Another Chinese intrusion in Sikkim

New Delhi, Jun 19: Even after accepting Sikkim as a part of India, China continues to undertake "incursions" across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim. The latest "incursion" by Chinese troops took place on Monday, with a vehicle-mounted patrol crossing almost one km into Indian territory in Sikkim's northernmost tip known as the "finger area", to which Beijing is now laying claim despite New Delhi's position that the Sikkim border question is "settled".

India is used to incursions by Chinese troops across the 4,057-km LAC in all the three sectors—western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal)— in a bid to strengthen China's claim over disputed areas and ensure New Delhi does not change its Tibet policy. Indian Army sources said to the media that these transgressions were 'a routine affair' in which the People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel violate India's perception of the 4,057-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The PLA men reportedly entered the 'Finger Area' on light motor vehicles and later returned to Chinese territory, sources said.

Though it was believed until recently that the Chinese have reconciled to the idea of Sikkim being a part of India, there have been at least 65 incidents of transgressions reported in the last six months by PLA personnel into the Finger Area of the State, sources said.

Also, there have been reports of over 150 transgressions by the PLA across the LAC last year. During the recent visit of India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Beijing, the Chinese reportedly stunned him by raising the issue of Finger Area.

OneIndia News