An army convoy moves along the Srinagar- Leh highway leading to Ladakh in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
India-China Border Face-off Latest News Live Updates: Taking a strong exception to China claiming sovereignty over the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, India in a statement said that Bejing’s “exaggerated and untenable claims are contrary” to the understanding reached on the issue between the two sides. “Both sides have agreed that the overall situation should be handled in a responsible manner and that the understandings reached between Senior Commanders on 6th June should be implemented sincerely. Making exaggerated and untenable claims is contrary to this understanding,” the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Earlier, during a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that Beijing had taken “pre-meditated and planned action” that was “directly responsible” for the violence and casualties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said India wants peace but “will give a befitting reply” if provoked. Meanwhile, the Major General-level talks between India and China ended on an inconclusive note on Wednesday but the two sides will meet again today.
Twenty Indian Army personnel, including the commanding officer of 16 Bihar, were killed Monday night in violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley of Ladakh where disengagement of troops on either side was underway.
Indian army soldiers rest next to artillery guns at a makeshift transit camp before heading to Ladakh, near Baltal, southeast of Srinagar. (Reuters)
Amid the border tensions, the first set of actions have been initiated against Chinese businesses in the country. A Chinese engineering major is set to lose a significant contract with the Indian Railways, and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has conveyed to state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) not to use Chinese-made equipment in its upgradation, top sources in both sectors said on Thursday.
Likewise, decks are being cleared to terminate the contract of the Chinese signalling behemoth China Railway Signal and Communication (CRSC) Corp., in the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. CRSC had won the contract in 2016 to install signalling systems in over 400 km of railway lines. This is the only Chinese presence in the mega project, which is now keen to engage Indian players, officials said.
The principal political objective of the Indian statecraft today is to restore the status quo that prevailed in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere before China’s expansive forward push in April. A three-fold strategy is critical for the realisation of that goal. One is the political will to escalate the military confrontation if it becomes necessary; second is the closing of domestic ranks and the demonstration of national resolve to bear the economic and political costs of escalation; and finally, the commitment to a sustained dialogue to complete the process of disengagement that was agreed upon earlier this month. In short, Delhi’s message to domestic and international audiences must be a simple yet credible one — that India will do whatever it takes to restore the status quo ante on the northern frontiers. Read The Indian Express editorial here
In first public remarks on the death of 20 Indian Army personnel in violent clashes with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said India wants peace but “will give a befitting reply” if provoked. Observing a two-minute silence in memory of the fallen soldiers before the start of his second meeting with Chief Ministers on the coronavirus crisis, Modi said: “Desh ko is baat ka garv hoga ki hamare sainik maarte maarte mare hain (The country will be proud of the fact that our soldiers have died fighting).”
These echo similar remarks by the Prime Minister after the terror attacks in Uri (2016) and Pulwama (2019), following which Indian forces crossed the Line of Control to strike at terror launch pads in Pakistan. While Modi did not refer to China directly in his remarks, the reference to Galwan Valley made it clear who he had in mind. He also referred to Delhi’s understanding with Beijing that differences should not become disputes.
A day after the killing of 20 Indian Army personnel in clashes with the Chinese army was announced by the Indian government, key members of the global community — US, UK, Russia and the EU — responded cautiously to the clashes at the India-China border. While the US said it supported a “peaceful resolution of the current situation”, Russia “welcomed steps aimed at de-escalation” and remained “optimistic”, the UK “encouraged China and India to engage in dialogue” and the EU “encouraged both sides to show restraint and to engage in military de-escalation”. There was no condemnation of the killing of 20 Indian soldiers by any of the countries.
Villages close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where the confrontation between the Indian and Chinese soldiers took place are “completely cut off from communication”, the Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) told The Indian Express on Wednesday. The authorities “have not been able to reach local councillors there as well,” Gyal P Wangyal said. The LAHDC, Leh, is the key governing body of the Ladakh region. Around 100 families live in Shyok, and about 500 in Durbuk, the councillor said.
“There are civilian populations in Durbuk and Shyok, which are about 120 km short of Galwan. However, there has been no communication with them. These villages also do not have electricity, and depend on solar panels for a couple of hours of light in their homes,” Dorjay said.
In what is seen as one of the strongest statements from New Delhi against Beijing in recent times, the Government Wednesday squarely indicted China, holding it responsible for Monday night’s clashes, and called upon Beijing to “re-assess” and take “corrective” action. It has criticised Beijing in the most direct manner especially since 1993 when the first bilateral agreement for maintaining peace and tranquility was signed.
Beijing, too, hardened its position Wednesday. “We urge the Indian side to conduct a thorough investigation, hold the violators accountable, strictly discipline the frontline troops and immediately stop all provocative acts to ensure such incidents will not occur again. The Indian side must not misjudge the current situation and must not underestimate China’s firm determination to safeguard our territorial sovereignty,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, in its readout of the phone call.
However, the phone call between the Foreign ministers — their first conversation since the border stand-off began in early May, almost 40 days ago — ended with the door to diplomacy left ajar.
Welcome to The Indian Express live blog on tensions along the India-China border. Twenty Indian Army personnel, including the commanding officer of 16 Bihar, were killed Monday night in violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley of Ladakh where disengagement of troops on either side was underway. This unprecedented and dangerous turn to the de-escalation efforts on the LAC set the lines working in the two capitals. Follow the latest news