Explainer| Road to Disengagement; a look at the prevailing situation on the LAC

60 years after the Sino-India war, this newspaper takes a look at the prevailing situation on the LAC

The Indian Army and Chinese PLA personnel standing in front of the Bumla BPM Hut before the meeting, October 1, 2019

What is LAC?

Undemarcated borders between India and China where both countries exercise actual control on ground and have differing perceptions

Line of Actual Control (LAC): 3,488km
3 sectors — Western (Eastern Ladakh), Central sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Eastern Sector (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh)
Current standoff in Eastern Ladakh (832km)

Statewise LAC

• Ladakh— 832km
• Jammu & Kashmir— 635km
• Himachal Pradesh— 200km
• Uttarakhand— 345km
• Sikkim— 220km
• Arunachal Pradesh— 1,126km

Disengagement points

• Galwan
• North Bank, South Bank of Pangong Tso (Lake)
• Gogra
• Gogra-Hot Springs (PP 15)

(Eastern Ladakh has 65 PP (patrolling points) with first one close to Karakoram Pass and the last towards Demchok (some PPs have sub-points as well)

Disengagement Timeline

• Galwan (PP 14)—June 2020
• Pangong Tso (North & South Banks)—February 2021
• Gogra (PP17A)—August 2021
• Gogra-Hotsprings (PP15)— September 2022

View of road to LAC in North Sikkim

Friction Points

• An increase of 5 friction points which include 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 5, 2020, two Mutually Agreed Disputed Areas (Trig Heights and Demchok) and 10 Areas of Differing Perceptions 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

Key CBMs & Pacts

Panchsheel Agreement signed in Beijing on April 29, 1955
Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility signed in Beijing on September 7, 1993
Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field signed in New Delhi on November 29, 1996
Protocol between India and China on Modalities for the Implementation of Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field in the India-China Border Areas April 11, 2005
Agreement on Border Defence Cooperation on October 23, 2013

Contact Points
5 Border Personnel Meeting Huts between India and Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) on each side of the LAC spread out in Eastern and Western Sectors
Also, 1 Hotline between India and TAR is in Sikkim

Corps Commanders talks

Technical term for Corps Commanders Talks is Senior Highest Military Commander Level (SHMCL); so far there have been 16 rounds of talks; Post-Galwan, talks took place for the first time on June 6, 2020. Else, matters were resolved at the Higher Commander Level (Major General) meetings.