The Army said there were casualties on both sides. Beijing was silent on PLA losses. The Monday night incident, according to officers, took place in the area between the LAC and junction of Galwan and Shyok rivers to the west. Talks between the two sides on disengagement in the Galwan valley area were held at Patrolling Point (PP) 14 which lies close to where the LAC crosses the Galwan river.
Officers said that, as part of de-escalation, the two sides had agreed to create a ‘buffer zone’ – a no-man’s land – between the LAC and the junction of Galwan and Shyok rivers. The Indian side was supposed to stay to the west of the river junction and the Chinese to the east of the LAC — to prevent faceoffs.
An argument, officers said, started over the position of Chinese soldiers who had started erecting a new post on the southern bank of Galwan river in this ‘buffer zone’. When the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar and his troops insisted that the Chinese remove the post, the situation quickly escalated, leading to physical violence. The Chinese side, officers said, used sticks, clubs, bats, bamboos with nails during the fight and the Indian side too retaliated.
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India must build up international pressure on China, both politically and economically, while working towards a resolution of the Galwan valley standoff, former diplomats have said.
Calling this standoff one of the biggest challenges faced by the NDA government, K C Singh, a former diplomat, said it calls for a complete rethink of India’s China policy. G Parthasarthy, a former diplomat and strategy expert, said China’s occupation of the Galwan valley has geopolitical consequences and we are in for a long haul.
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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who was criticised for not attending the funeral of Colonel B Santosh Babu, announced Rs 5 crore compensation to the family, besides a residential plot, and Group 1 Job for his wife. The CM also announced that he would visit the family of Santosh Kumar. The CM also announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to 19 other fallen soldiers through the Union Defence Ministry.
Ever since tensions between India and China escalated, there has been a call, especially on social media, for a boycott of Chinese products, including smartphones. However, this is easier said than done and industry experts believe the anti-China sentiments won’t sustain beyond a few weeks as consumers have no other options at the moment.
“In the short term, there wouldn’t be any impact because people have to buy phones and a majority of phones in the market out there are Chinese phones,” Rushabh Doshi, Research Director, Canalys, told Indianexpress.com over a phone call. READ MORE
Taking note of the border skirmish with China, the IPL Governing Council has convened a meeting next week to review IPL’s various sponsorship deals.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the "dependents" of the fallen soldiers--Sepoy Kundan Ojha and Ganesh Hansda-will get all the facilities from the government and a plot of land. CM Soren said that the state will urge the Petroleum Ministry to allot petrol pumps to the family members of the soldiers.
"Certainly, what the Chinese have done on LAC, the whole country is hurt, angry. This feeling has been shown repeatedly through you all during our discussion," PM Modi said at the all-party meet.
"I am also assuring you that our army is leaving no stone unturned to protect the country. Be it deployment, action, counter-action, in the water-sky, our forces are doing what they have to do to protect the country," PM Modi said.
"Today, we have this capability that no one can see us with an inch towards the ground. Today India's forces, in different sectors, are also able to move together," PM Modi said.
"India wants peace and friendship, but protecting its sovereign is paramount for us. And you all have expressed the same sentiment," PM said.
"Over the years, the country has given priority to infrastructure development in border areas to secure its borders. We have also laid a lot of emphasis on other requirements of our forces, such as Fighter Planes, modern helicopters, missile defense systems, etc.," PM said.
"Be it trade, connectivity, counter terrorism, India has never accepted any external pressure. Whatever is necessary for national security, whatever is the construction of necessary infrastructure, it will continue to be carried forward at a similar pace," PM said.
"I again assure all of you, all political parties, that our forces are fully capable of defending the borders. We have given them complete leeway to take appropriate action," PM concluded.
Addressing the all-party meeting on the LAC situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said neither have the Chinese intruded into the Indian territory nor has any post been taken over by them. "20 of our jawans were martyred, but those who dared Bharat Mata, they were taught a lesson," PM Modi was quoted as saying by ANI. The Prime Minister said that Indian armed forces are doing what they have to do to protect the country, whether it is deployment, action or counter-action.
Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar has said that the LAC crisis should be addressed and resolved through proper dialogue between both India and China. In a video made available to the media today, Sarkar said, “There was an unprecedented incident two days back in the Indo-China border. Twenty Indian soldiers were martyred there. We pay our respects to them and express condolences to their bereaved families”. He further said that the standoff between India and China can only be resolved through a "proper dialogue". He also advised all Indians to stand together in unity, solidarity among themselves to maintain peace, integrity and sovereignty.
Debraj Deb reports from Agartala
Telangana Chief Minister K C Chandrasekhar Rao announced a compensation of Rs 5 crore, a house, and Group-1 job to the widow of Colonel Santosh Babu who lost his life in the violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, along with 19 others. He also announced Rs 10 lakh assistance to the families of 19 other soldiers who were killed in the LAC showdown.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee: "China is not a democracy.They are a dictatorship.They can do what they feel. We, on the other hand, have to work together. India will win, China will lose. Speak with unity. Think with unity. Work with unity. We are solidly with the Govt".
Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar: "There is nationwide anger against China. There should be no differences among us. We are together". "Goods from China flooding Indian markets have major problems. They're plastic heavy, aren't eco-friendly and they harm environment. Electronic waste associated with them is high. Chinese products don’t even last long. It's our duty to be one and support the Centre".
Meghalaya CM and NPP chief Conrad Sangma: "Infrastructure work along the border should not stop. China sponsored activities in Myanmar and Bangladesh is worrying. PM Modi has been working on Northeast infra and it must go on".
DMK chief MK Stalin: "We are united when it comes to patriotism". He also welcomed the recent statements by the PM on China issue.
TRS Chief and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao said the PM's clarity on Kashmir and his emphasis on Kashmir's development has angered China. He also stressed that the PM's call of Atmanirbhar Bharat has rattled China.
BJD's Pinaki Misra: "Strong action will have to be initiated (against China). Whatever that action may be, the BJD will fully support the government".
CPI's D Raja said, "We need to resist US efforts to drag us into their alliance" while CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechuri stressed on the principles of Panchsheel pact.
Source: ANI
Posing several questions, Congress president Sonia Gandhi enquired whether the military intelligence alerted the government about the intrusion and the build-up of Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control. "Did our external intelligence agencies not report any unusual activity along the LAC? Did the Military Intelligence not alert the government about the intrusion and the build-up of massive forces along the LAC? In the government’s considered view, was there a failure of intelligence?," Sonia Gandhi asked the government at the all-party meeting.
She also asked the government on the roadmap ahead and stressed that the entire country would like an assurance that status quo ante would be restored and that China will revert back to the original position on the LAC.
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria paid a two-day visit to Leh and Srinagar to oversee preparedness of the IAF in view of the massive escalation in tension with China following the violent Galwan Valley clash that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead and 76 injured, news agency PTI reported quoting its military sources. The Indian Air Force has put all its frontline bases along the 3,500-km de-facto border with China on high alert .
The all-party meeting, convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the tense situation on the border with China, is presently underway. The meeting has been called upon to build much-needed domestic political consensus on the explosive situation.
Paying homage to the fallen soldiers in the Galwan valley, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga tweeted that his state stands with the nation in this time of uncalled crisis. He is presently attending an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the tense border situation with China.
An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border is currently underway. Presidents of various political parties, including the BJP, Congress, TMC, AIADMK, DMK, TRS, JD(U), BJD, LJP, BSP, SP, Shiv Sena and NCP among others, are taking part in this virtual meeting. PTI
Appreciating PM Modi's decision to call for an all-party meeting, former prime minister H D Devegowda and JD(S) chief has listed a couple of suggestions.
The AAP has not been invited to an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the border conflict with China, two senior party leaders claimed on Friday. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party has a government in Delhi and in Punjab, it is the main opposition party, but still the BJP does not want its opinion on such an important matter. "The BJP government at the Centre should take everyone along on a serious issue like national security. It is unfortunate for democracy that a three-time chief minister has not called for suggestions on an important subject," Singh told reporters. Singh further said the sacrifice of Indian soldiers should not go in vain. "The government must avenge the martyrdom of our soldiers. "The government should immediately take back the land that China has acquired from India," he said. "Not giving the country correct information on the border dispute is a big betrayal with the country. "Why did the central government hide information from the country, the central government will have to answer," he said.
The RJD took exception to not being invited to the all-party meeting, saying the "largest" party in Bihar was ignored. Tejashwi Yadav, leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly, expressed dismay that his party was ignored despite having five members in Parliament and being "the largest in Bihar". "We want (Defence Minister) Rajnath Singh ji to clarify why RJD has not been invited," Yadav was quoted as saying by news agency PTI in Patna. Manoj Jha, RJD's national spokesman and a Rajya Sabha member, tweeted that "the untenable logic of FIVE MEMBERS gets exposed" and cited the examples of Telugu Desam Party, Apna Dal, Shiromani Akali Dal, CPI and National Conference which have been invited to the all-party meeting despite having fewer number of MPs than the RJD. "There is more to it than what meets the eye," added Jha, whose party has been staunchly opposed to BJP ever since its foundation three decades ago. Misa Bharti, Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha member, shared a tweet "jo sawaal daagenge, sahib usse bhaagenge (those in power try to avoid those who pose questions)".
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today paid floral tributes to three Indian army personnel, who died fighting the Chinese in Galwan Valley. The mortal remains of sepoys Gurbinder Singh (Sangrur), Gurtej Singh (Mansa) and sepoy Ankush Thakur (Hamirpur, HP) were brought to the Chandigarh Air Force station from Leh and will be taken by road to their native places in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh later. "Laying a wreath on the mortal remains of Sepoys Gurbinder Singh from Sangrur, Gurtej Singh from Mansa & Ankush from Hamirpur, HP at Chandigarh. Salute their supreme sacrifice at this young age. The nation is forever indebted. Jai Hind!" Singh tweeted. "The bodies were brought from Leh to Chandigarh. We paid our tributes. The mortal remains of two soldiers from Punjab and one from Himachal Pradesh will be taken to their native places," Singh told reporters while coming out from the Air Force station.
Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Thursday demanded accountability for the loss of lives in the clash, and said the whole nation was expecting a befitting response from the government to this horrific attack on its men. “Our soldiers at the front should be clearly told that if they kill one of ours, you kill three of theirs,” said Amarinder in a statement issued Thursday. Calling for an end to the ‘Hindi-Cheeni bhai bhai’ charade, the Chief Minister said India should not chicken out on this issue. “If China is a world power, then so are we,” he declared, adding that “60 years of diplomacy has not worked and it is time to tell them that enough is enough.”
Former chiefs and top commanders of the Indian defence forces have highlighted the importance of resolving the current situation along the LAC with China through diplomatic channels while maintaining a strong posture. Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), former Chief of Naval Staff, said, “Any dispute of this nature has two solutions — one diplomatic and the other military. The recent diplomatic efforts go back to the 1993 Peace & Tranquility Agreement and the Border Cooperation Agreement of 2013. Our heads of government have met on numerous occasions. There have also been 22 meetings of Special Representatives. But no solutions have emerged. One wonders if our politicians and diplomats have not considered the issue of LAC urgent enough for early settlement or tried hard enough to find a solution. Having a boundary which is not fixed, not marked, not agreed upon, with a powerful country like China is a very unhealthy situation. When diplomatic solutions don’t succeed, armed forces have to be called in. In this case, it is unlikely that we can force a military solution on China; due to the huge asymmetry between our two countries: economic, military, technological and in many other fields. While we can certainly give them a ‘bloody nose’ in select locations, such military responses can potentially snowball into an all-out war. So, the question to ask ourselves with all honesty is — are we prepared for a war and can we (or even China) afford one? We will be fighting, not just China, because they also have a friend and ally in Pakistan, who will be keen to open a second front of war.”
General Bikram Singh (retd), the former Army chief who had pushed for raising a Mountain Strike Corps with the capability of striking at the enemy across mountains, notably along LAC, on Thursday said that given the statements emanating from Beijing and PLA headquarters, it is apparent that China has dug in its heels and is not inclined to disengage. “Military-level talks at various levels are unlikely to yield any perceptible results. An amicable resolution is now possible only through diplomatic and political channels. However, such initiatives should not lull us into complacency. At the military level, we should be prepared to use force to evict the PLA from the intrusion areas and effectively deal with the escalation, which is bound to occur.’’
The mortal remains of slain Army jawan Sunil Kumar were brought to his residence in Patna on June 18. Hawaldar Sunil Kumar was among the 20 personnel who lost his life in the violent face-off with China in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.
While one can understand the outrage that Indians feel when they hear about the brutal deaths of their soldiers, turning a border or defence dispute into a trade one is an ill-advised move. There are several reasons.
1. Trade deficits are not necessarily bad: One of the main reasons why banning trade has been the first reaction is the notion that having a trade deficit is somehow a “bad” thing. The fact is altogether different. Trade deficits/surpluses are just accounting exercises and having a trade deficit against a country doesn’t make the domestic economy weaker or worse off.
2. Will hurt the Indian poor the most: More often than not, the poorest consumers are the worst-hit in a trade ban of this kind because they are the most price-sensitive. For instance, if Chinese ACs were replaced by either costlier Japanese ACs or less efficient Indian ones, richer Indians may still survive this ban — by buying the costlier option — but a number of poor, who could have otherwise afforded an AC, would either have to forgo buying one because it is now too costly (say a Japanese or European firm) or suffer (as a consumer) by buying a less efficient Indian one.
3. Will punish Indian producers and exporters: Some may argue that trading with China hurts many Indian producers. This is true, but it is also true that trading hurts only the less efficient Indian producers while helping the more efficient Indian producers and businesses.
4. Will barely hurt China: The trouble is this is a near-impossible task not just because of China’s centrality in global trade and global value chains but also because even teams of bureaucrats will find it tough to map Chinese involvement in all our trade on a real-time basis. On the whole, it is much easier for China to replace India than for India to replace China.
Former army commander Arun Sahni writes: "The India-China LAC in Ladakh is an outcome of the territory illegally retained by China after the 1962 conflict. The Chinese occupation of parts of Aksai Chin is not supported by historical or legal documents. China’s aspiration to be a global power has renewed its interest in the region. To this end, it is in the relentless pursuit for secure access to the warm-water port of Gwadar in Pakistan. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important element of the BRI." He adds: "The nation should speak in unison, reflecting our resolve and support for a befitting response to China. The handling of this ugly turn of events will signal the future tenor of India-China relations."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today launched a fresh tirade against the government over the Galwan clashes."It’s now crystal clear that: 1. The Chinese attack in Galwan was pre-planned. 2. GOI was fast asleep and denied the problem. 3. The price was paid by our martyred Jawans," he tweeted.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has not been invited to the all-party meeting, two senior party leaders claimed on Friday. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party has a government in Delhi and in Punjab, it is the main opposition party, but still the BJP does not want its opinion. "A strange ego-ridden government is running at the Centre. The Aam Aadmi Party has a government in Delhi. Punjab has a main opposition party. There are four MPs all over the country, but still the BJP does not want its opinion on such an important matter. What will the prime minister say in the meeting, the whole country is waiting for it," Singh tweeted. AAP leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai said it is unfortunate that the AAP was not invited. "Instead of taking all the parties together, the BJP is using mathematical formulas to ascertain who should be invited and who should not be. It is unfortunate," he said.
Some of the top political leaders from opposition parties were surprised on Thursday when they got a call from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, inviting them for the Prime Minister-convened all-party meeting on Friday and seeking their cooperation. Singh is number two in the Cabinet, and a call from him signals the seriousness the government attaches to the meeting. The government had come under criticism from some opposition parties, particularly the Congress, for not keeping them informed about the ground situation in Ladakh. Heads of almost all political parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, are likely to attend Friday’s meeting. But there were some curious omissions. The Aam Aadmi Party did not get an invite, leaving it furious. The RJD also did not get the invitation. Its president Lalu Prasad is in jail.
The BJD has nominated its leader in the Lok Sabha Pinaki Misra to represent it in the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border today. In a letter written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik said Misra, the party's leader in the Lok Sabha will represent it.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend the all-party meeting on the India-China border dispute convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. At a press conference on Thursday, Banerjee said: “We completely support the decision to call for an all-party meeting. Technically, it is a correct decision.” At Wednesday’s press conference, Banerjee had said: “AITC does not speak about foreign affairs matters because we are always with the country. Let the Centre decide how they want to deal with the situation in LAC.”
Amid the Indo-China border standoff, the Ram Mandir trust has put on hold its plan to begin the construction of the temple in Ayodhya. In an official communique, the trust said that the situation at the India-China border is "serious" and defending the country is "most important". "The decision to begin construction (of temple) will be taken according to the situation in the country and will be announced officially," Anil Mishra, member of the trust told news agency PTI. The trust also paid tributes to the soldiers.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's aide Sudheendra Kulkarni writes: Can India ever drive China out of Aksai Chin (or Pakistan out of PoK)? And can China ever do the same to India in Arunachal Pradesh? This being the case, can a “no compromise” stance by either India or China guarantee tranquillity, much less comprehensive cooperation, between the world’s two largest civilisational-nations? For Modi, the choice is stark. Will he repeat Nehru’s blunder, risk an unwinnable war with China, and end his premiership without solving the India-China boundary dispute? Or will he, without worrying about the “political marketplace”, and without relying on Trump or his successor to come to India’s aid, show the courage to swing the public opinion in favour of a compromise-dependent transformation of the LAC into a BAC (Boundary of Assured Control)?
For the sake of grabbing Indian territory, the People's Liberation Army of China appears to have 'instigated' the most violent clash between the two Asian giants, a top American Senator has said. In a major foreign policy speech on the floor of the House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said that "on land, for the sake of grabbing territory, the PLA appears to have instigated the most violent clash between China and India since those nations went to war in 1962". In his speech, China topped the list of countries, threatening the interests of the US and its allies. "Needless to say, the rest of the world has watched with grave concern this violent exchange between two nuclear states. We are encouraging de-escalation and hoping for peace. But the world could not have received a clearer reminder that the PRC (People's Republic of China) is dead-set on brutalizing people within their own borders, challenging and remaking the international order anew in their image to include literally redrawing the world map," McConnell said.
The United States on Thursday expressed its deepest condolences to India on the loss of lives of its soldiers in violent clashes with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh early this week. "We extend our deepest condolences to the people of India for the lives lost as a result of the recent confrontation with China," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet, hours after his meeting with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi. "We will remember the soldiers' families, loved ones, and communities as they grieve," he added.
General Bikram Singh (retd), the former Army chief who had pushed for raising a Mountain Strike Corps with the capability of striking at the enemy across mountains, notably along LAC, on Thursday said that given the statements emanating from Beijing and PLA headquarters, it is apparent that China has dug in its heels and is not inclined to disengage. "Military-level talks at various levels are unlikely to yield any perceptible results. An amicable resolution is now possible only through diplomatic and political channels. However, such initiatives should not lull us into complacency. At the military level, we should be prepared to use force to evict the PLA from the intrusion areas and effectively deal with the escalation, which is bound to occur." On the ongoing plan to restructure the Army by setting up integrated battle groups, he said it should be done gradually. “We should not get strategically imbalanced while undertaking such transformation in a hurry… I feel our transformation should be need based.”
If talks do not lead to de-escalation, India should be prepared for a long haul at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, as the Chinese troops are well armed, and with the two armies eyeball to eyeball, more such skirmishes could occur along other points on LAC, former Chief of Army Staff Gen V P Malik has warned. Gen Malik, who led the Army in evicting Pakistani intruders from the Kargil heights in 1999, said, “The Chinese occupation was premeditated and it is apparent from their statements that they are in no mood to withdraw.” The General said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army first came into the area in the garb of conducting a routine exercise. “They told the media that certain large formations were carrying out an exercise. Then they sprang a surprise by occupying these positions.”
The Chinese army on Thursday evening returned from its custody 10 Indian soldiers, including two officers, involved in Monday’s violent face-off in the Galwan River Valley. These soldiers were handed over on the LAC after hectic negotiations between the two sides, including three rounds of talks at the Major General level from Tuesday to Thursday, officials told The Indian Express. As per practice, these soldiers were medically examined and provided a preliminary debriefing. This was the first time after the 1962 Sino-India War that Indian soldiers were taken into custody by the Chinese side.
A Parliamentary panel that discussed bilateral ties after the Doklam crisis in 2017 had warned the Centre that it would always be better to have a sense of “healthy skepticism” while dealing with China, and had expressed discontent over the neighbouring country’s “deliberate encirclement policy of India”. The remarks from the Standing Committee on External Affairs in the 16th Lok Sabha came despite assurances from the then government that there could be a bit of “action-reaction” as India built its border infrastructure on the border and Line of Actual Control with China. The panel, which pointed out that China keeps the border and LAC disputes alive in its interests to throw India off balance whenever it desires, advised that New Delhi requires a flexible approach with Beijing.
A Parliamentary panel that discussed bilateral ties after the Doklam crisis in 2017 had warned the Centre that it would always be better to have a sense of “healthy skepticism” while dealing with China, and had expressed discontent over the neighbouring country’s “deliberate encirclement policy of India”.
The panel, which pointed out that China keeps the border and LAC disputes alive in its interests to throw India off balance whenever it desires, advised that New Delhi requires a flexible approach with Beijing.
READ MORE
If talks do not lead to de-escalation, India should be prepared for a long haul at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, as the Chinese troops are well armed, and with the two armies eyeball to eyeball, more such skirmishes could occur along other points on LAC, former Chief of Army Staff Gen V P Malik has warned. Gen Malik, who led the Army in evicting Pakistani intruders from the Kargil heights in 1999, said, “The Chinese occupation was premeditated and it is apparent from their statements that they are in no mood to withdraw.”
READ MORE
The family of Naib Subedar Mandip Singh (39) was inconsolable on Thursday as he was laid to rest with full honours at Seel village in Ghanaur sub-division of Patiala.
As his mortal remains reached home wrapped in the tricolor, his mother Shakuntala (65), son Jobanpreet (12) and daughter Mehakpreet (16) put their arms around the coffin. The children kept asking their mother Gurdeep Kaur, why their father had left them.
His wife told The Indian Express: “Ohna ne sarkar layi bas ikk ginti ban jaana hai par saadi dunia si oh… (For the government he will just become a number in the list of soldiers who died but for us he was our world). His mother is still in shock. People who say that India should got to war with China or Pakistan, please ask the families of the soldiers once. Saade saanh sukke rehende si jadon tak phone ni aanda si (We would always be tense till he would call). Those who say we should have a war, please go to the border and fight. Maybe then someone will understand our pain.”
Naib Subedar Mandip Singh’s son looks on as his mother is handed over the tricolor. (Express photo: Harmeet Sodhi)
THE CHANDIGARH Air Force station, which serves as the air bridge to Ladakh, was bustling with activity on Thursday with several sorties of different types of aircraft being carried out over the last 48 hours.
A lot of men and material have been ferried from Chandigarh air base to forward locations in Ladakh, said sources. The aircraft which have been in action include the C-17, AN-32 and C-130.
Sources in IAF said a high state of readiness has been maintained ever since the stand-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh. (Man Aman Singh Chhina reports from Chandigarh)
The third round of military talks between India and China in the Galwan Valley made headway Thursday, breaking the deadlock ever since the violent clashes Monday night that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Major General Abhijit Bapat, GOC, 3 Infantry Division, led the Indian team at the talks with his Chinese counterpart at Patrolling Point-14 in the Galwan Valley. A fourth round of talks is scheduled there Friday.
The meeting Thursday, an officer said, was fruitful where the deadlock of the past three days was broken, with both sides agreeing on certain issues. Many things are expected to be made clear in the upcoming meetings, the officer said. Read more here
As tensions between India and China remain high on the disputed border following death of at least 20 Indian soldiers, a search for military options is leading to questions about the current status of the mountain strike corps, sanctioned seven years ago but stalled two years ago for lack of funds. With only one of its two divisions raised, it now exists in a truncated shape while being tested for Army’s new integrated battle group (IBG) concept.
“Preliminary role for the truncated mountain strike corps is for an offensive – not limited to the east, but in Ladakh as well – in that sense, it is a dual role. It will definitely come into play if a war breaks out,” a military official told The Indian Express. But others contend that had the full raising gone as per schedule, the mountain strike corps could have been an effective deterrent, raising costs for trans-LAC incursions by China. Read more here
The last rites of Naib Subedar Satnam Singh and Naib Subedar Mandip Singh, who were killed in a violent clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley of Ladakh, were performed with full state honours.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava is addressing a press conference on the developments in Ladakh.
Responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's tweet asking why Indian soldiers were sent 'unarmed to martydom' in Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, 'All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs.'
In the reporting on the LAC stand-off, the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road has often appeared. What is this all-weather road built by India over nearly 20 years, and why does it matter? Of the possible triggers cited for the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) targeting of Indian territory along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, the construction of the 255-km long DSDBO all-weather road is possibly the most consequential.
The 20 soldiers who died came from 11 states. While CO, Col B Santosh Babu, was from Telangana, the others came from Bihar, UP, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It was India fighting back. Read more here
As the two countries are still talking at military and diplomatic levels, any escalation into a major conflict looks some distance away at this moment.
But conflict situations have a dynamic of their own, and events can overtake the best laid plans. A military conflict, if it occurs, can be localised to one area, can be along the whole border, or can be in any one sector. But unless there is another provocation and crisis, the two sides should be able to resolve the situation peacefully.
That said, the government will place the armed forces on full alert, moving some of them forward for an early response in case of any eventuality. Simultaneously, it will continue to use diplomatic channels to resolve the crisis, while controlling the domestic messaging to avoid inflaming public emotions that can create pressure on it to act strongly against China. The execution of that strategy will determine the course of the future action on China.
Ever since the standoff between the Indian and Chinese forces at Galwan on the intervening night of June 15 and 16, television channels have been rife with the term ‘hand-to-hand combat’ or “gutham-gutha” as commentators described the violent skirmishes between the two forces. What this means for the armed forces? Read our explainer here
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday accused the government of adopting a weak strategy and kneeling down before China by "handing over" a rail contract to a Chinese firm. She said the Centre should give a strong message to China. "20 of our soldiers have been martyred. In such a situation, the central government should give a strong message, but the government has adopted a weak strategy of kneeling down by handing over the contract of Delhi-Meerut semi high-speed rail corridor to a Chinese company. All Indian companies are also competent to build this corridor," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Since the time tensions have erupted on the Ladakh border, there have been reports of some scuffles between the soldiers of both the armies. At Pangong Tso on the intervening night of May 5/6, there was a major scuffle between the soldiers in which more than 70 Indian soldiers were injured. In most of these scuffles, the Chinese have used bats, clubs, sticks and stones to cause major injuries. In Monday’s clash, besides the use of these blunt objects to cause injuries, some soldiers, it has been learnt, could have been pushed into the fast-flowing Galwan river. Most of the deaths were due to injuries aggravated by the intense cold in the high-altitude area.
Not really. If such a large number of soldiers could be killed without firing a round, it means that these deaths were far more brutal than they would have been had guns and rifles been used. However, that it remained restricted to a physical brawl points to the fact that there was no escalation to a kinetic level — rifles, howitzers, rockets, missiles, and fighter jets. China and India are both nuclear powers, and any climbing up the escalation ladder is fraught. But it could be a hope hanging by a slender thread if the history between the two sides is any precedent to go by. Even at Nathu La, before the military engagement escalated to artillery guns and threats of fighter jets, there was a scuffle between the soldiers of the two armies on the border.
Yes, undoubtedly so.
This is the first time after the 1962 War that soldiers have died in clashes on the India-China border in Ladakh. Even otherwise, the last deaths on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were an ambush of an Assam Rifles patrol in Arunachal Pradesh by the Chinese in 1975. But the last real military engagement between the two armies was at Nathu La in Sikkim in 1967, in which 88 Indian soldiers lost their lives, and more than 300 Chinese soldiers were killed.
But all these incidents were prior to the two countries signing, starting from 1993, various agreements for maintaining peace and tranquility on the border. Moreover, at least 20 soldiers including a Commanding Officer lost their lives on a single day in Galwan on Monday. To put that number in context, when 19 soldiers lost their lives in Uri in 2016, the Narendra Modi government launched surgical strikes across the Line of Control.
On the faceoff, Rahul Gandhi today said, "Why were the men sent without any weapons. Who is responsible for this now?" Yesterday Gandhi had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent. "Why is the PM silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened. How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?" Gandhi had tweeted. He later posted a video giving his condolences to the Indian soldiers who died in the line of duty. He asked PM Modi to "come out" and "tell the truth". "Two days ago India lost 20 soldiers, they have been snatched away from their families. China has grabbed our land and occupied our territory. Why are you silent Pradhan Mantri ji? Where are you hiding? You come out, the entire country is standing with you. We are all with you. Come out and tell the truth, don't be scared," he said.