India China Dispute: The rhetoric regarding the border dispute between India and China has once again intensified. China has expressed objection to India’s inclusion of standard names of 28 geographical places in Ladakh in the official map. China says that it has a claim on these areas and India’s determination of the name cannot change the status of territorial sovereignty. At the same time, India has clarified that Ladakh is an integral part of the country and China’s claims do not change this reality.
On October 2, India recorded 28 names in the official map.
On October 2, the Union Home Ministry had issued standard names of 28 places and geographical formations of Ladakh. This process was completed after consultation with the Ladakh administration. These names have been included in the official maps of the Survey of India.
According to the government, the initiative aims to ensure accurate identification of these places and increase awareness about them among the common people. The list includes mountains, peaks, passes, glaciers, valleys, rivers, lakes and various parts of the land.
China refuses to accept Ladakh as a Union Territory
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday, October 13 that China does not recognize the Union Territory of Ladakh established by India. He termed this step of India as illegal and said that this will not affect China’s claim on the western part of the India-China border.
China says that determining the name will not change its claim on the concerned area. This statement has come in the background of the long-running border dispute between the two countries.
India replied, said- Ladakh is an integral part of the country
The Indian Foreign Ministry also responded to China’s objection. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Ladakh is an integral and inseparable part of India. He clarified that denial of this fact by China will not change the reality.
India says that the purpose of recording the names of 28 places in the official map is to make the identity of these places clear and uniform. The government has completed this process after discussions with the Ladakh administration.
Sensitive areas like Gogra and Hot Spring are also in the list.
Gogra and Hot Spring are also included in the names decided by India. These are the areas of Eastern Ladakh, where in the year 2020, there was a situation of tension on the border between the soldiers of India and China.
In May 2020, the military standoff between the two countries escalated in eastern Ladakh. After this, there was a violent conflict in Galwan Valley in June, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. China acknowledged the death of four of its soldiers in February 2021. After these incidents, both the countries made efforts to reduce tension through talks at military and diplomatic levels.
Which 28 places were named by India?
Different types of geographical formations are included in the list of the Government of India. Major names are as follows:
- Mountains and Peaks: Atisha Giri, Kanishka Peak, Karun Pir, Martand Giri, Drak Karpo, Jolmori, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Marpa Lotsawari, Milarepa Kangri, Shiv Ri, Zorawar Peak and Maheshwari.
- Passes and glaciers: Chapchingal Pass, Shachmirik Pass, Parpik Glacier and Skamri Glacier.
- Land Areas: Brangsa, Kuksel, Dehra Compass, Gogra, Kumarayan Point, Panglung and Shamal Lungpa.
- Canyons and water sources: Shkorga Canyon, Guru Rinpoche Lake, Yangpa River and Hot Spring.
The purpose of recording these names in official maps is to ensure identification of the respective places and uniformity of their names in government records.
Controversy also regarding the names of Arunachal Pradesh
Disputes regarding naming of places between India and China have arisen earlier also. China calls Arunachal Pradesh ‘Zangnan’ i.e. Southern Tibet and has been issuing Chinese names for many places in the region. India has been opposing these claims and naming.
India’s stance is that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and changing the name by China cannot change the status of the region. Similarly, when the names of 28 places of Ladakh are recorded in the official map, India has called it a process of identity clarification, while China has objected to this move.
Latest controversy regarding naming
Talks have been going on between the two countries to resolve the border dispute between India and China. The latest dispute over naming in Ladakh has come to light at a time when border-related issues remain important in the relations between the two countries.