Only India and not China has sovereign right over Arunachal Pradesh – US Senate’s resolution over ‘McMahonLine’

Washington – A resolution stating that Arunachal Pradesh is a sovereign territory of India and only India has jurisdiction over it was tabled in the US Parliament. Senator Bill Haggerty and Senator Jeff Merkley have introduced this resolution and demand that China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh, accept the ‘McMahon Line’. India and China have rejected another country’s intervention in the border dispute. But by introducing this resolution in its Senate, the United States is sending a message that it will stand with India.

A free and open Indo-Pacific region faces a major threat from China. In such a situation, it is necessary for the United States to stand shoulder to shoulder with its strategic partner countries in this area, especially India, said Senator Bill Haggerty, who presented the said resolution. Bill Haggerty is a Republican senator and Jeff Merkel, a Democrat, introduced the resolution. Therefore, the senators of the ruling and the opposition parties are coming together to present the resolution in India’s favour.

This shows that both parties in the United States have a consensus regarding India. The resolution also demanded that China give up its claim on Arunachal Pradesh and recognize the McMahon Line. A British officer named McMahon drew the border between India and China. Although India accepts this border, China has repeatedly announced that it does not accept this border with India. After annexing Tibet, China claimed Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, part of Southern Tibet, as its own. However, India rejected this claim of China.

After the clash between the Indian and Chinese armies in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020, tensions between the two countries have risen considerably. In the period after this, there was no clash between the Indian and Chinese armies on the LAC, but there were incidents of the Chinese army trying to intrude and provoke India. Also, China has deployed more than 50,000 soldiers on the Ladakh LAC. India had alleged that China was trying to change the status quo on the LAC by using military force. But India also realized that China would not be able to do so.

Furthermore, the resolution presented in the US Parliament also accused China of trying to change the situation on the LAC by using force. In such a situation, it has been demanded that the US fully support India’s steps for its protection. This includes securing telecommunications and infrastructure and providing support to secure supply chains. Meanwhile, the US supported India even as the tension on Ladakh’s LAC escalated.

But India believes no other country must mediate its border disputes with China. China also welcomed this stance adopted by India and said both countries have the necessary depth to solve their problems. But India complains that this understanding shown by China at the diplomatic level is not visible on the LAC. Therefore, India had already warned that relations with India would not be smooth unless China withdrew its deployment on the LAC.

However, India’s traditional position is that it will not accept mediation by a third country in bilateral border disputes. That is why, in the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, India accepted the role of communicating directly with Pakistan and strongly opposed the mediation of any other country. India seems to have maintained the same position regarding the border dispute with China. Besides, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had already conveyed to the West that India would not encourage the intervention of a third country in this border issue, even though the United States has stood by its side.

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