The Prime Minister, 8hri J a w a a r l a l Nebru, made t h e foI,&CTsteg
atattinant i n the 'BaJya Sabha tolday i n reply t o a Shortaoticcr qu@utiSm
on the constructian of a road i n Ladakh by t h e Chinese I
ficcording t o #an'announcement made ip Chine* the Yehehew
was
Gartok Road, which is also called the l i n k i & % ~ ~ b oHighway,
t
O
u
r
attention
was
drawn
t
o
a
very
m&l1
completed i n September, 1957#
inches* published i n a Chineere newspzyers
male nap, about 24 x
indicating the rough alignment of the roade I f was not poss1bI.e t o
find out Pran this' mall map whether t h i s road crossed Indian territorp
although 1.t looked as i f it d i d SO* I t was dc-cided* therefore, to send
reconnaissaxo p a r t i e s i n the following bier t o f i n d out the a l i g m e a t
of t h i s road4 Two reconnaiseance p a r t i e s were accordingly sent la0t
yearo One of these p a r t i e s was taken i n t o custody by a superior Chia6c3
detachtilent* The other returned and gave u s sane rough indioation Of
t h i s newly constructed road in the k s a i Chin aroao fkcording t o thdr
w o r t , t h i s road enters Indian t e r r i t o r y i n the south near EIarigh
Jilganang lake and runs aorthrwest leaving Indian t e r t i t o r y near
Hajilangw: f n t h e northweat corner of Ladak4
i&jpesentations w ~ r emade t o the Chinese Gwernaeat I n a note
presented t o the Chinose &bassador a t New Delhi on the U t h Octoberc
1058, drawing t h e i r attention t o the construction of the road throah
Indian t e r r i t o r y and the arrest of 1 5 member8 of the Indian r ~ ~ l 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ t u a c r
party within t h e Indian border* The Chinese Goirernment i n their reply
~ r e s e n t s don 1st Novembers 1958 notified the release of the p-y
a d
claimoc! t h a t the road ran through Chinese t e r r i t o r y * 4 1 f u r t h e r note
expressing our surpriae a t the Chinese contention was presented t o tbe
Chinese authorities on the 8th Novearber, 19580 %mindera have been
given subsequentlyo No f u r t h e r anewers hzve been receivedo
Tire IAksai Chin area has a general elevation of over
1
7
"
C
mf t a
k,
The e n t i r e lack& srea iacludirrg &aai Chin became a pax? qS' .
--tb~danrmu~.&.-Xastrmfr
+ A ? t a ~as-~a-1~aCtltiof,a~.treaty,,&aed,An~@-9~~~;;~,
%~~~
.
d e and
t h e Lama Gurusahib Od
b+halft of-Maharaj.a
. ;,. ,,>IGulab
, . * . -S i n s h ~ nt h e . one s ifi
maso w this is the nane written. in(the aproer~ez.twhich 1 -ap quoting r
agd the repreeentatfve of the &peror of China on the other* Ever si8W
then t h i s area has been a p a r t of the Jammu & Basbmir State* ~ario)ua
attempts at d ~ a r c a t i mtho boundary between J Bb K S t a@ and Tibet wemade eubsequently by B r i t i s h of fleers. The Chinese Govorrunent was
They
asked t o aend t h e i r representative8 t o cooperate i n t h i s work.
d i d not take partb The Chinese Comnissioner, however, rsrf qtad oxi the
13th January, 1847 as follows k,
e
3.
-,,+A
7.
A-a.,
"
I beg t o obeerve t h a t the borders of tbese
t e r r i t o r i e s have h e n suff i o i e n t l y and d l s t i n c t ly fixed
80 t h a t i t would bo best t o adhere t o this anciont
arrangement, and i t w f l l prove f a r more aonvenient t o
abstain from any additional measure for fifiw thGW*
&though no q t q a l
demarcation w a s made on the grounh maps were prepared on the b q i a d!
ol&uame and conventiom b e e mags have been uaed i n India tor the
The B r i t i s h o f f i c e r s were also of the
same opirrioa
last hundred ye&toztt
~ a s hundred
t
years o r so. They include the
G u n region a s part of
kdakh, Since t h e boundary of t h e &sai Chin region, with ChinhTibet has
not been marked on t h e ground, once o r twice questions have been raised
about the- exact a l i g m e n t of t h i s boundary. O l d Chinese maps have shown
a different aligmentr
I
S I E H : M a y I knowg Sir, why Parliament was not taken i n t o
-confidence earlier with rezard t o this matter 3
&P.
JAVkaARLU NEARU I 'l%ere was not much t o take i n t o confidence a b u t , '
Sir. ' h i s was 1 eave t h e d a t e about November ' l a s t * and we sent
Lhen our p r o t e s t - a n d subsequent reminders. This 'is an area peculiarly
suited obviously f o r sane kind of consultations and decision as t o the
facts, because the facts arc very cmplicated, t h e Chinese claimin&
that area. In f a c t , without our knowledge they have made a road i n
mat extreme corner and we have been dealing with i t i n correspondence+
No particular occasion arose t o bring tqe matter t o the House, becauso
v a thought' t h a t we might make progress by correspondence and when the
time was rkpe for it we would infonn Parliament,
*
.
: D.P.
+
.
I
-
i
SIKR t I n view of t h e f a c t t h a t the ~ h i n e i 'c1h.m'
e
that t h i s
a a i t t e d l y ~ n d i kt e r r i t o r y is within t h e i r f r o n t i e r . y d ,that our
protest was lodged a8 Xar back as July o r k u s t 1958, and i n view of
the f a c t t h a t t h e Chinese claim ia u n j u s t i f i e d and no reply has been
sent t o t h e Indian G o v e m e n t , do not the Government contemplate
ousting t h e Chinese from t h i s I n d i m t e r r i t o r y by f a r c e ? W i l l not
the G o v e m e n t of I n d i a a t least consider t h e advisability d boenbing
the road b u i l t i n our territory out of existence 7
No, Sir, G o w m e n t w i l l not consider t h a t c o u r m
b c a u s c t h a t is not the way G o v e m e n t would l i k e t o function i n such
matters. The hon, Member s t a r t e d by saying t h a t t h i s i s admittedly
Indian t e r r f t o j , but the Chinese would not agree t o it. That i s a
aantradiction i n terns. ha a matter of fact, i t is Indian t e r r i t o r y and
we claim it s o because we think t h a t the weight of evidence i s i n our
favour, maps, e t c r But t h e C W s t ~ s eproduce t h e i r own maps* equally
old* which are i n t h e i r f avoiirr ksd the t e r r i t o r y i s s t e r i l e .
JklVAHARLAL NEfiRU I
I t has been descflbed
rto
3 / ~
(CHINESE CON8WJCTLOB OF ROAD IB ~119lim)
It has been &ecc&ibed as a bar~-ox, u?nb~ka'oi'ced.~r@gi
on
viithou-t a var;-t:igc of grass a26 17,000 f t . highf .
SIB1 BEU25SH @TITA: k~crl the hon. Llernbor %?x2t;sit t o be
bombed
I-.
In place8 l i k e %lie, d s c i s i ons can
SIBl, J ~ V . . J ~ ~ J J
only bc nn2.o by conferencen , h:j apeenen-t . C o ~ ~ n t r i edso not 9
should not go t o war wi %out p c ~ c r e d i n . gi n C'ricne o t h e r v~ayo
over such rnatt6rs.
. ,
SIB1 D.2, ,N >P I( r J J Vi%&t'
. ~ ~ :w e we $ 0 d o 7 ~ i ? s i i $klc3 CkLixe~eGovernme'
docs not; even annrrcs our p r o t e s t sent sr; f a r b c l r as A u g u s t
or s o ?
'
.
9
hr~n*!x:-mlxrls
S3Rf cTA.'V1'~l~fi2~~1.T' ~ ~ I R i .n
i.he
:
correct.
t i i d e e 2 C en allsaer, ,cad
thatl
,,
r
6
B a t e s are not quite
an ansaer' t o
i:~.rZ.snn'i
@
.
11Ii '. CF5_tLLj3;iFG3: The ].ass-t; xas on 8t;f: No-qem'be
alsc! ,y:'u si):xt % ~ C G
?
,
r ,I 958
After that
.
tc g
of ~r e n! i r d 8 i . ~ +
'flc
~ ca.11 0 x 1 ~
3 ~ c~ ~1 ~ ~ labyg:
g ~ ~ l i~j p i~
senti. :fu~:t;hcr rc;n:indcsa
, .
. ,
DR. it:Wc,%1~,ST ~fii!:!I%e hog. Priroc. ~,k.li,:i$'-ters a i d ci;here m e
soqe 013 Cliin~:rsc LIT$::
t o be o u r -b;rl.'i.tory
in
...'.
~.~hjich
this. O
I. +
~ l ~ i t o ha?
r y k e n shc
'
I
.
Sfm ?.S, AirI~~!.S;!rT,inG:~t'i'CI3CPT1:.!d!:
Yexidiing "c'ileir9rc~Zllyt
Si
ma27 I 1:a:nw v:te -tl?or the h i i i 2-6 l q of -this rc;ad - ha3 been
stopped ?
*.
EIR. CIJP~IFJL~~,N: ?!he road har7&been b u i l t , -1think.
.
S IdX J JA\71iRi&L,"L11 ?JDmIJ: 1111~ rspd v ~ b~ u si l t Rands in t h e ae :
arcas, S i r , are r a m e r of a p c c u l i n r -:ypc. I n - t h e s e vo@
high w e a s the p$ound is so i:a.-rd, !?zuai.r thw norm& cemkh
ppd - l l c only - t b i ~ gyou have to do t o , bui1.d 3 rood is t o 27'
-&e
pi.ol>l:~I
c
.,,..,I
1.j.!;'i;le 3,176 ~ " P G ~ c :E ~ O K E S &-.Lc
hqj1-.7 .1.lb3* 1' ~ai~110t
-a
~ q i l t . Li-It r e p o r t s a b o u t it, .asA
;:dlei1 1';
E~reil~noi~: :?I.;'
J s a i d , reac,h:d
v 3 I r ~ mt?, cmall C ' i ~ i n e ~map
e two yc;zrS .ago*
Thur.: in also f r p ~ n th:: Chinese ijoint of t r i c w , ano-kkdr
q u e s t i o n th.7.t ;l,riscs, i . c . nhe.l-:lcr it i& p:?rt of Chinese'
or pa!:$
of Tibet, !jscause acc6rdi~gto soiue . C h j x
ol.-..i;i~r.e;
r- .
clal i:is, it he lo-(lgs to Cl~incueBi.;14ia:1g, 8 o m 4 o l d ~ k d 3 . .,3
v415-ch were advaaced Later on,
sgk1 Tir ax. l):gL~13:
tna
--
----
,<
(CIII~C~SG
COTS!EAUCPION OP BOLD II? L D ~ L
-K
Contd.
~~)
SMI V.X. DHAGE: Nay I know whether t h e r e a r e any persons
under a r r e s t w i t h the Chinese s t i l l ?
S'ERI ZL?'/AEIEIRLAL NEIlliU:
kPR. CHAFK:L'L>T:
Wo, S i r .
They have a l l been l e t o f f .
S m I 9.2, SIEGH: May I know whether Government have received
my f c r t k r r e p o r t s t o say t h a t the Chinese have extended
their occupation and c o n t r o l over l a g e r a r e a s than when we
got in,forolation f i r s t about this road?
Sh2I J J ' & { ? ~ ~ U LI~EEBU:
L
Not about t h a t p a r t i c u l a r a r e a , S i r ,
but I thirik t h e r e i s another question, I am not qui-te sure,..
1 . 1
:
There i s a n o t k r qilestiprr,
That i s d i f f e r e n t . There is no
questicn about %hat. Thsre was a repo-rt, t h i s month, i n
August, not about t h i s a r e a , but an =est near Ladah, a
c o ~ s i d e r a b ldistance
~
away fron t - i s area, on the e a s t e r n
a r e a of Ladak-h bordef of Tibet, where a Chinese detachment
was see? Qy a keconnaissance p a r t y , 2 small Indian p a t r o l i n
t h a t a r e a ; and ultimately I t h i n k 7, 8 or 1 0 persons
I dont
remember t h e number were appreherded by the Chinese and
l a t e r r e l e a s e d . The same claim u i s e s & r e , they say it i s
t h e i r t e r r i t o r y and we s a y i t i s o m s , And t h e matter arose,
as 1 s x i d , t h i s month afid we a r e c a r r y i n g on correspondence
a b m t that t e r r i t o r y . These places w e not demarcated on t h e
land. T;le go by our maps which the Chirzese do not recognise and
they go presmably by t h e i r maps, whazever they have, And
t h i s was f o u r or f i v e n i l e s according t o our maps, maybe seven
w e i g h t ~ i l e s ,I an not s u r e , where the Chinese pafxol came,
h d we a r e t o l d that they have e s t a b l i s h e d a small check post
a l i t t l e n i t b i n our s i d e of the i n t e r n a t i o n a l border t h e r e *
j u s t on 'i;kre e a s t e r n Ladakh border o f f i b e t , This is near a
place c a l l e d Cbusx~near v~hichwe have one of our own check
posts.
S I B 1 J.L-#A&U+GLL iqEH3U;:
-
-
S M I ..JitSiIiC141SINGH: !?he Izrine IAiriister s t a t e d a l i t t l e while
ago t h a t t h i s porticn of Ladakh i s absolutely d e s o l a t e and
u n f e r t i l e and t h a t not even a blade of grass grows there,
Even then,..
China is a t t a c h i n g importance ko t h a t &ea and i s
building a road t h e r e . I would l i k e t o know, when China i s
a t t a c h i n g sc\ much o f importavlce t o this desola-tie b i t of l a n d ,
w h y , ahec tlie t e r r i t o r y i s ours or i s under dispute even, we
do not a t t a c h any h p o r t a n c e t o this area?
I
J
I talked only about the Yehcheng
a r e a , n o t a b o u t the whole of Ladakh a l t h ~ u g hthe whole of
Laaakh,.
- .., broadly speaking, .is 11 ,000 t o 17,000 and
20,000 f e e t high. Presmably the Chinese a t t a c h importance
t o this a r e a because of the f a c t that this route connect$
p a r t of C h i r ~ s eTurkestan w i t h Ga~tok-Yehcheng. This i s an
important coraection.
SHRI WEXDBJL I?NLTi'iPS'ITWL: May, I
whether Government
has any check pos ts on that Ladakh border?
10-or;i
\7e &ve some check pos t g
We have sonc c h ~ kp o s t s , f3r i n s t a n c e , I have just
mentioned a check post c a l l e d Chusun. It is n o t only
a check pst bu: i s an implovised a i r f i e l d wherd some f o u r
years ago I happened t o go a l s o ,