News Analysis India

Tag: Ladakh standoff

  • India, China maintaining close communication on next round of military talks: MEA

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India and China have agreed to hold the next round of senior commander-level meetings soon and both sides are maintaining close communication over diplomatic and military channels on it, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

    Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh for over eight months as multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks have not yet produced any major breakthrough.

    “Both sides have agreed to hold the next round of the senior commander level meeting soon and we are in close communication over diplomatic and military channels in this regard,” Spokesperson in the ministry Anurag Srivastava said.

    He was replying to a question on the next round of military talks at a media briefing.

    The eighth and last round of military talks between the two sides had taken place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

    India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

    In a clear message to China, Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane last week said India is committed to resolving the eastern Ladakh standoff through talks but no one should make any mistake of testing its patience.

    Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

    This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 last year on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

    The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

  • Indian Army has shown immense grit to match Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh: Top commander

    By PTI
    UDHAMPUR: A top Indian Army commander on Friday said the force has shown immense grit and determination to match the Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh and gave a befitting reply, adding talks on the military standoff are being held with the PLA from a position of “equivalence”.

    “Today, I am extremely satisfied with all the actions that the northern command has taken towards the end of August last year now, we are in a position of operational advantage and are negotiating with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from a position of equivalence,” General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-In-C) Northern Command, Lt Gen Y K Joshi told reporters here.

    Around four months back, Indian troops occupied a number of strategic heights in the Mukhpari, Rechin La and Magar hill areas around the southern bank of the Pangong lake after the PLA attempted to intimidate them in the area on the intervening night of August 29 and 30.

    The Indian Army has been holding onto the heights despite objections from Chinese military.

    Gen Joshi said the northern command is facing a triple challenge posed by China, Pakistan and the internal security situation.

    “At northern command, we are contending with a triple challenge. Firstly, we have a western adversary Pakistan which has not yet relented from using terror as a state policy at the northern border we have seen the Chinese belligerence along the LAC third is the internal security situation,” he said.

    “We all got involved in the fight against the (COVID-19) pandemic. It was followed by the PLA act in Ladakh which had us totally occupied… we had our hands full with the job,” the general said.

    The Chinese tried to change the status quo in eastern Ladakh which is being contested with resolve by the Indian Army, he added.

    Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5 as multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks have not produced any breakthrough yet.

    Gen Joshi said the internal security situation is stable and under control but has propensity to flare up any time.

    “We are upholding the idea of India”, he added.

  • India & China continue to maintain close communication: MEA on Ladakh standoff

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India and China continue to maintain close communication through diplomatic and military channels with the objective of ensuring complete disengagement at all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) said on Thursday.

    The MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the two sides have agreed to hold the next round of military talks and are in constant communication in this regard.

    “India and China continue to maintain close communication through diplomatic and military channels with the objective of ensuring complete disengagement in all friction points along the LAC in the western sector and for full restoration of peace and tranquillity,” he told a media briefing.

    Srivastava was responding to a question on the status of talks between the two countries on the military face-off in eastern Ladakh.

    The troops of the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) are locked in a standoff for over eight months.

    Last month, India and China held another round of diplomatic talks under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.

    “As you are aware, the latest round of WMCC was held on December 18. The two sides have agreed to hold the next round of senior commanders’ meeting, and are in constant communication through diplomatic and military channels in this regard,” Srivastava said.

    The eighth and last round of military talks between the two sides took place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

    Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday hoped for an amicable resolution of the standoff through talks based on “mutual and equal security”.

    The Chief of Army Staff at the same time asserted that Indian troops are fully prepared to deal with any eventuality along the LAC and will hold their ground as long as it takes to achieve the “national goals and objectives.”

    India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

    Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

    This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

    The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

  • Indian Army to hold ground at LAC till needed, says General Naravane

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Army will hold on to its positions in eastern Ladakh — where it’s in a standoff with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — till as long as required, General MM Naravane said on Tuesday. While expressing the hope that an amicable solution can be reached through “dialogue and discussion”, the Army chief said, “If talks are prolonged, so be it.

    We are prepared to hold our ground, where we are, for as long as needed to achieve our national goals.” He was addressing the media on the eve of the Army Day. On reports that China has moved troops further away from the border in depth areas, General Naravane said not much should be read into the move as there is no reduction in deployment of personnel at the frontline.

    ALSO READ | Relations with China disturbed by bloodshed last year, says S Jaishankar

    “Training areas have been vacated by China in depth areas which lie at a distance ranging between 500-1500 km from the border. No decrease of strength on either side on friction areas has taken place,” he said.   The Army is maintaining a vigil on the entire northern border, the chief said, adding that there are friction points with China not just in eastern Ladakh but in other sectors, too.

    “No eyeballs-to-eyeballs deployment in eastern and central sector, but there are friction points. Rebalancing as per threat perception is carried out. Rebalancing to northern border was required and it has taken place.”

  • Border standoff: Chinese soldier captured on Indian side of LAC in Ladakh

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Indian Army has caught a Chinese PLA soldier who ‘transgressed’ to the Indian side of the LAC on the southern bank of Pangong Tso on Friday.

    Army on Saturday informed, “During early hours of January 8, a Chinese soldier was apprehended on the Indian side of the LAC in Ladakh, in area South of Pangong Tso lake.” 

    All protocols are being followed and the Chinese side was informed about the event. “The PLA soldier is being dealt with as per laid down procedures and circumstances under which he had crossed the LAC are being investigated.” 

    The capture of the Chinese soldier comes in the midst of an eight-month-long bitter border standoff between the two armies in eastern Ladakh.

    Troops from both sides are deployed along the LAC since the friction erupted last year due to unprecedented mobilization and forward concentration by Chinese troops.

    It was after the Indian Army took heights on the South Bank of Pangong Tso that the entire dynamics of the standoff of the Eastern Ladakh had changed completely.  Since September 2020, Indian soldiers are deployed on the hilltops along the LAC to keep an eye on every move of the Chinese side. Earlier, the Chinese tried to push the Indian Army back but in vain. 

  • Commanders’ meet unlikely soon as India, China refuse to budge

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The next India-China Corps Commanders meeting is unlikely to take place soon as both sides are sticking to their positions regarding deployments and disengagement of troops along the various standoff points in eastern Ladakh.

    India and China have held eight rounds of the Corps Commander talks, with the last one taking place at Chushul on November 6. At the 20th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs on December 18, the two neighbours had agreed to hold another round of talks for taking forward the process of disengagement on the LAC.

    “(But) there is no common ground on the issues to hold the meeting. We are in favour of the option to resolve things through discussions, but the  Chinese side will have to maintain status quo as was in April (last year),” said a senior Army officer. 

    While China has been pressing for discussing troop withdrawal from the south bank of Pangong Tso first and other friction areas later, India is firm on discussing all the contentious areas of Ladakh simultaneously.  

    Temperature has plummeted to around minus 400 C in the remote region making movements restricted, but both sides are maintaining regular contact. “The movement from both sides has ceased,” the officer said. Troops of the two countries along with military support of armoured vehicles are deployed in eastern Ladakh since the Galwan clash.

  • Ladakh standoff: India confident of taking front on its own, China shocked

    This problem is coming more in front of the workers, who have been moving from one institution to another during their service. The central government has now directed all its offices to report the missing credit of GPF account every financial year.

    A major hurdle has come to the fore about the ‘GPF’, the General Provident Fund of retired central government employees. It has been seen that the correct situation is not being revealed regarding the GPF account of many retired personnel. If interest has not been added to the amount in the account of an employee, then the correct amount is not shown anywhere.
    The main reason for this is that the credit entry in the GPF account of the personnel is not timely. This problem is coming more in front of the workers, who have been moving from one institution to another during their service. The central government has now directed all its offices to report the missing credit of GPF account every financial year. This information will be sent to the officer who will be responsible for deduction of GPF subscription. This information will also be given to the worker whose GPF reduction has been found.
     According to the Pension Department of the Government of India, complaints of many retired workers were coming from the last few days. His problem was with his GPF. Workers who go from one institution to another during their service, go on deputation abroad or move to another cadre under the All India Service, have had a problem with GPF.

    This is because the salary bills that are made by an establishment and the GPF amount are deducted are different from the earlier department. This deficiency also comes due to lack of adequate coordination between the two departments. Such problems can be got rid of if information is exchanged between the two departments in coordination and on time.

    In order to remove such complaints and to maintain transparency in administration, it has been decided that every office must keep a record of the missing credit entry of GPF account and inform the concerned employee and the officer every financial year. Those responsible for deduction of GPF subscription.

    Two years before the retirement of the employee and a year after the retirement, the complete details of the GPF account of the concerned employee should be given. This should include all entries of credit, debit and interest related to service. In such cases any employee can apply for hearing in his office.

    Such cases will be resolved in 60 days. All ministries and departments have been asked to strictly follow these instructions.