Border Dispute: PLA soldiers withdraw from Demchok and Depsang, India again insists

 

New Delhi:  Ahead of Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu 's visit to Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting , India and Another round of top-level military talks between China concluded on Sunday. However, no official statement has come on the outcome of the 18th round of Corps Commander-level talks. Nevertheless, sources tell thatthis meeting started at around 9.30 am and ended at night on the Chushul-Moldo border. This meeting took place after four months of the 17th round of talks on December 20 last year. It is worth mentioning that despite the 17th round of talks, No consensus could be reached on the border dispute issues. Sources said that on Sunday, the Indian side, led by 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Rashim Bali, strategically carried out withdrawal of People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops from Depsang Bulge area and Charding Ninglung Nala track junction in Demchok. again pressed for. From the Chinese side, the South Xinjiang Military District Chief took part in this conversation.

India remained on its earlier terms
According to a source associated with the Indian side, 'Let's see if there is any progress on the contentious border issues before the Chinese Defense Minister's visit to India on April 27-28. It was clarified in the military talks that India wants to withdraw, de-escalation and de-induction of more than 50,000 troops deployed with heavy weapons like tanks, artillery and rocket systems in eastern Ladakh on both sides. It was emphasized in the conversation that this is the first condition if China wants any improvement in the overall bilateral relations. Otherwise, the situation of 'no war, no peace' will continue and bilateral relations will remain in limbo. However, China has so far shown no intention to withdraw its forces and prevent Indian patrols from accessing their traditional patrolling points, which fall under India's side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The screw is stuck here
Sources reveal that Indian troops are still not able to reach the traditional patrol points 10, 11, 12, 12A and 13 respectively on the plateau at Depsang, situated at an altitude of 16,000 feet, as the People's Liberation Army has engaged Indian troops. Traffic is stopped. India considers it as its territory and it is situated at a distance of about 18 kilometers from the Indo-China border. Apart from this, the movement of Indian troops is also obstructed in non-patrol buffer zones ranging from 3 km to 10 km in Indian areas like Pangong Tso-Kailash Range, Galvan Valley and Gogra-Hot Springs. In total, 26 of the 65 traditional patrolling points remain under dispute. All these are located from Karakoram Pass in the north to Chumar in the south in eastern Ladakh.

Indian Army ready for any contingency
Not only this, apart from continuously strengthening its military bases and infrastructure along the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control from April-May 2020, China has also adopted an aggressive strategy in the eastern sector. Because of this, on December 9, there was again a clash between the Indo-China soldiers in the Yangtse of the strategically important Tawang sector. Making its stand more aggressive earlier this month, China also standardized the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh into Chinese, which was rejected by the Indian government. It should not be forgotten here that in the midst of this tense situation of India-China border dispute, while addressing the army last week, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the armed forces should be prepared for any contingency on the northern borders.

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