Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Dangerous deadlock: on LAC talks

Dangerous deadlock: on LAC talks

Past border agreements are in disarray as the Line of Actual Control sees heavy deployment (तैनाती, परिनियोज)

As winter arrives on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) (वास्तविक नियंत्रण रेखा), the latest round of talks — the thirteenth — between India and China ended with no resolution (संकल्प, समाधान, समझौता) in sight (निरीक्षण, परिज्ञान), leaving tens of thousands of soldiers facing the prospect (अपेक्षा, आशा, संभावना) of another harsh cold season on the heights (high places, steep inclines, high ground, steep ground) of Eastern Ladakh. The contrasting (विषमता, परस्पर विरोधी) statements sharply underlined (रेखांकित करना, ज़ोर देना) the deadlock (गतिरोध, रुकावट). The Indian Army’s statement on Monday morning noted that while India made “constructive (रचनात्मक, उत्पादक, उपयोगी/सहायक) suggestions” for resolving the remaining areas, the Chinese side “was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking (दूरंदेशी, सकारात्मक, महत्वाकांक्षी) proposals”. A Chinese statement on Sunday night accused India of making “unreasonable and unrealistic demands”. There was no joint statement, as in the last round in August, when agreement was reached to disengage at Gogra. The only surprise is that the discord (कलह, घमासान, दुश्मनी) is now fully out in the open (खुले में), in contrast to (के विपरीत, के विरोध में) the anodyne (inoffensive, neutral, unobjectionable, unexceptionable) declarations of both sides in August to “enhance trust” and “expeditiously (शीघ्रता से, जल्दी से) resolve” issues that have already dragged on (खींचना, जारी रखना, रुकना) for more than one year. In fact, recent events on the boundary offered a portent (sign/indication, forecast, prediction) that all was not well.

First, reports citing Indian official sources, put out (issue, publish, release, circulate, make public) two days before Sunday’s talks, revealed a face-off (clash, contest, match) in the Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh; later, Chinese soldiers had been detained for a few hours. The reports sparked (give rise to, cause, lead to, trigger, stir up, prompt, bring about) an angry reaction in China, where the military apparently (seemingly, evidently, it appears that; supposedly) leaked on social media images from last year purportedly (allegedly, reportedly, supposedly) showing injured Indian soldiers detained by China in the Galwan Valley (a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it). Statements from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, accusing India of following a “forward policy” in an explicit (clear, straightforward, definite, specific, categorical) invocation (citation, mention, calling on) of 1962, have vitiated (ruin, wreck, destroy, upset) the atmosphere. That China put out a statement on Sunday night barely hours after the talks concluded — a departure from normal practice in a country where statements usually are carefully vetted — suggests the PLA had no real intention to seek (try, aim, attempt) a resolution. This leaves the LAC in a perilous situation. Not only are several hotspots (a place of significant activity) unresolved — the latest round was to discuss Hot Springs, while disputes remain over Demchok (a village and military encampment in the Indian-administered Demchok sector that is disputed between India and China. It is administered as part of the Nyoma tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh by India. and claimed by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Tibet runs on the southeast side of the village along the Charding Nullah and continues along the Indus River) and Depsang (The Depsang plains lie south of DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie post) in a strategic area that the military calls Sub-Sector North (SSN). DBO is the country’s northernmost outpost where India operates an advanced landing ground to support its forward military deployments. The Depsang Plains are large plains that are suitable for driving armoured carriers, artillery and mechanised units, which is unusual at the height of about 17,000 feet above sea level. The Depsang plains are strategically important as it provides a flat surface amid the mountainous terrain which can be used by either of the two countries to launch a military offensive, similar to the Spanggur Gap in the Chushul sub-sector) — the Corps (it literally means “army body”; The corps is treated as an operational unit of employment by the Army and can be comprised of 20,000-45,000 soldiers. It is sometimes known as a field corps, which consists of two or more divisions. It is commanded by the Corps Commander, who holds the rank of Lieutenant General. “Corps” was first introduced in France about 1805 by Napoleon as a more flexible tactical grouping of two or more divisions) Commanders were also set to work out (devise, formulate, draw up, prepare) new protocols for patrolling. Speaking this weekend, Indian Army Chief General M.M. Naravane noted a large-scale infrastructure (the basic physical or organisational structure for something (to function properly)) build-up (development, expansion; creation) on the Chinese side, and said as Chinese troops were there to stay, Indian troops will be there to stay (going to be there for long time; be present there for a long time) too. Ladakh and the western sector may remain the focus of tensions (strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease), but as recent flare-ups in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh show, the middle and eastern sectors are hardly (barely, almost not) tranquil. Past border agreements are in disarray (disorganization, disorder, shambles, chaos, mess, muddle, mix-up) in the wake of China’s unprecedented (not done or experienced before) amassing (gather together, get together, assemble) of troops, while around 50,000 troops of each side remain deployed ((of troops) move into position, position, station, post, place) in forward areas (an area in proximity to combat), all of which make for a dangerous mix as winter falls on the Himalayas.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.deadlock (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गतिरोध, रुकावट
English Meaning - stalemate, impasse, checkmate/stand-off.

2.Line of Actual Control (LAC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वास्तविक नियंत्रण रेखा
English Meaning - the de-facto (effective) border between India and China. The LAC is a 4,057-km border running through three areas-Western (Ladakh, Ladakh (Kashmir)), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal), and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

3.deployment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तैनाती, परिनियोज
English Meaning - the act of employing forces/troops into effective action.

4.resolution (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकल्प, समाधान, समझौता
English Meaning - solution, settlement.

5.in sight (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - निरीक्षण, परिज्ञान
English Meaning - near at hand, close to (being achieved).

6.prospect (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अपेक्षा, आशा, संभावना
English Meaning - chance, possibility.

7.contrasting (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विषमता, परस्पर विरोधी
English Meaning - conflicting, different, dissimilar, contradictory.

8.underline (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रेखांकित करना, ज़ोर देना
English Meaning - emphasize, underscore, highlight.

9.constructive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - रचनात्मक, उत्पादक, उपयोगी/सहायक
English Meaning - formative, productive, useful/helpful, practical/effective.

10.forward-looking (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दूरंदेशी, सकारात्मक, महत्वाकांक्षी
English Meaning - progressive, positive, ambitious.

11.discord (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कलह, घमासान, दुश्मनी
English Meaning - strife, conflict, friction, hostility, disagreement, lack of agreement, lack of harmony.

12.(out) in the open (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - खुले में
English Meaning - if something is out in the open, it is not secret/no longer kept secret.

13.in contrast to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के विपरीत, के विरोध में।
English Meaning - in opposition to.

14.expeditiously (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शीघ्रता से, जल्दी से
English Meaning - quickly and efficiently.

15.drag on (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - खींचना, जारी रखना, रुकना
English Meaning - continue, persist, linger, carry on.

16.anodyne (adjective)

English Meaning - inoffensive, neutral, unobjectionable, unexceptionable.

17.disengage (verb)

English Meaning - withdraw, pull out, leave, move out, retreat.

18.height (noun)

English Meaning - high places, steep inclines, high ground, steep ground.

19.disarray (noun)

English Meaning - disorganization, disorder, shambles, chaos, mess, muddle, mix-up.

20.portent (noun)

English Meaning - sign/indication, forecast, prediction.

21.all is not well (phrase)

English Meaning - used to say that a situation is not satisfactory.

22.cite (verb)

English Meaning - refer to, adduce, make reference to, invoke.

23.put out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - issue, publish, release, circulate, make public.

24.face-off (noun)

English Meaning - clash, contest, match.

25.amass (verb)

English Meaning - gather together, get together, assemble.

26.deploy (verb)

English Meaning - (of troops) move into position, position, station, post, place.

27.forward area (noun)

English Meaning - an area in proximity to combat.

28.detain (verb)

English Meaning - hold captive, confine, take into custody.

29.spark (verb)

English Meaning - give rise to, cause, lead to, trigger, stir up, prompt, bring about.

30.apparently (adverb)

English Meaning - seemingly, evidently, it appears that; supposedly.

31.purportedly (adverb)

English Meaning - allegedly, reportedly, supposedly.

32.valley (noun)

English Meaning - a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it.

33.forward policy (noun)

English Meaning - a set of foreign policy doctrines applicable to territorial ambitions and disputes in which emphasis is placed on securing control of targeted territories by invasion and annexation or by the political creation of compliant buffer states.

34.explicit (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, straightforward, definite, specific, categorical.

35.invocation (noun)

English Meaning - citation, mention, calling on.

36.vitiate (verb)

English Meaning - ruin, wreck, destroy, upset.

37.atmosphere (noun)

English Meaning - conditions, circumstances, backdrop/context.

38.barely (adverb)

English Meaning - only, just, just, hardly.

39.departure (noun)

English Meaning - deviation, change of direction, shift/change.

40.vet (verb)

English Meaning - assess, evaluate, scrutinize, inspect.

41.People’s Liberation Army (PLA) (noun)

English Meaning - People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is the armed forces of the country of China and the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is one of the largest military forces in the world.

42.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

43.perilous (adjective)

English Meaning - dangerous, risky, precarious, insecure, life-threatening.

44.hotspot (noun)

English Meaning - a place of significant activity.

45.hot springs (noun)

English Meaning - Hot Springs (Kyam) is the location of an Indian border checkpost operated by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in the Chang Chenmo River valley in Ladakh near the disputed border with China. It is so named because there is a hot spring at this location. (hot spring is generally a spring (well head) with water at temperatures substantially higher than the air temperature of the surrounding region and it (water) is believed to have medicinal qualities).

46.Demchok (plains) (noun)

English Meaning - a village and military encampment in the Indian-administered Demchok sector that is disputed between India and China. It is administered as part of the Nyoma tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh by India. and claimed by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Tibet runs on the southeast side of the village along the Charding Nullah and continues along the Indus River.

47.Depsang (plains) (noun)

English Meaning - The Depsang plains lie south of DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie post) in a strategic area that the military calls Sub-Sector North (SSN). DBO is the country’s northernmost outpost where India operates an advanced landing ground to support its forward military deployments. The Depsang Plains are large plains that are suitable for driving armoured carriers, artillery and mechanised units, which is unusual at the height of about 17,000 feet above sea level. The Depsang plains are strategically important as it provides a flat surface amid the mountainous terrain which can be used by either of the two countries to launch a military offensive, similar to the Spanggur Gap in the Chushul sub-sector.

48.plain (noun)

English Meaning - a large area of flat land.

49.Corps (noun)

English Meaning - it literally means “army body”; The corps is treated as an operational unit of employment by the Army and can be comprised of 20,000-45,000 soldiers. It is sometimes known as a field corps, which consists of two or more divisions. It is commanded by the Corps Commander, who holds the rank of Lieutenant General. “Corps” was first introduced in France about 1805 by Napoleon as a more flexible tactical grouping of two or more divisions.

50.set to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - start doing something vigorously.

51.work out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - devise, formulate, draw up, prepare.

52.protocol (noun)

English Meaning - procedure, convention, rules, rules of conduct.

53.patrolling (noun)

English Meaning - watching/guarding an area (over a period of time).

54.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure for something (to function properly).

55.build-up (noun)

English Meaning - development, expansion; creation.