Rama Krishna Sangem
Finally, India, China started withdrawing troops, around 100, 000, from the tense border areas of Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh area. Around 40,000 of India and 50,000 of China forces have been camping here for about four years, April 2020. Now will move away at least 18 km, from the LAC, that means a distance of 36 km from each other, reducing any scope for tense situations.
Indian and Chinese troops started the disengagement process on Wednesday at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh in small batches, and also commenced removing blockades set up in these areas, according to the schedule agreed to on Monday under the recent Line of Actual Control (LAC) patrolling agreement, reported ThePrint on Thursday.
Citing defence and security sources, the news portal reported that while the agreement was negotiated at both the diplomatic and military levels, the final pact was only signed by the corps commander — the senior most military commander on the Indian side — at around 4.30 am on Monday.
t was only after this signing that India’s top diplomat, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, announced that India and China had reached an arrangement for patrolling by both sides along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
The report added that graziers will also now be allowed to graze their cattle in areas that had earlier been declared buffer zones. However, this will be done in a coordinated manner.
Citing unnamed sources, the report said that the disengagement process at Depsang commenced on Wednesday, adding that it was proceeding according to the agreed terms regarding “the percentage of what has to be dismantled” and “when troops have to be pulled back”.
While the pace of disengagement at Demchok was not clear at the time of reporting, citing earlier input from sources, the report said that at least one tent in the area had been removed.
Troops go back to as it was in April 2020
The LAC pact allows patrolling to begin again at all Patrolling Points (PPs) that the two sides used in April 2020, before the LAC standoff began, the report said, citing sources.
This will not only apply to patrolling in just Depsang and Demchok, but also in the Gogra Hot Springs area, the Galwan Valley, and along the northern bank of the Pangong Tso lake.
However, the report cautioned, it was not immediately known when such patrolling would resume. It also noted that patrolling in these areas does not take place during the winter due to the heavy snow and severe drop in temperatures.
Pre-2017 patrolling
Under the agreement, patrolling will now be carried out in all areas as it was before the 2020 standoff, with the exception being Demchok and Depsang, with patrolling set to go back to the pre-2017 status in the latter area, said the report, citing sources.
On the northern bank of Pangong Tso, actual patrolling by India used to be carried out only till Finger 4, even though India’s claim line is till Finger 8. This was because Chinese troops had blocked the passage for Indian troops from Finger 4 to 5 and beyond.
In 2020, however, an Indian Army team did manage to reach Finger 6 using a different route, with the Chinese objecting to the action. In the Galwan area, Indian troops mostly patrolled only till PP14, which is close to the Y-junction in the valley. This point, the report explained, is about 1.5 kilometres short of the LAC, from where PP14A is just 500 metres short.
Indian troops would cross through the strong current of the river by foot to reach PP14A, with the action being usually undertaken by only two soldiers because of the narrow track ahead.
Defence analysts say, this withdrawal of troops ensures peace on the lAC border between India and China at least for sometime.
