In light of China releasing the new standard map on Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi
What has happened?
The release of a new standard map by China has caused an uproar among both political circles and the people of India as the new map shows both Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as a part of China’s territory in light of India hosting the G20 summit from 9th September to 10 September 2024 at New Delhi casting scrutiny on Xi Jinping’s visit to India according to Hindustan Times report.
Image credit- Hindustan Times
Why is the Map controversial?
China in its 2024 version of the standard map issued by its natural resources ministry as a part of their annual “National Surveying and Mapping Promotion Day” has asserted its claims on parts of Ladakh known by the name Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh as a whole as part of Chinese territories.
Read More: China’s ‘Standard Map’ Sparks Concerns: Territorial Claims
The former was occupied by China after the Indo-China War of 1962 even though according to experts China was encroaching on the area throughout the 1950s due to less presence of the Indian military at that time.
One such expert KP Dutta elaborated more on Aksai Chin’s occupation in the outlook report quoting India Today report and said
Most of the area is under China’s occupation, They annexed the region during the 1950s and established their grip militarily over the area during the 1962 Indo-China war rejecting India’s efforts to solve the border issue peacefully….China invaded the Aksai Chin claiming it was the part of ancient and medieval Chinese empire. It is a convenient claim from an era when boundaries did not have the same sanctity as they do in the times of nation-states said KP Dutta to India Today
As for Arunachal Pradesh, China considers the state as part of its Southern Tibet while Ladakh according to Chinese is considered as a part of Western Tibet.
Source: Global Times (Twitter)
Basis of China’s claim
China bases its claim on the basis of the historical claims of Tibet as they believe that since Tibet is a part of China, by hindsight it also began to claim that both Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh belong to them.
According to Wion’s report, Beijing also believes that unequal treaties have been forced on them during the “Century of Humiliation” and wants a re-examination of all the borders with India as in the eastern sector, the border was drawn along the McMahon line named after Sir Henry McMahon who was the foreign secretary of British India that time.
Eventually in 1914, the border between British India and Tibet (Sovereign country at that time) was established at the Shimla Convention between China, India, and Tibet.
However, China doesn’t agree with the decided border which was drawn at watershed principle and it was based on the undefined borders of British India and Tibet which includes Tawang.
What did Rahul Gandhi Say?
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi today demanded a response from PM Narendra Modi on the inclusion of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh in China’s new map on which India has lodged a strong protest yesterday.
Image credit- NDTV
Before making a visit to Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi also said this
Read More: Rahul Gandhi Urges To PM Modi to Response on China’s Land Claims Amid G20 Summit
He has been saying for many years that the PM is lying and that not an inch of the land is lost, the whole of Ladakh knows that They have taken away the land. PM should say something about this said Rahul Gandhi according to NDTV.
What did Other Politicians Say?
Recently in an exclusive interview with NDTV, the external affairs minister S Jaishankar emphasized that the map has no meaning and It is China’s habit of releasing these types of maps
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor suggested external minister S Jaishankar issue stapled passports to people coming from Tibet and do not support the one-china Policy.
