A tri-logue can end the Doklam crisis

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj made at least one thing clear that dialogue on any confusion that may arise about territorial claims at what is still called the “tri-junction” of China, Bhutan and India, can take place when military forces of China and India — in the “face-off” that’s gone on for more than a month — simultaneously withdraw.

This is India’s authoritative statement, spelt out in Parliament. If Beijing weighs it with care, instead of letting loose its propaganda rag Global Times to accuse the external affairs minister of “lying”, then it is conceivable that the two countries may have taken the first tentative step toward de-escalation involving the two world’s fastest growing large economies.

From Ms Swaraj’s statement it is evident that if the Chinese Army is permitted to pursue its road-building project to its logical end, there would be no “tri-junction” left. Precisely because the three parties in question still deem it a “tri-junction”, the agreement of 2012 between India and China clearly spelt out that the parties — Beijing, Thimphu and New Delhi — should sit down together to delineate the international boundary in that sensitive area, and until that happens “status quo” must be maintained.

If the status quo is disturbed, as the Chinese sought to do and in the process ran up against the Indian forces, the Chinese Army can train long-range guns on the Siliguri Corridor and physically cut off the Northeast from the rest of India.

It must be understood that this is clearly a matter that involves India and China, and not Bhutan, although Thimphu would quite clearly have an equal and legitimate role in determining the boundary between itself, China and India in the Doklam plateau area.

A pragmatic way out of the current impasse is that Beijing and New Delhi agree to tri-logue involving Bhutan, and work out the boundary in the Doklam area as per the 2012 agreement.

The official spokesman of the Chinese government said in Beijing on Thursday that the diplomatic channels were “unimpeded”. This is a sign of maturity. Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval is expected to be in Beijing in a week for a meeting of Brics countries’ NSAs before the Brics summit to be held in the Chinese capital in September. If Beijing is interested, the idea of expanding the diplomatic pathway can be explored with Mr Doval.

It will be futile to have a repeat of the Wangdung incident of 1986, when the Chinese and Indian forces were in close proximity for seven years. It’s best to find ways to converse.