RAJANATH HOLDS HIGH-LEVEL DEFENCE MEETING ON EASTERN LADAKH ISSUES
New Delhi ( Kalinga Voice): China has set up a military base near Finger 5, in the north bank of Pangong Lake, completely cutting off the Indian Army. The north bank of the lake is divided into 8 Fingers (fingers are mountain spurs jutting into a lake in military parlance) that are contested by both sides.
India claims the Line of Actual Control at Finger 8 and had been holding on to area till Finger 4 but in a clear alteration of status quo, the Chinese have been camping at Finger 4 and have set up fortifications between Finger 5 and 8.
Two months ago, Indian intelligence agencies flagged that cranes, concrete mixture trucks, and other building construction machineries were spotted near Finger 5. They had also flagged that China is making military barracks and offices. Sources said China has stationed hundreds of thousands of troops as well materials at these bases. They have placed tanks, artillery guns and other military armaments at Finger 5.
At Finger 8, troops from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have set up barracks and constructed underground tunnels. They have set up huge military infrastructure at Finger 8.
Till last year, there was no military infrastructure work carried out in these disputed areas and Indian Army troops used to carry out patrols. There have been regular face-offs between the two armies between Finger 4 and Finger 8, a distance of eight kilometres, on the northern bank of the lake.
Indian Army Spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand was unavailable for comments.
Now, the Indian Army is unable to move ahead of Finger 4 as PLA troops have occupied some heights there.
As a precautionary measure, Indian troops have occupied some heights overlooking the positions occupied by the PLA.
The movement of Indian Army troops beyond Finger 4 is completely cut off, sources said, owing to provocative Chinese military movements.
India and China are engaged in a four-month-long standoff at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there hasn’t been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.
On June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley.
Chinese aggression started increasing along the Line of Actual Control and more particularly in Galwan Valley since May 5. The Chinese side transgressed in the areas of Kugrang Nala, Gogra and north bank of Pangong lake on May 17 and May 18.
On the other hand today Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top military brass deliberated on the five-point agreement reached between India and China on de-escalating tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, government sources said.
The deliberation was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh among others, they said.
The meeting also carried out a comprehensive review of the security scenario in eastern Ladakh in view of fresh confrontation by two sides in the southern bank of Pangong lake earlier this week, the sources said.
“The meeting discussed the agreement reached between the two countries,” said a source.
In the meeting, Gen Naravane briefed about the combat readiness of the Army to deal with any eventualities besides elaborating on plans to keep the forces in the high-altitude region during harsh winter months.
India and China reached a five-point consensus to resolve the four-month border row in eastern Ladakh that included quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions and taking steps to restore “peace and tranquillity” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The agreement was finalised at two-and-half-hours of “frank and constructive” talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.
The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air.
The fresh confrontation further intensified the standoff and triggered a massive military build up by both sides in almost all friction points along the LAC, the de-facto border between the two countries.
In the last few days, the Army further bolstered its dominance over a number of strategic heights overlooking key Chinese-held positions around Pangong lake area. The sources said additional reinforcements have been made in hill tops and strategic locations around Pangong lake to keep a hawk-eye vigil on Chinese-held position of Finger 4.
The mountainous spurs in the area are referred to as Finger. China has been holding onto Finger 4 to 8 on the north bank of Pangong lake, the sources said.
Rahul Gandhi first time joined at defence meeting of parliamentary standing committee
Most interesting and surprising that Rahul Gandhi first time joined at defence meeting of parliamentary standing committee. Amid the India-China faceoff, Congress former President Rahul Gandhi for the first time attended the meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence on Friday.
Rahul Gandhi has been a vocal critic of the government policy on China. After being criticised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not attending the meetings, this was the Congress leader’s first appearance since he was nominated to the Committee.
Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, “The only ‘talk’ to have with China is about restoration of ‘Status Quo Ante’ as of March 2020. PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land. All other ‘talk’ is worthless.”
Gandhi had slammed the government’s China policy. “The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an ‘Act of God’?”
Sources said in the meeting NCP leader Sharad Pawar sought a detailed presentation by the government on the India-China faceoff at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat also attended the meeting.
The BJP had criticised Rahul Gandhi for not attending the panel meetings. Meanwhile, the military representatives of India and China met on Friday to ease the tensions at the border where both countries’ troops are only metres apart, ready to take on each other.
The military delegates talks have been taking place continuously since September 7 when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tried to occupy Indian territory at the LAC in eastern Ladakh and it was thwarted by the Indian Army.
India then took pre-emptive action to occupy Rezang La, Rechen La, Blacktop, Goswami Hill and some other heights near Chushul to thwart the Chinese army.
The Chinese have made multiple attempts to dislodge the Indian troops from the mountain heights.
Around 4 hours long meeting between Brigade Commander level is happening in Chushul and has remained inconclusive so far.
