In yet another incident of Chinese transgressions into Indian territory, the People's Liberation Army personnel entered Indian territory in Sikkim and returned after spending some time.
The transgression took place recently in the Finger Area, which came to limelight in the wake of Chinese claims over the 2.1 sq km of land in north Sikkim.
The recent move of the PLA seems like an effort on the Chinese part to assert their claims over the area. Seeking to downplay the incident, Indian Army sources said these transgressions were "a routine affair" in which the PLA personnel violate India's perception of the 4,057-km long Line of Actual Control with China. There have been at least 65 incidents of transgressions reported in the last six months by PLA personnel into the Finger Area of the State, sources said.
During the recent visit of India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Beijing, the Chinese reportedly stunned him by raising the issue of Finger Area.
However, Defence Minister A K Antony and the Indian Army establishment have been repeatedly downplaying the transgressions as "misconception over the LAC" on the part of China.
"Just as the Chinese keep transgressing into the Indian territory as per their perception of LAC, Indian Army too
keeps patrolling the areas under its control along the LAC," Antony had said recently.
Though ITBP claimed that the present transgression took place in an area that was not under their control, officials
said they were not in a position to confirm or deny the incident.
