NEW DELHI: Division commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies met on Saturday for a long overdue discussion on the Depsang bulge standoff in eastern Ladakh. "Major Generals of both sides met at 11am at Daulat Beg Oldi. Depsang is included in the itinerary," a senior army officer said.
The two sides will also discuss other areas where talks for disengagement have not made much progress. The Indian side is being led by Major General Abhijit Bapat, the General Officer Commanding of the 3 Division, which is entrusted with defending LAC in Ladakh.
The meeting is significant as the Depsang area has remained out of the discussions so far. The Chinese army has moved to a point called the Y-Junction at the Depsang bulge, a narrow outlet. The Chinese are in a position to prevent Indian soldiers from reaching five patrolling points, each of which cover an area of 10-15 sq km.
The patrolling points are 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13. The Chinese side has not honoured an agreement between the Corps Commanders for disengagement from all the standoff points. While the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has moved back from the Galwan Valley, it has continued its presence at Gogra (PP 17A) and on the ridge of Finger 4 on the northern side of the Pangong Lake.
The ambiguous behaviour of the PLA has prompted the Indian side to begin preparations for a long haul, with winter stocking of troops in full swing. So far five Corps Commander level talks have taken place. India has insisted on a complete disengagement and moving back to the pre-May locations from the standoff locations.
Even after the agreements, the Chinese side has not disengaged. There have been multiple talks at diplomatic level as well, but without any result. Both sides have committed around 40,000 troops, including armoured vehicles, artillery and missile launchers apart from major infantry troops on the ground in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Army has also made precautionary deployments on other portions of the LAC.
Ready for long haul
The Army has already made elaborate plans to maintain current strength of troops and weapons along the LAC during the harsh winter months in eastern Ladakh and all other sensitive areas.