Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed about the situation by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the service chiefs in a review meeting, the third in 10 days, to take stock of the border standoff with China. Photo for representation only.
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 12
What Delhi wants
- Restoration of status quo ante as in April along the Line of Actual Control
- PLA must demolish all structures it has built in disputed areas along the LAC
- The stress is at the area called ‘Finger 4’, which is north of Pangong Tso
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today conducted a review meeting, the third in 10 days, to take stock of the border standoff with China and its overall military deployment in areas along the undemarcated 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control.
The minister was briefed about the situation by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the service chiefs. The meeting has happened as China has been amassing troops despite the diplomatic dialogue between the two sides for an “early resolution” of the dispute. The Ladakh issue and the movement of fighter jets, bombers, artillery guns and tanks by China was also taken up. Both the countries have had a heavy build-up of troops, much bigger than the one during the 1962 war, on either side of the border in recent past.
In Ladakh, Maj Gen Abhijit Bapat, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s 3 Division, met his Chinese counterpart today. This was the fifth meeting in two weeks, the aim being to defuse tension on ground. India and China have a common meeting point at the LAC, including the one at Chushul-Moldo in Ladakh.
Meetings are also being conducted at the brigade commander and battalion commander level at ground zero in Galwan valley, Gogra Hot Springs and north bank of Pangong Tso, a 135-km glacial melt lake. “The meetings are progressing as per the outcome of the June 6 dialogue,” sources in Delhi said.
On June 6, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, Lt Gen Harinder Singh, conducted a seven-hour marathon meeting with his Chinese counterpart, South Xinjiang military commander Maj Gen Lin Liu. India had pressed for restoration of status quo ante as in April and also cited how China was in violation of all agreements, protocols and laid-down drills relating to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC and for conduct of soldiers.