4 years after standoff with China, Indian Army shares LAC pics

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, April 29

Four years into the military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the Leh-based 14 Corps has, for the first time, put out pictures of Indian troops at forward locations at Depsang, one of the pending friction points with China.

Deadlock persists over Depsang

• The pictures are of a senior military commander from Leh visiting Indian troops
• India and China have conducted 21 rounds of military commander-level talks
• Some troop disengagement has taken place, but talks deadlocked over Depsang

A set of four pictures was posted on X by the 14 Corps on April 26 with the caption, “The braves of the Fire and Fury Corps standing tall and strong at super high-altitude locations in Ladakh”.

Sources said one of the images was of the southern edge of the Depsang at a place called “Bottleneck” in the Raki Nallah valley. The name Bottleneck is derived from the narrow valley that leads across a mountain range. India and China have dug in their heels and stayed put at their respective locations.

The pictures are of a senior military commander from Leh visiting the troops. “Super high altitude” is defined as a location that is in excess of an altitude of 15,000 ft or above. Depsang is part of what the Army defines as Sub-Sector North, where civilian traffic is not allowed north of the village of Shayok near Darbuk. Talks between India and China are deadlocked over the pending resolution of disputes at Depsang, a 972 sq km plateau where the two sides have an issue over troop positions, especially at 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 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 complied with, it cannot be assumed to be business as usual and Indian troops intend to remain at the LAC.

India and China have conducted 21 rounds of military commander-level talks. There has been disengagement of troops at certain locations.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while referring to the ongoing round of talks to ease tensions along the LAC, had on Sunday said, “India is no longer weak ….We should wait for the outcome of the talks. However, I want to assure the countrymen that India has not bowed down anywhere, nor will it ever bow down”.