News Analysis India

Tag: LAC disengagement

  • Encouraged by disengagement efforts by India, China: Russia on eastern Ladakh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Russia on Wednesday said it was following developments at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, and is encouraged by India and China focusing on “disengagement efforts” and to promote constructive dialogue.

    Deputy Chief of the Russian mission Roman Babushkin said Russia encourages both sides to take opportunities in advancing their ties at common multilateral platforms like the BRICS, SCO and RIC trilateral grouping.

    “We are following developments at the LAC. We are encouraged by India and China to consider disengagement efforts in order to promote constructive and forward-looking dialogue which is a very important precondition for regional stability,” he said at a media briefing.

    Both India and China are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping and BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa).

    Russian Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev did not give a direct reply when asked whether China’s belligerence in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere figured in the recent talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

    He said the talks were focused on bilateral issues and preparations for the annual India-Russia summit in the second half of the year.

    The talks were focused on an “unifying agenda”, be it bilateral ties as well as multilateral cooperation.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, India and China completed withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process in the remaining friction points in the region.

    Last week, India and Chinese militaries held their 11th round of talks during which they agreed to jointly maintain stability on the ground, avoid any new incidents and resolve the outstanding issues in an “expeditious manner”.

  • Disengagement win-win situation for India and China: Army chief Gen MM Naravane

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The disengagement of armies of India and China from north and south banks of Pangong Tso is a “very good end result” and a win-win situation for both the sides, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said on Wednesday, stressing that there are strategies in place to address other pending issues in eastern Ladakh.

    He said there were no signs of an “overt collusion” between China and Pakistan during the Ladakh standoff but India also caters to a long-term strategy for not a two, but a two-and-half front war.

    With the half front, he was referring to internal security.

    He said right from the beginning of the standoff, all sides on the Indian side worked together.

    Be it at the political level, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to their Chinese counterparts, he said.

    “We were all in it together. We had our plan chalked out which we had discussed on what should be the way forward. Whatever has panned out, has happened as a result of that.

    ALSO READ | Accepting casualties in Galwan Valley clash, China blames India for face-off in June 2020

    What we have achieved so far is very good,” Naravane said at a webinar organised by Vivekanada International Foundation.

    The advice which was given by National Security Adviser also came in extremely handy and his insight into strategic level affairs definitely helped us chalking out the response, the Army chief said.

    “As a result of this whole approach, this disengagement has taken place. I think it is a very good end result. It is a win-win situation. For any agreement to last, both sides should feel that they have achieved something. I think a good outcome that has resulted out of the 10 rounds of talks which have taken place so far,” he said.

    Last week, armies of the two countries concluded withdrawal of troops and weapons from north and south banks of Pangong Tso in the high-altitude region.

    Naravane said there are some issues which remain in the area of Depsang, in the area of eastern Ladakh and in other areas along northern border.

    “But we have our strategies in place for that. Do we have anything to negotiate in future? Yes, definitely we have. But I would not, of course, for obvious reasons, what those strategies would be to further and progress our negotiations and come out with a favourable outcome.”

  • Disengagement in eastern Ladakh is surrender to China: Former Defence Minister AK Antony

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and former defence minister A K Antony on Sunday alleged that disengagement in both the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake areas and the creation of a buffer zone was a “surrender” of India’s rights to “appease” China.

    Addressing a press conference, he said that at a time when India was facing multiple challenges at the border and was facing a two-front war-like situation, the increase in defence budget this year was “meagre and insignificant” and was a “betrayal” of the country.

    He alleged that India is “appeasing” China by agreeing to disengagement and by not increasing the defence budget.

    The government had on Friday emphatically stated that India has not “conceded” any territory following the disengagement agreement with China in the Pangong Tso Lake area in eastern Ladakh.

    ALSO READ | India has not conceded any territory in disengagement agreement with China in Pangong Tso: MoD

    Antony along with Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala posed a set of questions to the government asking why it has withdrawn from patrol point 14 in the Galwan Valley to Finger 3 in Pangong Tso lake and created a buffer zone in Indian territory.

    They also asked why the government has agreed to withdraw from the strategically important Kailash ranges on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake.

    Antony said he was sad that the Narendra Modi government was not giving proper priority to national security at a time when China was getting belligerent and Pakistan continued to promote terrorism.

    He said disengagement was good as it reduced tension but it should not be done at the cost of national security.

    “Both disengagements in Galwan and Pangong Tso are a surrender,” he alleged, adding that it amounted to surrendering of areas traditionally controlled by India.

    “We are surrendering our rights,” he alleged, noting that Galwan Valley as Indian territory was never a disputed land even in 1962.

    “Disengagement and buffer zone means surrender of our land, at the moment. Now, we cannot go there. They put sensors there,” he alleged while warning that the government is not understanding the importance of this disengagement and creation of the buffer zone.

    Antony alleged that the government did not increase the defence budget to “appease” China and to give a message that it did not want to confront them.

    “To appease China, the government sent a message by not increasing this defence budget that we do not want to confront you. To appease China, we have agreed to disengagement on China’s terms,” he alleged.

    He warned that China can play mischief anytime by helping Pakistan in Siachen.

    “We want to know from this government when there will be status quo ante as in mid-April 2020 in the entire India-China border,” he said, asking what was the government’s plan in this regard.

    He also said the government must take the country and the people into confidence on restoration of the status quo ante at the borders.

    He said the government always consulted leaders of all political parties before taking such a decision and must keep national security in mind.

    When the whole country is facing serious challenges from both China and Pakistan, the senior Congress leader said the armed forces are demanding support and substantial increase in the defence budget.

    “But compared to last year’s revised defence budget, this budget has made a meagre and insufficient increase of only 1.48 per cent. It is a betrayal of the country. The government has let down our armed forces. The government is not paying proper attention to national security,” he further charged.

    “It is time the government must support the armed forces,” he demanded.

    The senior Congress leader said the Chinese army is building up along the LAC and incursions are taking place occasionally, including the setting up of a village in Arunachal Pradesh.

    “One thing is very clear that the entire India-China border needs 24×7 attention and our armed forces are ready for that, but need the government’s support.

    “The Chinese are mobilising the army, the armed forces, building infrastructure and consolidating their position.

    So, we also need matching support to the armed forces,” he noted, adding that of late danger in the Indo-Pacific is emerging as the Chinese Navy is showing its muscle.

    Antony and Surjewala also paid homage to the soldiers who died in the Pulwama attack and said the entire party and nation will remember their sacrifice and hoped that it will not go waste.

  • Rahul attacks govt on LAC disengagement with China, alleges PM ‘ceded’ Indian territory; MoD denies

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “ceded” Indian territory to the Chinese, and questioned the government over its agreement with China on disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh.

    His attack on the government came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone.

    Addressing a press conference, Gandhi questioned why the prime minister did not make a statement on the LAC situation and said Singh “sheepishly” made a statement on the issue in both Houses of Parliament.

    “Why has he asked the Defence Minister to make the statement, the Prime Minister should say – I have given Indian land to China, this is the truth,” he alleged.

    ALSO READ | US welcomes efforts by India and China to de-escalate situation in eastern Ladakh

    He said it has emerged that Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3 at Pangong Tso lake.

    “Finger-4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. So, now we have moved from finger-4 to finger-3. Why has the Prime Minister Modi given up Indian Territory to the Chinese? This is the question that needs to be answered by him and by the Defence Minister,” Gandhi said.

    Why have Indian troops, after the hard work that they had done in capturing Kailash ranges, been asked to move back, the Congress leader asked.

    What has India got in return for this? Most importantly, the more important strategic area, Depsang plains, why have the Chinese not moved back? These are the real questions.

    Why have they not moved from Gogra-Hot Springs, the former Congress chief asked.

    “It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to protect the territory of the country. The Prime Minister has ceded Indian Territory to the Chinese. It is his responsibility to solve the problem,” he alleged.

    ALSO READ | Surprise disengagement in Ladakh as China, India pull back combat vehicles

    Asked if India will lose its strategic advantage once status quo ante is restored, Gandhi said there was no strategic advantage as the Chinese were on our land in Depsang and Pangong.

    “Our soldiers risked everything, they had, to go to Kailash ranges. That’s where the strategic advantage, if any, arose. Now, the Prime Minister has given back the land. Status quo ante is irrelevant. Kailash has been given back and nothing has happened on the key area of which China wants, Depsang plains.

    “This is absolute 100 per cent cowardice. This is nothing else. The Prime Minister is a coward who cannot stand up to the Chinese. He is betraying the sacrifice of our army,” he charged, and added, that nobody in India should be allowed to do it, nobody in the rest of the world should be allowed to do it.

    The Indian government’s position at the beginning of this was status quo ante as in April 2020 that is what they were negotiating for, he asserted.

    Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has continued to negate Gandhi’s claims and reiterates that it has not conceded any territory to China and on the contrary, has enforced respect for the LAC.

    The ministry issued a strongly-worded statement, saying the effective safeguarding of country’s national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces.

    “Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them”, the statement said.

    The ministry also made certain clarifications in the statement, and said, “the assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false.

    The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962.”

    “Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China,” the MoD said.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told Parliament that as per provision of the agreement, China will pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong lake while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region.

    “India has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement.

    “On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo,” it said.

    The ministry also asserted that permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established.

    “On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8,” the MoD said, adding the current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts.

    Meanwhile, Union minister Pralhad Joshi also hit back at Gandhi for his remarks against the prime minister.

    “Perhaps Rahul is depressed that he could not become PM. He knows that even his shadow won’t support him.

    “The selective amnesia which Rahul often displays seems a regular order,” Joshi tweeted, asking why he was denigrating the efforts and sacrifices of security forces.

    In a breakthrough after a nine-month border standoff, Defence Minister Singh had announced in Parliament on Thursday that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to “cease” forward deployment of troops in a “phased, coordinated and verifiable” manner.

    Singh had shared the details of the pact to defuse the tense military face-off in eastern Ladakh that severely strained ties between the two Asian giants.

    In an identical statement later in the Lok Sabha, he had said the disengagement process was “going on well”, and that the implementation of the pact will “substantially restore” the situation to the one which existed prior to the standoff that erupted on May 5 last.