Ending the Doklam Standoff

Why in news?

After weeks of diplomatic negotiations, India and China agreed to disengage from the standoff on the Doklam plateau.

What is the recent development?

• After more than 2 months of negotiations, the Indian troops withdrew back from Doklam to their posts in Sikkim as a goodwill gesture as China promised to make adjustments.
• Government sources have said that the process of disengagement had been almost completed and also verified by both sides.
• This restores status quo ante at Doklam.
• China had put off any plans to further construct the road in the disputerd area for the present.
• However, Chinese officials maintained that its border troops will continue to patrol the Doklam area and asserted its soverinity over it, therby not recognising it as a disputed territory. 

What is the significance of the dis-engagement?

• The statements issued by both the sides were inconsistent with each other.
• It shows that both sides seem to have agreed to disagree, though not ideal, is a good sign.
• Both sides have recognized that peace at border areas is an essential pre-requisite for development and vouched for diplomacy and have arrived at a rational compromise.
• The agreement came a week before PM’s visit to China to attend the BRICS summit. This shows that the bilateral spirt will to develop beyond the summit.

What should to be done in the future?

• Diplomats must now repair the rupture in ties over the past few months that began with the cancellation of the Nathu La route for Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims.
• Presently, it appears that China no longer recognises the gains made in the Special Representative talks in 2012 or the disputed nature of the Doklam trijunction.
• India, on the contrary has made it clear that it does not consider the Sikkim boundary settled.
• Hence, both sides will have to walk swiftly on these basic issues.
• Both must revert to the spirit of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement of 2013, which laid down specific guidelines on tackling future developments along the 3,488-km boundary they share.

Source: The Hindu