In the last three decades, India signed three border agreements- 1993, 1996, 2013- in order to maintain peace at Line of Actual Control. One of these agreements, signed in 1996, states that neither side should use guns or explosives within 2 km of Line of Actual Control.
“Neither side shall open fire, cause bio-degradation, use hazardous chemicals, conduct blast operations or hunt with guns or explosives within two kilometers from the line of actual control. This prohibition shall not apply to routine firing activities in small arms firing ranges,” reads the agreement.
Chinese Army picked a fight with Indian side in spite of 1993 border agreement, which reads that in case personnel from either side cross Line of Actual Control, “upon being cautioned by the other side, they shall immediately pull back to their side of the Line of Actual Control.”
As per the reports, Indian soldiers went to check whether Chinese side has moved to their side of LAC, as agreed in the talks between senior officers, when they were attacked by Chinese personals.
Time has come for the Indian side to throw the no gun policy agreement of 1996 into dustbin, as this puts Indian side on disadvantage, and Chinese side has already violated the 1993 agreement. The last skirmishes between both sides happened in 1967, in which 88 Indian soldiers and more than 300 Chinese soldiers were killed. This shows that Chinese side suffered disproportionate casualties when there was no “no gun or explosive” agreement.
Right from Panchsheel agreement (1954), to these three border agreements with India, China has not abided by a single of them. Despite the Panchsheel agreement, China fought the 1962 war and took the Aksai Chin area.
China never abides by bilateral or multilateral treaties, despite all the talks of rule based International order by Chinese diplomats and Presidents. It signed handover of Hong Kong accord with British in 1997 and promised to exercise sovereignty over island under ‘One country Two System’ but decided to violate it by imposing extradition treaty and National Security Law, which led to widespread protests. China does not abide international laws of land and water boundaries, which has led to dispute with all nations in South China Sea.
China is an irresponsible global power with an ambitious expansionist policy. Therefore, India does not need to abide by any border agreement and instead give guns to its soldiers which will give them strategic advantage in tough Himalayan terrains, where there can fight with guns better than Chinese.