ISLAMABAD: The Chinese Army has been ramping up its strategic reserves in its rear bases near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by rushing in artillery guns, infantry combat vehicles and heavy military equipment in Ladakh region.
The trigger for the face-off is China's stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso Lake, besides the construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley. It has been revealed by official Indian wire service PTI quoting sources after high echelon China-India diplomatic and military engagements on the question of tension.
Interestingly China isn’t attaching any importance to what Indians have been talking about, but Indian media is highlighting the contacts out of proportion.
A section of Indian media has reported that Chinese and Indian troops have begun mutual disengagement in “some parts” of eastern Ladakh ahead of the next round of military talks scheduled today (Wednesday) government sources said. Top military talks are to be held in the ‘Hot Springs’ area of eastern Ladakh. Sources say ahead of the talks, a "significant" number of Chinese troops have withdrawn. Except the Finger region in Pangong Tso, Chinese troops have started pulling back two to three km, they say.
To reciprocate, the Indian side has also brought back troops and vehicles from these areas, said top sources. China has captured more than 60km area in the region during last month action. Talks between the two armies are to be held this week at multiple locations including Patrolling point 14 (Galwan area), Patrolling point 15, and Hot Springs, ANI quoted government sources as saying.
The Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement earlier, said both the countries had agreed to work to maintain peace along the LAC and resolve the standoff through talks. Tension between the two sides sharply escalated after reports of skirmishes between soldiers in the Pangong Lake region on May 5 and May 6. India was insistent that since the Chinese began the buildup on their side of the LAC by bringing in artillery and more troops it will have to be the first to begin de-induction. Both sides will do so simultaneously, but the beginning of the de-induction to peacetime locations and not the operational locations that they are in right now needs to be begun by China, was the point made by the Indian delegation. India has set a precondition that the Chinese side must withdraw to its pre-May 8 positions.
There was no agreement about the Indian demand, the sources said.
In the meanwhile, Indian opposition parties are taking on Modi government regarding humiliation being faced by India in Ladakh. A day after his “everyone knows the reality” of border situation jibe, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh whether China has occupied the Indian territory in Ladakh. “Once RN is done commenting on the hand symbol, can he answer: Have the Chinese occupied Indian territory in Ladakh,” he asked on Twitter. Singh had on Monday hit out at Gandhi with a couplet of noted Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, saying when there is pain in the hand, one takes medicine, but what does one do when the hand itself is a pain. “Hand” is the Congress party’s election symbol.
Gandhi and Singh have been engaged in war of words on Twitter since Monday evening on the issue and have been taking swipes at each other by using couplets of Ghalib.