New Disengagement Agreement in Eastern Ladakh

• In the first major breakthrough in talks to resolve the nine-month military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, China’s Defence Ministry announced that Chinese and Indian troops on the southern and northern shores of Pangong Tso began “synchronized and organized disengagement” in line with the consensus reached between Corps Commanders when they last met on January 24.
• The Length of India-China Line of Actual control is 3488 km.
• While there was no statement from the Indian Army, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Rajya Sabha Thursday about the “present situation in eastern Ladakh.”

What does this disengagement process entail?

• According to the statement made by Rajnath Singh in Rajya Sabha, “both sides will remove the forward deployment in a phased, coordinated and verified manner”.
• “China will pull its troops on the north bank towards the east of Finger 8. Similarly, India will also 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.”
• Both sides have also agreed that the area between Finger 3 and Finger 8 will become a no-patrolling zone temporarily, till both sides reach an agreement through military and diplomatic discussions to restore patrolling.
• Further, all the construction done by both sides on the north and south banks of the lake since April 2020 will be removed.
• Based on this agreement action started from Wednesday, he said, on the north and south bank. “It is expected that this will restore the situation to before the standoff of last year,” Singh said.
• Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, had said in a written statement on Wednesday: “The Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the southern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake start synchronized and organized disengagement from February 10.”
• “This move is in accordance with the consensus reached by both sides at the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting,” the Chinese statement said.
• It is important to note that the process, as announced, will send Indian and Chinese troops back to their traditional bases on the north bank. While India has its traditional base at the Dhan Singh Thapa Post, just west of Finger 3, China has had its base east of Finger 8.

Why is this area important?

• The north and south banks of Pangong Tso are two of the most significant and sensitive regions when it comes to the current standoff that began in May 2020. What makes the areas around the shores of the lake so sensitive and important is that clashes here marked the beginning of the standoff; it is one of the areas where the Chinese troops had come around 8 km deep west of India’s perception of the Line of Actual Control.
• China had positioned its troops on the ridgeline connecting Fingers 3 and 4, while according to India the LAC passes through Finger 8.
• Further, it is in the south bank of the lake that Indian forces in an action in late August had gained strategic advantage by occupying certain peaks, outwitting the Chinese. 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 not only dominate Spanggur Gap, which 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.
• During this jostling, warning shots had been fired more than once. And troops from the two sides had been sitting just a few hundred meters apart from each other at many of these heights, making the region a tinderbox.

Why has this taken so long?

• Since September, China has insisted that India first pull its troops back from the south bank of Pangong Tso, and the Chushul sub-sector. However, India has been demanding that any disengagement process should include the entire region, and troops should go back to their April 2020 positions.
• However, it seems that for now both sides have agreed to first disengage from the Pangong Tso area only.
• Singh mentioned on Thursday that in the military and diplomatic discussions with China since last year, “we have told China that we want a solution to the issue on the basis of three principles:
  • (i) LAC should be accepted and respected by both the parties.
  • (ii)Neither party should attempt to change the status quo unilaterally.
  • (iii)All agreements should be fully adhered to by both parties.
• Also, for disengagement in the friction areas, he said, “India is of the view that the forward deployments of 2020 which are very close to each other should be pulled back and both the armies should return to their permanent and recognized posts”.

Timeline of India-China Border Faceoff:

• On May 5, the two sides came to blows on the banks of Pangong Lake, where Ladakh meets Tibet.
• On May 9, dozens of soldiers from both sides tussled along the Sikkim-Tibet border, resulting in injuries on both sides.
• On June 6, the First three-star (lieutenant general) level officers meet at Chushul-Moldo BPM point.
• On June 15, Galwan valley clash. According to Indian sources, melee fighting on 15/16 June 2020 resulted in
  the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and casualties of 43 Chinese soldiers.
• On June 30, the Third round of China-India commanders' talks.
• On July 3, Indian Prime Minister Modi visits military posts in Ladakh and delivers a speech saying that the
  "age of expansionism" is over.
• On September, 10 Foreign affairs ministers of China and India meet in Moscow and agree upon five point joint
  statement.
• On January 24, Ninth round of military commanders talks.
• On January 11, The initial disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops near Pangong Lake.
• On February 19, China announces the deaths of four of its soldiers during the 2020 Galwan clash.
• On February 21, Tenth round of military commanders talks
• On February 22, Both Chinese and Indian troops complete the pull-back of forces from Pangong Lake.

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