotiations stand. Western Zone Rs 97.18 crores with Pakistan, although the Soviet Confidence Demonstrated The total amount of business com- Union, China's proclaimed leader of In the past, it was always the pleted in foreign countries amounted the Socialist camp, has officially Indians who had protested against to Rs 7.96 crores during 1960. recognised that the entire area of wrong Chinese maps with the Chi­ Kashmir including the portion lying nese Communists replying that they The Finance Minister. Shri Morarji west of Karakoram Pass belongs to had been following old Kuomintang Desai. gave these figures in the Lok India. With the Chinese taking such maps which they had no opportuni­ Sabha. The final figures of complet­ an antagonistic attitude, there was ty to revise. Never for once had ed business during 1960 will be little scope for agreement. the Chinese Communists considered available by the end of this month. February 25, 1961 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY

Bulsar Chemical Plant mical works of the Indian company, remainder will be supplied from A CONTRACT worth about Amul Products Ltd. Britain. Design work is now in, pro- £1,30,000 fur the design and British technicians will supervise gress. and it is expected the factory construction of a chemical plant in the erection of the factory and Bri­ will be operating in 1963. It will India has been placed with Hum­ tish experts will conic to India to produce chemical products based on phrey & (Glasgow Ltd of London, a supervise the initial operations, re­ naphthalene for use in the prepara­ firm of international contracting maining on to train Indian staff. tion of dyestuffs. The manufactur­ engineers. The plant is to be built Nearly 50 per cent of the equipment ing programme includes a range of at Bulsar. 120 miles from Bombay, and material for the factory is ex­ 24 different products but these can as an extension to the existing che­ pected to be Indian-made. The be extended to meet other demands.