NEW DELHI: Troops of the Indian Army and Chinese PLA have disengaged to their designated points as per the agreement reached by the Corps Commanders of the two sides.
An Army source on Wednesday said, "The disengagement is completed and modalities for patrolling are being firmed up between ground commanders (Brigadiers and below) and it will commence soon."
Verification on the ground is in progress, with further discussions to be held on routes, schedule and patrolling size, said sources, adding that patrols will consist of around 20 personnel who will be carrying their weapons.
In a sign of improvement, military personnel will exchange sweets at the traditional points along the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control.
The current disengagement is only for Depsang and Demchok. Army sources added that while the disengagement has been completed, talks will continue at the local Commanders level.
Also, talks regarding the other standoff points along the 832-km LAC in eastern Ladakh will continue. This is in the wake of troops having disengaged from the other five standoff points which cropped up in May 2020 as the Chinese PLA moved into these areas after the clashes at the Finger Four on the North bank of the Pangong Tso.
Patrolling limits and buffer zones in areas where disengagement has already taken place did not come within the ambit of the agreement.
As per the recent patrolling agreement, Indian Army troops will touch the five patrolling points ahead of the bottleneck area where the PLA had pitched its tents.
The agreement between the Corps Commanders was inked on October 21 and disengagement along with dismantling of temporary structures began on October 23. These are aimed at forces returning to their April 2020 positions.
Troops are moving back from points near the Y-Junction in Depsang and the Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok, but they remain in the vicinity, said sources.
While grazing grounds are located near Demchok, with the nullah in proximity, the terrain near Depsang is rugged and rocky, housing several patrolling points.
Although troops are withdrawing from standoff points, no change in overall troop strength or infrastructure has occurred. "Only temporary structures, including tents and shades, have been dismantled. The withdrawals are mutual and will proceed in phases. Patrolling may take time, depending on the removal of structures set up since the April 2020 clashes. Physical verification and surveillance are being conducted in these areas," a source said.
"There is a Line of Actual Control (LAC), perceived differently by both sides. The patrolling points were not sacrosanct locations, and there are also patrolling limits that are followed," explained the source.
"We will be touching the patrolling points in the Depsang sector," another source added.
The draft framework for the disengagement was prepared with inputs from the Ministry of External Affairs and confirmed by military officials, including the Corps Commander.
The last patrol in the Depsang area was conducted in January 2020, so ambiguity remains regarding the patrolling limit, which both sides will explore -- India up to its perception line and the PLA up to theirs.
Confidence-building measures have been introduced, including coordinated patrolling. "Both sides will inform each other of their patrols to avoid any face-offs or incidents. Surveillance mechanisms will also be established to monitor activities. The size of the patrolling party has been fixed, and Indian soldiers will carry weapons while patrolling," said a source.
Significance of Depsang disengagement
The standoff at Depsang is significant, as Chinese troops blocked access to five patrolling points -- 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13. The blocked area is around 952 sq. km, according to sources.
There are 65 patrolling points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, stretching from the south of the Karakoram Pass to the southern part of Demchok. The five patrolling points in question are east of the strategic Sub-Sector North road, close to the LAC but within Indian territory.
Sub-Sector North, which includes Depsang, is strategically vital. The terrain permits large-scale armour operations, and China has multiple roads supplying the area, while India relies on the DSDBO Road. Depsang is also a crucial link to Siachen and the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) airfield. The Y-Junction is about 20 km from DBO.
At Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok, a few Chinese tents remain, highlighting the ongoing complexities, as the LAC passes through CNJ.
In response to Chinese troop movements in 2020, India deployed over 68,000 troops, 90 tanks, 330 Infantry Combat Vehicles, and other artillery to forward positions.
The situation along the LAC remains critical, requiring vigilance and strategic patience from both sides.
This agreement does not cover disengagement in other areas where the standoff began in April 2020. Talks continue regarding buffer zones and patrolling limits in those areas, where disengagement has already occurred.
Disengagement in Galwan, Gogra, Hot Springs, and the north and south banks of Pangong Tso took place earlier. De-induction after disengagement will depend on building trust, followed by de-escalation.
Increase in places of "contention"
All disengagements, including previous ones, have been based on the principle of mutual and equal security, without prejudice to either side's claims over the LAC.
Both sides have differing perceptions of the boundary, which has been contested since the 1962 border war. This has led to recurring friction between forces due to divergent views on its alignment.
With the standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, there were five additional friction points which include the area around Kilometer 120 in Galwan, PP15 and PP17A at Shoksha La on the North of the Pangong and Rechin La and Rezang La to the South of Pangong
Before May 2020, two Mutually Agreed Disputed Areas (Trig Heights and Demchok) and 10 Areas of Differing Perceptions were at Samar Lungpa, Depsang Bulge, Areas east of Pt 6556, Crossing of Charding Nullah, Kongka La, Pangong Tso, Spanggur Gap, Mt Sajjum, Dumchele and Chumar
Three levels of talks
After multiple standoffs and dense deployment in eastern Ladakh, for the first time the Corps Commanders (Senior Higher Military Commander Level: SCML) from the two sides were involved in discussing a resolution. Earlier, the Division Commanders (Higher Military Commander Level: HCML) were the highest-level officers resolving the ground situation. Below it come the Local Commander level and Delegation Level (Sector Commander or Brigadier level) talks which have been going on regularly.
As part of mechanisms for communication at ground commander level, the Armed forces of the two countries have got a total of six hotlines at Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO) and Chushul in Ladakh, Kongra La (at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region) and Nathu La in Sikkim, and at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sweet exchange points
The sweets will be exchanged at the traditional points which are the five Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) Huts between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) on each side of the LAC spread out in Eastern and Western Sectors
There are four scheduled BPMs every year -- Jan 26, May 1, August 15, and October 1. BPMs have taken place on Diwali and Baisakhi, but these are not part of the official schedule as of now.
There are five designated spots on each side. The Indian side has Chushul, Demchok, Nathu La, Bum La and Kibithu.