India China Deal – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

• India and China have been locked in a stand-off for months, along the Pangong Lake Region.
• On 10^th February, 2021, China’s military announced that front line troops of India and China had begun disengaging in a “synchronised and organised” manner from the north and southbanks of Pangong lake, in Ladakh.
• India’s Defence minister Rajnath Singh gave a statement about talks in parliament on 11 February .
• The disengagement is in line with the consensus reached in the 9^th round of Corps Commanders talks on January 24, 2021.

• Troops from both sides have started disengaging from the Pangong Tso area in eastern Ladakh.
• As of now, the disengagement process will be restricted to the north and south banks of Pangong Tso.
• The agreement effectively means that China will vacate the Finger areaon the north bank of Pangong Tso.
• India will have to climb down from the advantageous position it has taken on the southern side of the lake.

• In April, 2020, China had stopped Indian patrols in the Finger area of Pangong Tso.
• The Indian troops have not been able to patrol beyond Finger 4 since the last week of April 2020 after China had ingressed about 8 km.
• Earlier, the Indian troops could patrol up to Finger 8.
• The other areas where the faceoff took place are the Depsang plains, Galwan, Gogra-Hot Springs and the south bank of Pangong.
• China had positioned its troops on the ridgeline connecting Fingers 3 and 4.
• According to India the LAC passes through Finger 8.
• In the south bank of the lake the Indian forces in an action in late August had gained strategic advantage by occupying certain peaks.
• Indian troops had positioned themselves on heights of Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Gurung Hill, Rezang La and Rechin La, which were unoccupied by either side earlier.

• Since then, the Chinese side had been particularly sensitive as these positions allowed India to dominate Spanggur Gap.
• The Spanggur Gap is a two-km wide valley that can be used to launch an offensive, as China had done in 1962.
• They also allow India a direct view of China’s Moldo Garrison.
• After this action India had also re-positioned its troops on the north bank to occupy heights overlooking Chinese positions on the north bank as well.

The Deal now

• China will pull its troops on the north bank towards the east of Finger 8.
• India will now position its forces at its permanent base at the Dhan Singh Thapa post near Finger 3.
• Similar action will be taken by both the parties in the south bank area as well.

Creation of a Buffer Zone

• The area between Finger 3 and Finger 8 will become a no-patrolling (buffer) zone
• All the construction done by both sides on the north and south banks of the lake since April 2020 will be removed.
• This will restore the situation to before the standoff of last year.
• Depsang and Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) junction in Demchok sector are not part of the current disengagement plan.
• Will be discussed in the next meeting.

• Military veterans have termed the Chinese offer of disengagement from the south bank of the Pangong Lake as a “trap”.
• They say India should press for disengagement from all friction points along the LAC.
• Currently, India holds till Finger 4 but claims till Finger 8 as per alignment of the LAC.
• The PLA has altered the unmarked LAC at the friction points last year and is believed to have taken over a sizeable portion of Indian territory.

• Critics have asked why disengagement should be restricted to one or two places, when there is a massive build-up all across the LAC.
• The ground assessment has revealed that the PLA troops are attempting the change the status quo in eastern Ladakh at several fronts.
• With this deal, Indian troops will have to withdraw from their advantageous position, raising fears that India will lose territory.

• Some experts say that with this disengagement deal, India has accepted the Chinese 1959 Claim Line as the new LAC in all areas except Demchok-Fukche area in the Indus Valley.
• The 1959 Claim Line and the buffer zones between it and the existing LAC, are well demarcated.
• In time, this agreement may lead to China giving up all other claims in Central Sector and northeast with minor adjustments.
• On 15^th June 2020, the disengagement process at the Galwan Valley had gone awry when 20 Indian soldiers were killed and at least 76 injured during a violent clash with the Chinese troops inside the Indian side of the LAC.
• This was followed by massive deployment of troops and fighter jets by both sides, along the border.

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!