Defence experts welcome India-China disengagement at Doklam

As India and China agreed to disengage at Doklam, where a stand-off has been continuing since June 16, defence veterans welcomed the diplomatic solution found to the issue which led to tension between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Former army chief, Gen. V.P. Malik (retd.) pointed out that the problem was not just between India and China, but Bhutan was also a party to the conflict.

"Not many people seem to realise that Doklam stand-off is not a problem between India and China, it is a problem between India, China and Bhutan," Malik, who headed the Indian Army during the Kargil conflict, told IANS.

"Doklam grazing ground belongs to Bhutan and they have a dispute over this territory with China. The Bhutanese major objection, and our major objection was that the troops should not construct road through this area.

"That has been stopped because our troops were called on request of Bhutanese government. I am glad the thing has been resolved diplomatically. Now they are talking about both parties to withdraw mutually and simultaneously," he said.

Noted China expert Major Gen. S.L.Narasimhan (retd) also welcomed the move and said it was the "right way to go".

"It was diplomatically agreed upon to disengage and then simultaneously Awithdraw, that is the right way to go," Narasimhan told IANS, adding that it did not matter which country withdrew first, as long as it led to a resolution.A

"I sure diplomatically they must have agreed to disengage, and a methodology must have been worked out. It does not matter who is going to pull out first, as long as the disengagement takes place it should be good," he said.

Narasimhan however added that there is chance of such incidents to happen in future as well, as the two countries do not have a finalised boundary yet.

India on Monday announced that an agreement was reached diplomatically with China to disengage at Doklam stand-off site, and later External Affairs Ministry announced that the process of pullout by both sides was almost over.

--IANS

ao/vd