BRICS laid for Doklam peace, troops pull back

New Delhi: Has India tamed the Chinese dragon or did India back down? On Monday evening, in what Delhi termed as a major diplomatic breakthrough, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China for the BRICS Summit early next month, Indian and Chinese troops pulled back from Doklam in Bhutan, ending the more than two months-old Sino-Indian military stand- off . 

In what is a vindication of the Modi Government's resolve to draw red lines for China despite tremendous pressure from Beijing in the past nine weeks, India said there was "ongoing expeditious disengagement of border personnel of India and China at the face-off site at Doklam" which "has since been almost completed under verification". New Delhi said this followed "diplomatic communications" between the two nations following which an agreement was hammered out. 

Speculation is rife that an informal understanding may have been reached wherein China will not construct the road, which had triggered the stand-off in the first place in view of the "serious security implications for India". There were some reports that the Chinese may have pulled back their bulldozers and earth-moving equipment as well. Reports from Beijing indicate China also remained silent on its plans to build a road and said it would "make adjustments" with the situation on the ground. 

However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying sought to highlight the withdrawal of Indian troops to dispel impressions of a climbdown by Beijing, saying the "Chinese side will continue to exercise its sovereignty, uphold territorial integrity in accordance with the historical conventions". China regards Doklam as its territory and calls it Dong Lang.

With India refusing to back down despite daily Chinese threats while at the same time refusing to be drawn into a war of words, New Delhi's patience seems to have borne fruit. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier suggested in Parliament that the two armies should withdraw for an amicable solution. China had scoffed at the suggestion but was left with no option but to follow it. 

New Delhi has managed to make it clear to the Chinese that "agreements and understandings reached on the boundary issues must be scrupulously respected". The Chinese side also appears to have realised the futility of the military option because India is no military pushover and also because of the disastrous impact it would have had on the Chinese economy. India is also a big market for Chinese investment and products. By its resolve New Delhi has also conveyed to Beijing, the rest of Asia including Bhutan and indeed the entire world that India still has the power to restrain an aggressive China. But it remains to be seen how long the truce holds up, with a smarting Chinese PLA likely to test India again at some point.