Buffer Story

Ever since the October 21 agreement between India and China, completing the disengagement in eastern Ladakh, has been announced, the question of the fate of the buffer zones set up by the two armies engaged commentators writing on diplomacy and defence matters. Foreign minister S Jaishankar answered it in his statement on India-China relations in Parliament on December 3. Without directly referring to the buffer zones, he said some temporary measures had been taken in keeping with the situation that had emerged in June 2020 after the Galwan clashes and clarified that concessions were made by both sides. These measures, said Jaishankar, will be revisited at an appropriate time. What this means is that the buffer zones, which involved a pullback from specific friction points on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by Indian and Chinese troops, remain but patrolling has been restored to full extent as was the case before border tensions spiralled out of hand. The restoration of patrolling rights in Demchok and Depsang along with grazing access for Indian nomads is a big breakthrough as the Chinese dragged their feet on discussing these areas on the ground that they are “legacy issues” predating the 2020 situation. The restoration of patrolling now sets the stage for discussions on de-escalation to thin down the forward deployment of thousands of troops. Jaishankar traced the successful negotiations over disengagement to the red line drawn during his talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi when they met in Moscow on September 10, 2020, following India’s operation to occupy the heights of the Kailash range to the south of the Pangong Tso lake. At the time, Jaishankar made it clear bilateral relations cannot be normal until China’s aggression on the LAC is vacated and there is peace and tranquillity on the border. The three ‘mutuals’ of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest need to be respected for India-China relations to improve, Jaishankar said, adding that India will continue to build infrastructure on its side of the LAC—one of the alleged “provocations” for China’s actions—to ensure its security interests are protected.

Dada In Delhi

Having secured his claim to leading the ‘real’ NCP convincingly, Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar was in Delhi and met the media at the residence of party colleague Praful Patel. While Patel is known for his media savvy ways, Dada was in an affable and communicative mood too. This was a far cry from when he was a reclusive figure keeping in the background while uncle Sharad Pawar remained firmly in the limelight. Dada did not interact much with the Mumbai media either and his visits to Delhi were, if they did happen, under the radar. He has now come into his own since a majority of NCP legislators followed him out of the party when he decided to join hands with BJP. Dada had a parting shot for the media as he wound up his interaction, saying that if it had been known that BJP would make Sena rebel Eknath Shinde chief minister, more people would have left NCP. It was a clever jab. The one thing BJP would never have done was support Sharad Pawar for the post.

Akhilesh’s Circle

The formal allocation of front row seats in Lok Sabha has meant that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav are no longer sitting on the same bench. Yadav has his own circle of party MPs and can be seen directing interventions from his seat. During a discussion on a banking amendment Bill on December 3, he prompted party MP Rajiv Rai three to four times to include references to the state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh where he claimed digital crime is on the rise. As was the case with his father and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, the current SP chief also moves around with a train of MPs. The group arrives together at Parliament where waiting journalists seek comments on issues such as the Sambhal mosque controversy. While Akhilesh speaks, no other party MP offers bites and the train moves on once he is done. With a solid block of 37 MPs, Akhilesh has reasons to feel a lot more assured than was the case in the previous Lok Sabha where SP returned just two MPs. Then its alliance with BSP had failed although the Dalit outfit won 10 seats and benefitted more than its ally.

I.N.D.I.A.’s Mixed Emotions

The mixed emotions in I.N.D.I.A. ranks after the recent Assembly elections are quite apparent in Parliament. While TMC and DMK look more assured, the mood is far from upbeat overall. The Uddhav Sena and Sharad Pawar NCP rows are clearly deflated as MPs digest the crushing defeat MVA had to face. NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule appears to be in a thoughtful frame of mind, unlike her more sociable self. The Uddhav Sena is keeping a low profile though its MPs did attend Speaker Om Birla’s talks with Opposition parties that led to the functioning of Parliament. On the other hand, BJP benches are looking perky and the best gauge of spirits in the saffron camp is Giriraj Singh, Union textiles minister. The vocal BJP leader, an unabashed advocate of Hindutva, is in good form, often challenging Congress speakers, and this is a general reflection of things in the NDA corner.

Securing Parliament

It has been a little over six months since CISF formally took charge of Parliament’s security and the personnel are settling down to their task, which is very different from the force’s mandate. Parliament House draws a large number of visitors and a high density of VVIPs. The intrusion in December last year that saw two people jump into the Lok Sabha chamber led to strict security measures and invariable friction as CISF adjusted to its assignments. The force deployed at Parliament House is headed by a DIG who reports to the Union home ministry. The old system of a mid-level police officer being the point person for security is over and the joint secretary in Parliament who was also previously involved in overseeing matters has little say now. In recent weeks, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has held meetings to smoothen the functioning of the security apparatus and the flow of visitors has become more regulated with a new reception centre that has plenty of counters and a large waiting area.

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