MoD: Both sides committed to resolving remaining issues

A partial success has been achieved at ending the 15-month military stalemate along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh with India and China pulling back troops from Patrolling Point (PP) 17-A, also referred to as Gogra.

The disengagement was undertaken as per the agreement arrived at the 12th round of India-China Corps Commander-level talks held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on July 31. The impasse over the other friction point — PP 15, also referred to as Hot Springs — and the Depsang Bulge, a 972-sq km plateau, remains.

Troops have been in a faceoff situation in these areas since May last year. “The disengagement process (at PP-17A) was carried out over two days (August 4 and 5). The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Friday.

“All temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area (along the LAC) by both sides have been dismantled and mutually verified,” said the MoD. The landform in the area has been restored by both sides to the pre-standoff period, the statement added.

“As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner,” the Ministry of Defence said.

The Tribune was the first to report in its edition dated August 3 that ‘Gogra disengagement’ was agreed upon at the July 31 meeting of commanders. The 832-km LAC in Ladakh is undefined on the ground with both sides making claims and counterclaims.

“This agreement (on disengagement) ensures that the LAC in this area will be strictly observed and respected by both sides, and that there is no unilateral change in status quo,” the MoD said.

Following the disengagement, the next steps would include a graded, time-bound and complete “de-escalation and de-induction”, entailing pulling back of troops and war equipment to the pre-April 2020 home bases.

The disengagement at Gogra was the first positive move along the LAC since February 10 this year, when the disengagement was carried out along the banks of Pangong Tso, a 135-km glacial lake. The process was, however, stalled.

Currently, the troops are not face to face, but are within striking range. There has been no faceoff since February.

Courtesy: The Tribune: 06th August, 2021