The World War Two veteran raised a record 33 million pounds for health workers

The Army officer said it was only befitting that Friday’s encounter, in which three terrorists, including a self-styled commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, were gunned down, took place just four days before the yatra is set to commence on July 21.

NEW DELHI:The Indian Army on Thursday stated that the disengagement process at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is intricate and “requires constant verification”. It also emphasised that India is taking the de-escalation process forward through “regular meetings at diplomatic and military level”.

During a 15-hour long deliberation which started on Tuesday and ended on Wednesday, Indian and Chinese military delegates reviewed the progress on “implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement” at Eastern Ladakh, a statement issued by the Army said.

Indian delegate’s main agenda of the meeting was complete pull back of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Pangong Lake and Depsang areas in Eastern Ladakh.

The talks started at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday and ended at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Indian delegates asked Chinese troops to completely withdraw from Pangong Lake and Depsang.

The Indian Army stated that India and China have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the prevailing situation along the LAC.

“Commanders from PLA and Indian Army held a meeting at Chushul, on Indian side, for the fourth round of talks, on 14 July 2020, ” the army said. The meeting took place between 14 Corps commander Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin in Chushul.

The third meeting in June was on for almost 12 hours when India put across a strong message that the PLA have not abided by the disengagement consensus.

The fresh statement issued by the Indian Army stated that the engagement was consistent with the consensus reached between the Special Representatives of India and China earlier, on July 5, to discuss complete disengagement — Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India and Wang Yi, State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China spoke on telephone then.

“The Senior Commanders reviewed the progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement, ” the statement said.

It also said that the two sides remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement. “This process is intricate and requires constant verification. They are taking it forward through regular meetings at diplomatic and military level, ” said the force.

India and China have been locked in a 10-week-long standoff at multiple points, hitherto unprecedented along the border. They are now engaged in military and diplomatic deliberation to de-escalate the situation at the border areas.

Last week, diplomatic meeting took place between both the countries delegates. The meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on July 10 where Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs and Chinese by Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides recalled the agreement reached between the two foreign ministers on June 17, as well as the agreement between two Special Representatives during their telephonic conversation on July 5, and reaffirmed that both sides will ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols.

They also agreed that for the overall development of bilateral relations it was essential to maintain enduring peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

A total 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed on June 15 in their worst clash in four decades at another disputed border area — Galwan Valley. China attempted to change the status quo at the border at various places moving inside the Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

Army chief General M.M. Naravane also separately met senior officers to discuss the 15-hour talks held between Indian & Chinese corps commanders to resolve LAC tensions.

New Delhi: Multiple high-level meetings were held Wednesday, attended by Army chief General M.M. Naravane, to discuss the outcome of the 15-hour disengagement dialogue between the Indian and Chinese corps commanders in Ladakh Tuesday.

One of them was a “review meeting” by the government’s high-powered China Study Group (CSG) — a panel comprising top civil servants, besides armed forces and intelligence personnel, that serves as policy adviser to the executive on China.

The CSG meeting, top defence sources said, was attended by General Naravane, Northern Army commander Lt Gen Y.K. Joshi, and the general officer commanding (GOCs) of the 14 Corps, Lt Gen. Harinder Singh.

Lt Gen. Singh has been India’s representative at all the corps commander-level meetings held with China since 6 June to defuse recent tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, with the commander of the South Xinjiang Military District, Major General Lin Liu, serving as China’s envoy.

The last of these was held Tuesday to resolve continued disagreements over disengagement at Pangong Lake and Depsang Plains, even as the two sides are believed to have established an understanding with respect to two other points of conflict, Galwan Valley and Hot Springs.

The second meeting held Wednesday involved General Naravane and other senior Army officers.

General Naravane and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are scheduled to visit Ladakh Friday, where they will interact with troops and seek to assess the situation on the ground.

Also Read: Not just India, Tibet — China has 17 territorial disputes with its neighbours, on land & sea

‘Disengagement has been slow’

The Tuesday meeting began at 11 am and concluded at 2 am Wednesday.

Referring to the dialogue Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the two sides had reached progress on promoting “further disengagement” of border troops to de-escalate tensions.

Government sources, however, told ThePrint that the disengagement process at the LAC has been “very slow and will be on for the next several months”, continuing through the region’s harsh winter.

This, sources said, could be a major reason why the Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) Wednesday discussed ways to truncate the timeline for emergency procurements.

“The negotiations at various levels will continue, while troops on the ground plan to prepare for a long winter,” a source said.

“The point of each country’s claim lines will continue to be discussed and it is unlikely there will be a change in India’s stand for reversion to pre-April deployment positions,” the source added.

News agency ANI reported that the Army will soon place emergency orders for extreme cold-weather tents for the over 30,000 troops deployed at the LAC.

India is also planning to place orders for Heron surveillance drones and Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel under the emergency financial powers granted by the government.

As part of the disengagement process, sources said, the Army is working out certain patrolling points to prevent further conflict with China, besides refining rules for distancing.

Also Read: India’s credibility will be hit if our posture on China doesn’t match new realities at LAC

New Delhi: A special session of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) Wednesday empowered the armed forces to go ahead with Rs 300 crore worth of capital acquisitions to meet emergent operational requirements, even as the military has been on a shopping spree over the past few weeks.

The move, which comes amid tensions between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), gives the armed forces unprecedented emergency powers under the capital budget, which is for purchases of new equipment and systems. It is expected to ease some of the bottlenecks that mar defence acquisitions.

So far, the forces have, from time to time, been given a Rs 500-crore limit per project under the revenue head, which deals with reordering of existing systems and ammunition. This power, for example, was allowed after the 2016 Uri attack, and in June this year in light of the LAC situation.

Procurements under the capital budget are a long-drawn process that requires multiple trials and long procedures even if fast-tracked.

Announcing the new provision, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said it will shrink procurement timelines, ensure speedy placement of orders, and start deliveries within one year.

Also Read: Indian Army could get carbines from UAE soon, deal in final stages of confirmation

Several procurements on the horizon

Amid the ongoing tensions with China, the Indian military has been on a shopping spree, with a number of projects being pushed under the emergency procurement provision. These include assault rifles, anti-tank guided missiles, ammunition, high-altitude clothing, bombs, drones, etc.

Sources said the armed forces are already in the midst of pursuing different manner of procurements from the US, Russia, Israel, France and some other countries.

Asked how much money is being spent in these fast-tracked emergency purchases, sources said it was easily over $1 billion (Rs 7,513 crore).

The procurements — some of which have been inked while others are in the final stages — included armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition fired by the T-72 and T-90 main battle tanks, additional Heron drones, loitering munition, Spice Bombs, and Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS).

The procurement of 72,000 additional SiG 716 battle rifles has also been pushed ahead keeping the situation at the LAC in mind, sources said.

Each of the three services has prepared a list of items that they are looking to procure under the emergency clause. Sources said Russia, France and Israel have already assured timely delivery of items.

France had even diverted missiles meant for its own force to India to enable faster deployment of the Rafale fighters jets, which will arrive in India later this month.

This report has been updated to correct a typo

Also Read: Modi govt’s CDS is big reform, but this is what the charter lacks

New Delhi: India and China have agreed to discuss “complete disengagement” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, the Army said Thursday.

This comes after the fourth round of talks between the corps commanders of India and China Tuesday, which went on for 15 hours at Chushul.

Multiple meetings were held Wednesday to discuss the outcome of the talks, including by the government’s high-powered China Study Group (CSG) — a panel comprising top civil servants, armed forces and intelligence personnel — that serves as policy adviser to the executive on China.

The meeting was attended by Army Chief General M.M. Naravane and 14 Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, who has been representing India at all the Corps Commander-level meetings held with South Xinjiang Military District, Major General Lin Liu since 6 June.

Also read: Army plans to buy 350 helicopters over 10 years to modernise its Aviation Corps

‘Intricate, require constant verification’

The Army said in the statement: “The engagement was consistent with the consensus reached between the Special Representatives of India and China earlier, on 5 July, to discuss complete disengagement.”

It added, “The Senior Commanders reviewed the  progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement.”

While the Army said the two sides remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement, it added the process would be “intricate and would require constant verification”.

India and China have been engaged in discussions since June through established military and diplomatic channels to address the prevailing situation along the LAC.

The two sides are taking it forward through regular meetings at diplomatic and military levels, the Army said.

According to sources, a review of the ongoing pulling back of troops at Galwan Valley, Hot Springs area and Gogra Post was carried out and the further disengagement at Finger 4 of Pangong Tso was discussed Tuesday.

Pullback of troops have taken place

As reported by ThePrint Wednesday, the disengagement process has been slow and is likely to last several months through the winter.

“For Finger 4 to 8, the claim lines are being discussed further and the future discussions, as decided in the last corps commanders talks, would be on them,” a defence source told ThePrint.

“The current deployment will be withdrawn in a phased manner, and timelines and modalities for various patrol points, such as PP-14, are being worked out,” the source added.

That is because, the source said, while there has been a pullback of troops from most areas, they are yet to return to pre-April positions.

For instance, Indian troops are still not going to certain patrol points as they used to go earlier.

Sources had earlier said while the Chinese troops have retreated from Indian side of the LAC at various locations, the Chinese build-up remains, which is much ahead of their peacetime locations pre-April.

However, there has not been a tangible pullback from Finger 4 at Pangong Tso and Depsang Plains, they said.

Instructions have been given to the troops to avoid any engagement, and ensure adequate distancing between troops on ground and in the lake.

Another source said certain ad hoc or temporary patrol points are being worked out so the troops do not go beyond them.

“Once identified on ground, it will ensure that there is no physical clash of troops,” the source said.

The key takeaways, sources said, were that both countries want resolution in a peaceful manner and want to avoid clashes, which may escalate the situation.

Also read: No additional troops or new tents — what India, China discussed at corps commanders’ meet

The former Northern Army commander said additional troops from the Leh-based 14 Corps should be deployed here.

The Army’s 14 Corps has two divisions under it — one which looks after Siachen and the other which is posted along the Line of Actual Control with China.

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Each division has about 10,000-12,000 men with artillery and other elements.

Panag also said that in case of a war, the strategic Darbuk-Shyokh-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road would be rendered non-operational and even the airfield there would come under Chinese missile attacks.

He was speaking during an interaction for the launch of his book, The Indian Army, Reminiscences, Reforms and Romance, on ThePrint’s e-venue Soft Cover.

Panag said China has been aggressive along the LAC in Ladakh because it believed New Delhi was building all-weather roads through the same route that the Indian Army used in 1962 to reach Galwan Valley, thereby threatening Aksai Chin.

“While the overall intent of China is to have hegemony over India, make India play the younger brother kind of the role … The Chinese are very sensitive to threats to Aksai Chin,” he said, adding that even in 1962, the discussions of the Chinese politburo centred around India’s plans against China.

“The two reasons cited (back then) was that India wanted Tibet’s freedom, in fact to usurp Tibet, and second was that through the forward policy we are trying to gain more Chinese territory,” he said. “This was the main theme in the politburo discussions.”

Also read: China believes India wants Aksai Chin back. PLA has likely secured 40-60 sq km in Ladakh

Strategic DBO sector wouldn’t count in a war

Talking about the strategic DSDBO road, Panag said the DBO sector has its own inherent weaknesses and there is no point in saying that we have an airfield there.

It would be rendered non-operational for India because the Chinese can easily observe the road from within their own side of the LAC if they sit on the heights. The same also applies to the Advance Landing Ground in DBO, which is less than 15 km from the LAC.

This means that it can be easily targeted by rockets which will render the airfield useless, Panag said.

“The DBO road cannot be used in operations because the Chinese have to just get on to the heights on their top,” he said. “Even in their own side of the LAC, they can observe the road and destroy the bridges and others with their rocket force.”

The airfield is just 15-20 km from the LAC, he said, putting it in the direct artillery range. “It will be rendered useless on the very first day of operations.”

Panag added that one should not talk about taking back lost territory without developing capability, an apparent reference to statements by BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, who said that India will take Aksai Chin back.

‘Reasons behind the Chinese moves’

Explaining the strategic reasons behind the Chinese moves, Panag said the DBO is the western approach to Aksai Chin and Kongka La is the southern approach.

“From the area of Hot Springs and Gogra Post, there are two routes,” he explained. “One goes to the east to the Kongka La and from there to almost the eastern edge of the Aksai Chin. There is another route that goes from Hot Spring northwards. This route goes to the source of the Galwan river.”

Giving a historical perspective, he added, “What people don’t realise is that in 1962 when we established the Galwan Post, it was 80 km upstream. And the route that we took was from Hot Springs.

“So from Hot Springs we approached the source of the Galwan river, a little below it and established a post. We actually went and established the post in 1962 behind the Chinese. The direct access to Aksai Chin is from DBO and Galwan and hence the Chinese are very sensitive”.

He said the Chinese observed that India has built the DBO road and is making one in the Hot Springs area northwards, which would have taken Indians to the source of the Galwan river just like in 1962.

“What would be the end result? We will threaten the Galwan river deployment of the Chinese. We will once again get behind it,” he said. “Then the whole of Galwan Valley will be eventually taken by India.”

He said the fact that India was building access to the Galwan river from both sides — Hot Springs and confluence of the Shyok and Galwan — is the real reason why the Chinese have taken action.

He also said the Pangong Tso is being eyed by China because there is another route through Sirijap Post in the area to Aksai Chin.

Also read: Rifles, missiles, ammunition, drones — armed forces on shopping spree amid LAC tensions