After disengagement, Indian and Chinese troops exchange sweets along LAC on Diwali

Setting the stage for resumption of patrolling in the Depsang Plains and Demchok areas of eastern Ladakh, the troops of both sides completed the disengagement on Wednesday. The verification of the process was underway and being done physically as well as with unmanned aerial vehicles. The disengagement involves removal of temporary structures.

The conflict since Galwan valley clash

The buildup of troops and the standoff along the LAC followed detection of Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley in May 2020 and sent bilateral ties south.

After this, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had cut off Indian access to patrolling points (PPs) 10 to 13 in the Depsang Plains. In the Demchok area, Chinese troops had been squatting at the Charding Nullah.

On October 21 this year, India and China reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements. The announcement on the agreement was made by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi, setting the stage for a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, capital of Tatarstan in Russia’s southwest.

Four days later, Beijing confirmed the agreement, saying “Chinese and Indian frontier troops are engaged in relevant work, which is going smoothly at the moment”.

This agreement holds significance because the Chinese side, until a year ago, showed reluctance to even discuss Depsang Plains and Demchok while it agreed on disengagement at other friction points – PP 14 (Galwan valley), PP 15 (Hot Springs), PP 17A (Gogra), north and south banks of Pangong Tso.

Disengagement process in certain areas ‘almost complete’: Rajnath Singh

Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh said that based on consensus achieved between India and China, the disengagement process in certain areas along the LAC was “almost complete”.

As he unveiled a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and inaugurated the Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khating Museum of Valour at Tawang, Singh said, “India and China have been holding talks at both diplomatic and military levels to resolve the differences in some areas along the LAC. As a result of the talks, a broad consensus was developed on the basis of equal and mutual security. The consensus includes the rights of patrolling and grazing in traditional areas,” he said. “Based on this consensus, the process of disengagement is almost complete. Our efforts will be to take the matter beyond disengagement; but for that, we will have to wait a little longer,” he added.

— with PTI inputs