As India and China agree to “intensify efforts” to de-escalate border tensions but continue their spat over border land demarcation, the arduous task of reassessing gaps in border infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains the primary focus of the Union Home ministry, which does not want to give Chinese PLA another chance to make inroads into its territory.
The deadly Galwan valley clashes in 2020 had put spotlight on China’s double-pronged strategy to combine the rapid rise in military infrastructure, and buildup along the LAC, often in the buffer zone, with the steady rise in aggression shown by the PLA.
Government officials said a new sense of purpose regarding border management is required and one of the key steps being suggested is boosting the tourism sector, rural development, infrastructure buildup and schemes like model border villages, to develop the border areas and address concerns of the local population, keeping in mind their economic interests. The civilian population near the borders being key assets, there is renewed focus in protecting their interests for reclaiming pasture lands.
In Ladakh, the Daulat Beg Oldie and hot springs areas have no villages in the vicinity, and the latter is a place frequented by the grazing community. Opening it for tourism can help in countering the reluctance of the security forces to allow civilian activity in the area. Similar steps can be taken at Demchok, Koyul, Dungyi, Kakjung villages where nomadic festivals can be a novel idea to bring tourists.
Another idea being explored is the construction of a circuit of memorials starting from Drass to Siachen to Hot Springs and then to Rezang La to promote patriotic tourism. Steps are also being taken to make Pangong lake a major landmark for sports activities.
At the same time, a need is being felt to bolster the capacity of border police in these areas to ensure that grievances of local villagers are addressed and tension between security forces and civilians are dealt with amicably.
It is felt in security circles that the role of the border police needs to grow and interests of villagers and grazers of the border region needs to be highlighted
At the same time, manual patrolling in these areas needs to be replaced by more sophisticated technologies like camera surveillance and comprehensive, integrated border management system. “The surveillance systems need to be tested for harsh weather conditions, strong power and storage backup and subzero temperatures,” said an official.
As a security official pointed out that instead of thinking in offensive and defensive terms, the line of actual control needs to be dealt with a positive approach giving importance to civilian needs, as well as military requirements .
