Monthly Archives: August 2018

New Delhi, June 26

Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Friday briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the overall situation in eastern Ladakh as well as India’s military preparedness in the region where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter standoff, official sources said.

The Army chief was in Ladakh on a two-day visit from June 23 to take stock of the situation.

“The Chief of the Army Staff apprised the defence minister about the situation in eastern Ladakh,” said a military source.

Singh was on a three-day visit to Russia from June 22-24.

On Thursday, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastaba said the conduct of the Chinese forces in the region is in “complete disregard” of all mutually agreed norms, and warned that “continuation of the current situation would only vitiate the atmosphere for the development of the relationship” between India and China.

The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last six weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15.

Senior military commanders of the two armies on Monday held a nearly 11-hour meeting during which they arrived at a “mutual consensus” to “disengage” from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh in a gradual manner.

The two sides on Wednesday held diplomatic talks under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

In the diplomatic talks, both sides agreed to ensure expeditious implementation of the understanding on disengagement of troops from eastern Ladakh as decided in a meeting of senior military commanders on June 6.

Following the Galwan Vally clashes, the Army has sent thousands of additional troops to forward locations along the Line of Actual Control in various sectors including in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

The IAF has also moved a sizeable number of its frontline Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 aircraft and Apache attack helicopters to several key air bases including Leh and Srinagar following the clashes.

The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent faceoff on May 5 and 6. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in north Sikkim on May 9.

Prior to the clashes, both sides had been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it was necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. PTI

Arun Joshi
Jammu, June 25

The Indian army is reviewing a fresh strategy to guard and secure its borders with China in eastern Ladakh. Army chief Gen. M M Naravane did not conclude his visit to the area as per his original schedule on Wednesday due to the same reason.

Consultations are going on between the Army chief, Northern Command Chief Lt. Gen. Y K Joshi and 14 Corps Commander Lt. Gen Harinder Singh at the 14 Corps headquarter in Leh about the latest situation in eastern Ladakh. The satellite pictures of the LAC—which show new structures built by the PLA troops—have made them relook the whole situation.

Sources said that each and every aspect of the developing situation is being studied minutely with regard to the positions in Galwan Valley, where a deadly clash on June 15 had left 20 Indian soldiers dead.

China has laid its sole claim on the Valley and rebuffed all the Indian claims beyond the estuary of Galwan and Shyok rivers.

Indian army, that has access to Karokarom pass through this area, is looking at the claims made by Beijing. It has become clear from the Chinese claims that the military commander-level talks on June 22 did not lead to a strategic breakthrough.

Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s statement on Wednesday reiterated Chinese stand.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 26

China, with its recent military activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, looks to be trying to ‘fix’ the LAC alignment as per its unilateral claim line proposed as a boundary with India during discussions in 1960.

The claim line has been disputed by India which has overlapping claims eastwards of this 1960 cartographic belligerence by Beijing. Since 1960, there have been suggestions on demarcating the LAC on ground, but with no success. The buildup at ‘Finger-4’ north of the Pangong Tso to block Indian Army patrol teams from moving eastwards; the attempt to block patrol point 14 in the Galwan valley and the ensuing clash; the buildup at Gogra in Hot Springs area and the setting up of new radars and observation posts and stationing of tanks in the Depsang plains indicate at China’s attempts to ‘fix’ the LAC as per its 1960 claim line, a senior functionary said.

Used often, the diplomatic phrase ‘troops patrolling in own claimed areas along the LAC’ refers to these disputed sections of the LAC which

are claimed by both sides. Various protocols and border management guidelines agreed upon since 1993 mention how the troops have to behave on coming face-to-face when patrolling in these disputed areas. The 1960 Chinese Claim Line (CCL), in areas facing Daulat Baig Oldie, Depsang plains, Murgo and the Chip Chap river, stretches several kilometres west of the 1956 claim line, originally proposed by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai at talks with India. An additional 5,100 square km area was claimed in the cartographic aggression in 1960.

The 1960 claim line and Nehru’s subsequent November 1961 ‘forward policy’ led to the 1962 war.

New Delhi, June 27

The Congress on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly condemn China for its “brazen incursions” into Indian territory and urged the government to take “strong and quick action” to resolve the Line of Actual Control (LAC) issue.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said at a virtual press conference that the Prime Minister should address the nation and promise that anyone capturing Indian territory would be pushed back.

He said the entire nation and the entire opposition would stand behind him and his promise.

Alleging that the last six years have seen the biggest diplomatic failure under the Modi government, the former Union minister said “some quick action” should be taken to resolve the LAC issue with China.

“Some quick action is required,” he said seeking early resolution of the border dispute with China, while noting that diplomacy and economic blockade with China would not work.

“Yes, the action should be strong (against China). The quality, nature and the timing of that action has to be decided by the government,” he said when asked what “quick action” he was asking for. Sibal said it was for the government to decide and not the opposition.

The Congress leader alleged that China has erected tents and structures near PP-14 in Galwan Valley, the place where 20 Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives. He added that satellite imagery also reflects construction of new black top roads by Chinese forces on the Galwan riverbed, erection of large numbers of military tents and presence of bulldozers and other heavy equipment.

“What is our government doing about it? The PM must clear the air and condemn these brazen Chinese incursions,” he said.

Asking why the Prime Minister does not openly and publicly condemn the “brazen acts of infiltrations, incursions and occupation” of Indian territory by China, he said, “I want the PM to publicly condemn China. We will support the prime minister.”

Sibal said the situation is such that the PM’s statement that nobody intruded into India is being used by the Chinese globally.

“We want the prime minister to address the nation and promise that if anyone has captured Indian territory, we will push them back. If you say so, the public and the entire opposition will stand behind you and your promise,” he said.

There has been a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the eastern Ladakh area for over a month and a bloody clash took place between them on the night of June 15 in the Galwan Valley, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. PTI

Satara, June 27

Amidst a war of words between the Congress and the BJP over the face-off with China, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said national security matters shouldn’t be politicised and added one cannot forget China had captured about 45000 sq km of Indian land after the 1962 war.

Pawar’s comments came in response to a query about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had surrendered Indian territory to the Chinese aggression.

Pawar also said the Galwan Valley incident in Ladakh cannot immediately be labelled as a failure of the Defence Minister, as Indian soldiers were alert during patrolling.

Speaking to reporters here, the former Union Minister said the entire episode is “sensitive” in nature.

It was China which played the provocateur in the Galwan Valley, he said.

Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash with their Chinese counterpart in eastern Ladakh on the night of June 15.

The former Defence Minister further said India had been constructing a road in the Galwan valley within its limits meant for communication purposes.

“What happened was they (the Chinese troops) tried to encroach on our road and were pushed physically. It was not somebody’s failure. If somebody comes (within your territory) while you are patrolling, they may come at any time. We cannot immediately say it is the failure of the Defence Minister sitting in Delhi,” Pawar said.

Patrolling was on there. There was a scuffle, which means you were alert. Had you not been, you would not even have realised when they (Chinese troops) came and went.

“Hence, I don’t think it is right to make such an allegation at this juncture,” he said.

Responding to the allegation raised by Rahul Gandhi, Pawar said one cannot forget that China captured around 45,000 sq km of India’s land, after the 1962 war between the two countries.

“That land is still with China. I don’t know if they (China) have encroached on some area now again. But when I make an allegation, I should also see what had happened when I was there (in power). If such big land was encroached upon then, it cannot be ignored. It is a matter of national security and it should not be politicised is what I feel,” he said.

Pawar further hit out at the Centre over the rising prices of fuel, saying he had never seen the rates going up daily.

He noted the people are already in trouble and the economy is in crisis due to the extended lockdown.

The Centre should take decisions that will bring the economy back on track, he said.

“The rise in fuel prices does have an impact on the economy. I think the Centre is taking this decision as there already is lockdown.

“People are not speaking up during this period. Due to some other reason, there already is a feeling among the people to tolerate what is going on (and) they (the Centre) are taking disadvantage of this situation (to raise prices),” he said.

Asked about BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar’s recent remark against him, the NCP chief said the legislator was rejected by voters in the elections previously and there is no need to take note of his remark.

Padalkar had said that “Pawar was a corona that has infected Maharashtra”.

Pawar also made light of former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ claim that the NCP had wanted to join hands with the BJP two years ago.

“Right now, he has a lot of time. Hence, he keeps something or the other for publicity,” Pawar quipped. PTI

New Delhi, June 27

India has turned down on health and technical grounds Pakistan’s offer to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib corridor on June 29 to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. New Delhi rejected the offer within hours on Saturday after Islamabad conveyed its readiness to reopen the corridor.

India accused Pakistan of being less than sincere in making the offer as Islamabad aired the proposal at a short notice of two days. On the other hand, the bilateral agreement provides for information to be shared by India with the Pakistan side at least seven days before the date of travel. This would need India to open up the registration process well in advance, the sources pointed out. Besides, Pakistan has not built the bridge on their side across the flood plains of Ravi river despite having committed to it in the agreement. With the advent of monsoon, it would need to be evaluated whether safe pilgrim movement was possible through the corridor. The corridor was inaugurated in November last year by Pakistan PM Imran Khan on the eve of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary. — TNS

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 27

All along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the military postures between India and China at the north bank of Pangong Tso have hardened.

As of now positions of the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are within 500 metres of each other, or within the range of handheld rifles carried by troops on the either side.

At 135-km long glacial melt lake, which is at an altitude of approximately 14,000 ft, Indian Army and PLA troops stand deployed in good numbers around what is called the “Finger 4”. India has always claimed territory till “Finger 8”, which lies east of “Finger 4”.

The PLA has unilaterally stopped Indian troops from patrolling crucial areas east of “Finger 4”. Eight mountain spurs of the Chang Chenmo range end at the north bank of this lake. Each spur or ridgeline is identified as “finger” in military parlance and each ridgeline is separated by 2-5 km. On the intervening night of May 5-6, troops of both sides clashed, resulting in injuries and damage to patrol boats of both sides. The PLA removed some Indian structures and the Indian Army repaid.

Two other brawls were reported on May 14 and May 31, but were not as serious as the one on May 5-6.

It is not that 2020 started these clashes. Things had been changing in the past few years. The PLA had been edgy about Indian patrols and often a face-off would occur in the disputed area – between Finger 4 and Finger 8 – a source said, adding the first physical clash happened in August 2017. This was when the two armies were locked in a 73-day stand-off at the Doklam plateau at the edge of South-eastern Sikkim, troops of the either side clashed north of Pangong Tso. The two locations are separated by more than 2000 km.

After a lull of one year, aggressive patrolling from both sides resumed in 2019. In the latter half of 2019, China started objecting to India patrolling to east of Finger 4. With the snow season commencing in October-end, the patrolling was restricted.

In latter part of February and early March, patrolling parties of both sides once again had a few face-offs. Indian troops found another route to complete their patrols east of Finger 4, which the PLA blocked. The Indian Army at its meetings with PLA has asked for restoration of status quo ante.