Chinese Army Intrudes in Uttarakhand’s Barahoti, Returns After Damaging Infrastructure

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Chinese PLA intrudes Barahoti, Damages Infrastructure

In August, 2021, over 100 Chinese soldiers and 55 military horses crossed the border to infringe 5km of Indian territory in Barahoti, Uttarakhand, and damaged state infrastructure, including a bridge. They continued the rampage for 3 hours, uninterrupted and were able to retreat back without any detection or confrontation with the Indian counterparts.

 While the PLA has strategically increased its military enforcements across the LAC in the region ever since the border confrontation with India in 2020, why has India ignored the growing Chinese threat so far is a question that needs to be answered.

According to recent reports by The Economic Times, more than 100 soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China crossed the border at Barahoti in Uttarakhand in August, 2021 and damaged state infrastructure, including a bridge before retreating.

Such a transgression, which has taken place amidst the ongoing talks as well as subsequent disengagement of troops between India and China, has alarmed the leadership at the Centre.

Recently, there were also reports of China developing multiple airbases along the LAC, including those capable of hosting fighter aircrafts.

What happened in Barahoti?

On August 30, 2021, over 100 soldiers and 55 military horses crossed the Tun Jun La Pass, and crossed over 5 km of Indian territory, according to security officials as reported by the Economic Times. This destructive territorial breach was one sided as the PLA soldiers retreated within three hours after damaging the state infrastructure, avoiding any confrontation with the Indian counterparts.

The local residents of the region alerted the concerned authorities following which, the teams from Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Army were sent. However, by the time these military teams reached the area, the Chinese army soldiers had vacated. This infringement has happened in a demilitarized zone, which is a major source of concern for the concerned Indian authorities.

It is noteworthy that Barahoti was the  first place that saw cross border intrusions by the Chinese in 1954, which after expansion led to the 1962 war.

Where is Barahoti located?

The Barahoti ridge lies north of the Nanda Devi National Park and troops trek to it from the last motorable point. The ridge is connected to Joshimath, where the Indian Army and ITBP have camps to counter any major PLA operations.

What do the officials say?

According to a home ministry official, as quoted by the Economic Times, Indian and Chinese perceptions about LAC differ, which lead to frequent incursions in the area. According to officials, the intrusive activities of PLA troops have escalated in the recent months and several attempts have been made by the PLA in the past to infiltrate Barahoti, with reports of growing Chinese activity near Barahoti airbase being flagged by the Indian intelligence agencies.

The Chinese have apparently speeded up the revamping of its military infrastructure along the LAC post the 2020 India China border stand off in Eastern Ladakh, which erupted on May 5, 2020 following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. Both sides rapidly deployed military strength along the border but gradually agreed to deescalate following several rounds of diplomatic negotiations. However, with China’s recent transgressions, its cannot be trusted and the Indian leadership has to look beyond banning the Chinese apps to tame the dragon.

Disclaimer :- This post is independently published by the author. Infeed neither backs nor assumes liability for the opinions put forth by the author.

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