The India-China Border: The Era of Peace Agreements (1993-1996) and Their Inherent Flaws
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: International Relations (India and its neighborhood, Key Bilateral Agreements); Geography (Line of Actual Control - LAC, different sectors of the border).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Post-Independence History): Consolidation and reorganization within the country; The 1962 war and its aftermath.
General Studies Paper 2 (International Relations): India and its neighborhood- relations; Bilateral agreements involving India. Understanding these foundational agreements is crucial for any question on the current India-China standoff.
Key Highlights from the News
After Rajiv Gandhi's visit in 1988, several steps were taken to normalize relations between India and China.
In 1993, during Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's visit to China, the historic Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA) was signed.
This agreement was the first official India-China document to mention the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The main provisions of the BPTA were to maintain peace on the LAC, reduce the number of troops (minimal forces), and ensure non-aggression.
In 1996, an Agreement on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) was also signed.
However, the success of all these agreements depended on accurately determining the boundary of the LAC.
The attempt to exchange of maps to determine the LAC boundary completely failed in 2002.
The lack of a common understanding of the LAC was a major cause of large-scale military clashes, as seen in 2020.
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