4 years after face-off with China, only partial success on LAC disengagement

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, May 5

It was four years ago in April 2020 that China started amassing troops, hundreds of guns, tanks, missiles and long range artillery on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Massive build-up on india, china sides

• The build-up on both sides is bigger and holds greater threat than the one observed in 1962 or the armed clash of 1967 at Nathu La in eastern Sikkim or at Sumdorong Chu in Arunachal Pradesh in 1986
• Among the unresolved issues along the LAC is a build-up on Depsang, a 972-sq-km plateau at an altitude of 16,000 feet that holds the key to tension resolution
• Talks are deadlocked over the pending resolution of disputes over troop positions, especially at a “bottleneck” on the eastern edge of Depsang

India had responded in equal measure. Post April 2020, the Narendra Modi government ramped up troop numbers, added equipment and moved elements of the 1 Strike Corps at Mathura to Ladakh.

By the first week of May 2020, the two sides were locked in a military standoff; and it continues. The situation has somewhat improved, but the total restoration of status as in April 2020 has not been achieved.

There were face-offs between troops of either side with greater frequency in mid-April 2020 followed by clashes in the month-end and first week of May. By the first week of May, India had responded and moved its troops to face the Chinese.

Troops of the two nuclear-armed neighbours also had a deadly clash in the Galwan valley. Both sides have fired bullets at each other. Multiple physical clashes have led to injuries. After 21 rounds of military commander-level talks, there has been a partial success. There have been disengagement of troops at certain locations. And importantly, all agreements on maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC were disregarded by China.

The build-up on both sides is bigger and holds greater threat than the one observed in 1962 or the armed clash of 1967 at Nathu La in eastern Sikkim or at Sumdorong Chu in Arunachal Pradesh in 1986.

Among the unresolved issues along the LAC is a build-up on Depsang, a 972-sq-km plateau at an altitude of 16,000 feet that holds the key to tension resolution. Through the Depsang plateau passes the 255-km Darbuk-Shyok-DBO (DSDBO) road that links the DBO advanced landing ground and the Karakoram pass.

Talks are deadlocked over the pending resolution of disputes over troop positions especially at a “bottleneck” on the eastern edge of Depsang.

India has already suggested to China that a graded three-step process is needed to ease the standoff. The first is disengagement of troops within the close proximity of each other in grey zones along the LAC and getting back to positions as on April 2020.

The next two steps — de-escalation and de-induction — will entail pulling back troops and equipment to the pre-April 2020 levels. Till that is agreed upon and followed, it cannot be assumed to be business as usual and Indian troops intend to remain at the LAC.