Military disengagement hits a dead end as China goes back on its promise

The WMCC is expected take up the issue on Friday

China India Rivalry

Ten days after the meeting between military commanders of India and China, the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control has hit a dead end, according to senior official based in South Block.

Chinese People's Liberation Army has not pulled back from the areas agreed upon by two military commanders, including from Pangong Tso, or from the areas of Gogra post and Hot Springs where they have undertaken a lot of construction activities, including pillboxes and bunkers. Besides, massive deployment on Depsang Plains remains an issue of concern for Indian military.

On July 14, XIV Corps Commander Lt General Harinder Singh held a 15-hour meeting with his Chinese counterpart Major General Liu Lin, Commander of South Xinjiang Military District, at Chushul Border Meeting Point on Indian side to discuss the modalities of next phase of disengagement and subsequent de-esclation between the two sides.

In order give a push to the disengagement, meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs is scheduled for Friday.

"WMCC is expected take up the issue, which were discussed during the military commanders' meeting on July 14. Chinese military has taken an adamant stand by not honouring the agreements. Next few days will be very crucial," said an officer based in South Block. Troops pull back from patrolling Point 17A in Hot Spring and finger 4 area of Pangong Tso is yet to be undertaken by the Chinese side.

The adamant stand of the Chinese side has forced the Indian Army to re-calibrate its move. The Army has already deployed close to 40,000 troops in Eastern Ladakh sector and these troops needs to be rotated as deployment on high altitude area is very difficult.

"Additional movement of troops is required to carry out rotation of deployed force. Apart from additional troops deployment, advance winter stocking is also underway to prepare for long haul on the eastern Ladakh sector," an officer said.

Chinese People's Liberation Army has amassed nearly 50,000 troops on multiple locations in the Eastern Ladakh sector by setting up permanent bunkers, pillboxes and observation posts. The Tibetan Plateau on the Chinese side gave an advantage to PLA to move swiftly to do the build up, with better infrastructure and road connectivity.

Locals in trouble

Chinese incursion on the Pangong Tso is giving tough time to the local people as nomadic communities depend on the pastures around Pangong Tso (Tso means lake in Ladakhi language) to feed their livestock. Locals claim that it is usual for the Chinese to gradually intrude into their territory and usurp pasture lands on which nomads are dependent. "They have intruded into Pangong in pitch darkness. From the villages, we can see the lights from where they have pitched their camps in the Pangong Tso," Namgyal Durbuk, a resident of Durbuk and an ex-coucillor told THE WEEK. He blamed Indian security agencies, to some extent, for the incursions by the Chinese. He cited an instance of the Indian authorities demolishing commercial tourist structures along the banks of Pangong Lake, citing violation of Wildlife Act.

"Had these commercial set ups were not demolished, we could have easily detected Chinese intrusion into Pangong Tso area. Taking advantage of darkness, Chinese troops managed to enter eight kilometers inside Indian territory," Durbuk said, and added that they (Chinese) have built permanent structures along with mettle roads up to the areas between Finger 4 and 8, including a helipad and two observation posts on the ridge of Finger 4.

T. Angchuk, a camp owner in Pangong Tso area, said Ladakh attracts more than three lakh tourists every year ever since Pangong lake was first opened for tourists in the year 1994 and the business set-up was initiated by the tourism department.

"The government decision to demolish the tourist structures had left more than 500 people jobless. Besides, tourism activities by these temporary tents were preventing the Chinese from staking claim on territory," T. Angchuk said. He added that similar to Pangong Tso, Tsomoriri lake and Nubra Valley also have such commercial structures.

He further said the government should encourage border tourism to Pangoing and Shyok river side by developing road infrastructure.

Authorities in Ladakh is reviving a 2014 proposal of Rs. 650 crore for development of border areas, aimed at betterment of nomadic tribes and preventing migration from the region.

The serene Pangong Tso is divided into eight fingers. Slopes of the barren mountains jut forward into the lake are referred to as fingers in military parlance. Traditionally, India claims that its territory goes until the easternmost finger (number 8). But, gradually, both sides have agreed to an understanding that while India will control from fingers 1 to 4, Chinese military will be in control of figures 5 to 8. But both sides only used to patrol in these areas. While India has its last overlooking observation post close to finger 3, China has it on finger 8.

"Between Finger-4 and Finger 8, Chinese have encroached into entire 8km-long stretch on Pangong Tso. They have encroached all dominating heights in the region," an officer said.

Though thinning of troops from Finger 4 has happened, Chinese troops are sitting on the ridge lines of Finger 4.

Out of total of 134km, western portion of nearly 45km of the Pangong lake is under Indian control, while the rest is under China’s control. Crashing of Chinese and Indian boats in Pangong Tso is very common in absence of defined territory in water.