Ladakh is ours: MEA shuts down China’s objection to 28 new place names
India’s MEA has told China that Ladakh is an inalienable part of India after Beijing objected to new names for 28 places, including Gogra and Hot Spring
PTC Web Desk: India has firmly told China that Ladakh is a part of the country and that no objection from Beijing can change this. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made the statement after China criticised India’s decision to give official names to 28 places in the Union Territory.
“The UT of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at the weekly briefing.
What China said
Responding to a question in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China has never accepted the “Union Territory of Ladakh,” which she claimed India set up illegally. She said China strongly opposes the new names.
She called India’s step “illegal and invalid” and said the areas in the western sector of the India-China boundary have always belonged to China.
Which places were named?
On October 2, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced standard names for 28 locations and geographical features in Ladakh. They now appear on the official Indian map. The government took the decision after consulting the Ladakh administration.
Two of the best-known names on the list are Gogra and Hot Spring. Both were friction points during the 2020 stand-off between the Indian and Chinese armies and both matter for Indian patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The other places include Alisha Giri, Brangsa, Chapchingal Pass, Kanishka Peak, Karun Pir, Kuksel, Martand Giri, Parpik Glacier, Skamri Glacier, Shachmirik Pass, Shkorga Valley, Zorawar Peak, Dehra Compass, Drak Karpo, Jolmori, Kumarayana Point, Panglung, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Guru Rinpoche, Shamal Lungpa, Yangpa River, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshwara Ri.
Shamal Lungpa was described as a patrol and staging route in the 1950s.
Why did India do this?
According to the government, the exercise will make official maps cleaner, help identify each place accurately and raise public awareness about this sensitive border region.
A quick look at the 2020 stand-off
The eastern Ladakh stand-off began on May 5, 2020, after a violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers near Pangong Lake. Both countries started pulling back troops in 2022.
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What happens next?
Both sides have repeated their positions and neither is backing down. India says Ladakh is its own territory while China says the areas belong to it. The war of words shows that the border issue remains sensitive even after the troop disengagement.
India vs China: Why Beijing Is Angry About Gogra, Hot Spring Names in Ladakh