Army vehicles stop at a base camp in Leh in the cold desert region of Ladakh, 434 kms from Srinagar. (Express File Photo: Shuaib Masoodi)
India-China Border Latest News Live Update: “On the late-evening and night of June 15, a violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo,” the Ministry of External Affairs said Tuesday, a day after an officer and two soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley along the disputed India-China border Monday night. The Army, in a statement, said there were casualties on both sides.
“During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties on both sides. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting,” the Army said in a statement.
“Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side,” the MEA said in a statement. Meanwhile, Beijing urged India to “strictly restrain its frontline troops from crossing the border or taking any unilateral action that may complicate the border situation”.
The last deaths at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were in 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh. A violent clash between the two sides on the border had taken place at Nathu La in 1967.
People stand by the banks of the Pangong Lake, near the India-China border in Ladakh. (AP Photo: Channi Anand)
Calling the killing of one officer and two soldiers in a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley last night, the Congress party said there can be no compromise with India’s security and territorial integrity. The party, in a statement, said, “Reports of Chinese Army moving thousands of troops in Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake Area (Ladakh) shocked the entire nation as an audacious attempt on our territorial integrity.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences to the three Indian soldiers killed in a violent face-off with the Chinese side in the Galwan Valley along the disputed India-China border.
"I salute the valour of the three Indian soldiers who were martyred at Galwan Valley while performing a supreme service for the nation. My heart goes out to the families of these brave men. May lord give them strength in this difficult time," she said.
MEA: "On the late-evening and night of 15th June, 2020 a violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there.Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side."
MEA on the violent face off on China border: "Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side.We remain firmly convinced of the need for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. At the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
India has released a statement on a violent face off in the Galwan Valley along the disputed India-China border on Monday night. The Ministry of External Affairs said: "India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the de-escalation of the situation in the border area in Eastern Ladakh. Senior Commanders had a productive meeting on 6th June 2020 and agreed on a process for such de-escalation. Subsequently, ground commanders had a series of meetings to implement the consensus reached at a higher level."
"It has historically been a difficult topic to address — the 1962 Indo-China War, India’s dubious record in terms of the origins of the conflict, and its disastrous performance during the war itself (the bravery of our unsupported, ill-equipped jawans notwithstanding). Addressed it must be, if only to prevent a similarly ostrich-in-the-sand mentality from taking over India’s perspective on the China question in the 21st century, more than 50 years since the two sides came to blows in the Himalayas.
Between Doklam, a few years ago, and the current volatility at the LAC with China, it is important to understand these situations as part of a broader picture about global politics, the reality of China’s capacities and broad spectrum tactical options, and India’s own strategic goals and capabilities and options," Sarjan Shah writes
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi Palaniswami expressed his condolences for those who lost their lives in Ladakh. In a tweet today, the CM said, Palani from Kadakkalore (Ramanathapuram) martyred in Ladakh, my condolences to his family.
CPIM Tuesday asked the Centre to come out with an authoritative statement on what actually happened. It also asked both the Governments to immediately initiate high level talks to defuse the situation. "It is unfortunate that during the de-escalation process on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, a clash has taken place at the Galwan Valley. This has taken place after the talks between the two sides at a high military-level began on June 6 to discuss the process of disengagement. Both the sides have reported casualties," a statement from the CPI (M) said.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed shock and urged the Centre to handle the situation in a resolute manner. "Let's honour those who serve on our borders every day, risking their lives for our nation," he said on Twitter
Expressing anger over the violent faceoff at Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday called for a strong response from the Centre to the repeated incursions by the Chinese into Indian territory.
"It is time now for India to stand up to these repeated incursions that are a blatant violation of our territorial rights and put a stop to such attacks on our territorial integrity," Amarinder said. Captain Amarinder said the country could not afford to show weakness at this time and needed to take a strong stand to deter the Chinese from any further intrusions.
"The Chinese actions were in direction violation of all the treaties signed between the two countries and a brazen assault on Indian integrity," he said. Paying tributes to the soldiers who had lost their lives in the Galwan Valley violence, Captain Amarinder said the whole nation today stands with the Indian Army in their hour of grief.
The Congress on Tuesday termed as shocking and unacceptable the death of an Indian Army officer and two soldiers in the Galwan Valley and said the development was a matter of serious national concern. Congress also demanded that the government take the nation into confidence and convene a meeting to brief the leadership of political parties about the ground situation.
"It is a matter of serious national concern as it has grave implications for national security," Congress senior spokesperson and party's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said. "As we have been requesting, the government should urgently take the nation into confidence. We demand that the government immediately convene a meeting and brief the leadership of political parties about the ground situation," he said.
General VK Singh (retd) expressed his condolences after an officer and two soldiers lost their lives in a violent face off in the Galwan Valley. "Saddened by the news of the martyrdom of our boys in the Galwan Valley. I salute their indomitable courage, selflessness and sacrifice," the Union Minister tweeted.
The tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Indian security forces and China’s PLA have renewed the question of how New Delhi should deal with a rising, assertive Beijing. C Raja Mohan, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and contributing editor on international affairs for The Indian Express, and Vijay Gokhale, Former Foreign Secretary and India’s Ambassador to China, look at Beijing's attempts to reorder the Indo-Pacific as its zone of influence.
An analysis of high-resolution satellite images of the Pangong Tso area in Ladakh shows that not only have the Chinese changed the status quo at the Fingers, the mountain spurs along the lake, but also built “substantial” structures in the contested region of the Line of Actual Control.
The May 27 images by Planet Labs show dozens of new structures, most likely tents, that have come up between Finger 8 and Finger 4 on the north bank of Pangong Tso, one of the main points of contention in the current standoff. Read more here
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) mostly passes on the land, but Pangong Tso is a unique case where it passes through the water as well. The points in the water at which the Indian claim ends and Chinese claim begins are not agreed upon mutually. Read Sushant Singh's explainer on the importance of Pangong Tso
Monday's incident took place in the Galwan Valley region in Ladakh. The disengagement process had started in the region to resolve the tense situation in the region. On June 6, Indian and Chinese ambassadors joined a video call between diplomats of their border working mechanism Friday to underline that “the two sides should handle their differences through peaceful discussion” and “not allow them to become disputes”. A day later, on June 6, the commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies met at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point. Sources had told The Indian Express more talks with China were expected at the military and diplomatic levels.
The Indian Army statement said the faceoff has resulted in "casualties on both sides". “During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night (Monday night) with casualties on both sides,” the Army said in an official statement.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force to discuss the new developments and the ongoing situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The meeting lasted for around 90 minutes, reports Krishn Kaushik.
An officer and two soldiers lost their lives in a violent face off in the Galwan Valley along the disputed India-China border on Monday night. The Army, in a statement, said there were casualties on both sides, and a de-escalation process was underway.