Chinese troops non-committal about retreat
India keeps wary eye along LAC
NEW DELHI: Chinese troops have not moved back from the Line of Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in line with the consensus arrived at during the disengagement talks between India and China, sources said on Saturday.
Seeing the "non-committal approach" of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops, India maintains that the process of disengagement is "intricate and requires constant verification".
The sources in the Indian security establishments said that the Chinese retreat a bit and then return; so there is a need for "constant verification" of the consensus achieved during the meetings between Indian and Chinese military delegates.
It has been found that Indian and Chinese troops have pulled back at Pangong Lake by 2 km and Finger 4 is empty. However, the Chinese are still camping on the ridge line. This clearly indicates that the Chinese had camped at Finger 4 that had traditionally been under Indian control.
The Chinese had come in 8 km into the Indian territory, all the way till Finger 4 from Finger 8. India maintains that the LAC runs through Finger 8. Mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as fingers.
In Galwan Valley, which is called 'Patrolling Point 14', distance between Indian and Chinese troops is three km. At 'Patrolling Point 15', the distance between troops is around eight km.
But in Hot Springs, that is 'Patrolling Point 17', 40-50 troops on both sides are just 600-800 meters apart. The Chinese Army had retreated as per the consensus but again returned.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, during his visit to Ladakh, said that India wants peace but there is no guarantee of the final outcome of talks with China. Singh also reviewed the ground situation in the hostile border areas.
India and China are engaged in military and diplomatic deliberations to de-escalate the tense situation in the border areas in Ladakh. The countries are locked in a 10-week-long stand-off at multiple points, hitherto unprecedented along the border. (IANS)