Announcing the contours of India-China troop pullout plans in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday informed the Parliament that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers would move east of Finger 8 on the northern bank of the Pangong lake while Indian Army men would stay at their permanent base near Finger 3 on the same side of the turquoise blue water body that straddles the disputed border between the two countries.
A contentious 10 km stretch between Finger 3 and Finger 8 – patrolled by the Indian troops since 1962 war – will be a no-patrol zone for the time being as India and China agreed upon a “temporary moratorium on military activities by both sides in the north bank including patrolling to the traditional areas.”
The fingers refer to mountain spurs on the northern banks of the boomerang-shaped Pangong Tso, through which the Line of Actual Control between India and China passes.
Traditionally India patrolled up to Finger 8, but last summer Indian troops were stopped in their tracks at Finger 4 by the PLA soldiers triggering a nine month long stand-off and precipitating the worst Sino-Indian border crisis since 1962.
Patrolling in the contentious zone would resume only when both sides reach an agreement in diplomatic and military talks that would be held subsequently, the Defence Minister said, asserting that India didn’t concede anything at the mutually agreed disengagement plan.
Read: India, China reach pact on disengagement in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh: Rajnath Singh
“The implementation of this agreement has started Wednesday in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake. It will substantially restore the situation that existed prior to the commencement of the standoff last year.”
The disengagement process began a fortnight after the ninth round of the Corps Commander level meeting between the Indian Army and the PLA, in which the two sides agreed on lowering the heat by pulling back troops and weapons.
As per the agreement, the Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the north bank area to the east of Finger 8. Reciprocally, the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. Similar action would be taken in the South Bank area by both sides. There would be no thinning at the tactical heights as well as other friction points.
These are mutual and reciprocal steps and any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in the north and south bank area will be removed and landforms will be restored. Within 48 hours of completing the disengagement, senior-level military commanders from the two countries would meet to decide on the next course of action.
Singh admitted that there were still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, which would be the focus of further discussions with the Chinese side.
While the minister didn’t identify the area, Army sources said that the reference was to the Depsang plains near Daulat Beg Oldie airfield, when traditional Indian patrolling routes were blocked by the PLA troops even before last year’s flare-up.