NEW DELHI: An agreement has been reached with China on disengagement on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso in east Ladakh, with identification of strategically important points and positioning of Indian troops on hilltops giving India the edge, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.
In a statement in the Rajya Sabha detailing the disengagement that started on Wednesday after an intense military faceoff that began last May, Singh said an agreement was reached after a well-thought-out approach and sustained talks with the Chinese side. “It has also been agreed that the next meeting of the senior commanders will be called within 48 hours after complete disengagement in the Pangong Lake area so as to address and resolve all other remaining issues,” he said.
The breakthrough, sources said, was significant as Indian troops would currently remain on the heights they command the south bank until a verified de-escalation. The bold manoeuvre on the night of August 29-30 by Indian troops gave India control of heights on the south bank, including Rezang La and Rezin La, effectively neutralising the Chinese advances in the Finger (spurs) area of the north bank.
“Many strategically important points were identified and our troops positioned themselves at those hilltops and at locations which were very important from our point of view. It is because of this great bravery of our armed forces in the face of harsh, adverse climatic conditions that we maintained the edge,” the minister said.
“The Chinese side will keep its troop presence on the north bank area to east of Finger 8. Reciprocally, Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa post near Finger 3. A similar action would be taken on the south bank area by both sides,” Singh said. Of all friction points, the Finger area was seen as the most difficult to resolve with the Chinese moving considerable troops, equipment and infrastructure into the area.
It has been decided that as a temporary measure, pending resolution at the diplomatic levels, there will be no patrolling in the Finger area. Before the Chinese action, Indian troops would patrol up to Finger 8. However, massing of Chinese troops was intended to permanently alter the LAC and this has been reversed as per the agreement that requires them to withdraw to their original positions.
The next round of military talks will aim to stabilise the situation in the Pangong area and discuss restoring status quo at other points of friction along the LAC where heavily armed Chinese and Indian troops are in close proximity.
“I want to assure this House that in these talks, we have not conceded anything. The House should also know that there are still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. These will be taken up in further discussions with the Chinese side though the focus will be in ensuring the current disengagement concludes successfully,” Singh said.
The agreement will see Indian and Chinese troops ceasing their forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. As a first step, tanks and armoured vehicles have been moved back. Singh said the de-escalation, which comes almost 10 months since the neighbour amassed troops and armaments, will see the Chinese troop presence on the north bank restricted to east of Finger 8.
Sources said the winter deployment was difficult for both sides, but Indian troops were better trained to handle the rigours given their operational experience in theatres like Siachen. The Chinese side also did not anticipate a prolonged mobilisation or the Indian economic actions, all which underlined that there could be no business as usual if the border was disturbed. It was pointed out that the minister and government were guided by the professional advice of the forces and assured them their full support.
Singh added that as per the agreement reached with the Chinese side, any structures built by both sides since April 2020 in north and south bank areas will be removed and landforms restored. A temporary moratorium on military activities by both sides on the north bank has also been agreed upon, including suspension of patrolling to the traditional areas.
“Our approach and strategy for negotiations with the Chinese side has been guided at the highest level by the prime minister’s resolve that we will not give even an inch of Indian territory. Our tenacity and approach during talks have yielded results,” Singh told Rajya Sabha.
As per Singh, the Indian approach to engagement with China maintained three key principles: that both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC, neither side should attempt to alter status quo unilaterally, and all agreements and understandings between the two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety.
Recapitulating the situation on the ground, Singh said China had illegally occupied approximately 38,000 sq km in Ladakh, mainly during the 1962 conflict. In addition, under the Sino-Pakistan ‘boundary agreement’ of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China.