China has occupied large swathes of Indian territory in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir over the years, says a note from the Leh district administration to the home ministry.
This is mainly due to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates India and China in this area not being clearly demarcated, the note adds.
The note was prepared after a meeting of the district administration with representatives of the army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
In December 2008, shepherds in the Chumur area of Ladakh were shooed away by Chinese troops, who uprooted their tents and warned them not to return.
The note says India has lost substantial amount of land in the last two decades. Sources said that China is taking advantage of the “ disputed territory” status of 150 km of 646 km long LAC in Ladakh sector and increasing its presence closer and closer to the Indian side.
The report has highlighted the intimidatory tactics of the Chinese troops which follows a pattern of pushing the nomads from one place to another — starting with Nang Tsang in 1987, Na Kangai in 1991, Lugba Serding in 1994 and so on. This stretch in 350 Km of Leh itself explains how 12 km long stretch was lost in seven years.
“The fact is Chinese are pushing us back from our own territory,” said Chering Dorjay, Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.