Updated: September 1, 2020 7:30:33 am
A convoy of army vehicles moves towards Ladakh after the Galwan clash in May 2020. (PTI Photo / File)
On Saturday night, the Indian military thwarted an attempt by China to change the status quo near the Real control line (LAC) by deploying its troops to a previously undeployed area on the southern shore of Pangong Tso Lake in eastern Ladakh. The Army said in a statement on Monday morning that Chinese troops “violated the prior consensus reached during military and diplomatic clashes during the ongoing clash in East Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo. ”.
While the Pangong lake It has been among the most contentious sectors in the ongoing military standoff in eastern Ladakh for nearly four months, activity so far limited to the northern shore.
Incident area August 29-30, 2020
What is Pangong Lake?
Popularized by the Hindi movie 3 Idiots, Pangong Tso is an endorheic (landlocked) lake found partly in the Ladakh region of India and partly in Tibet. The name reflects the mixed heritage of the lake: Pangong in Ladakhi means extensive concavity, the Tso word in Tibetan means lake.
Located at an elevation of approximately 4,270 m, it is a narrow lake almost 135 km long (6 km at its widest point) and shaped like a boomerang. Its total area is more than 600 square kilometers.
The Karakoram mountain range, which crosses Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India, with heights of more than 6,000 meters, including K2, the second highest peak in the world, ends on the north bank of Pangong Tso. Its southern shore also has high broken mountains that slope towards Lake Spangur in the south.
The lake water, although crystal clear, is brackish, so it cannot be drunk. The lake freezes during winter, which also allows for some vehicle movement. (Also in Explained: Ladakh through a bifocal lens: a brief history of zooming in and out)
Who controls Pangong Tso?
Almost two-thirds of the lake is controlled by China, with only about 45 km under Indian control. The LAC, which runs from north to south, cuts across the western part of the lake, aligned from east to west.
But India and China have unstable borders, and the perception of LAC differs in multiple sectors, including Pangong Tso. On the north shore of the lake, according to India, the international boundary is near Fort Khurnak, a 19th century ruin. But LAC, according to India, is about 15 km to the west. On the north shore there are spurs that go into the lake, identified as fingers. India says LAC goes through finger 8; China claims it is further west.
Compared with the north margin, the difference in perception of LAC is not very wide in the south margin. A former brigade commander for the region said perception can differ by 100-200 m and lacks prominent features such as fingers.
These “divergent perceptions of LAC”, as the Army has called it, are one of the main causes of confrontations.
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A view of Pangong Tso Lake. (Express photo: Shuaib Masoodi)
What is the current status of Pangong Tso?
The north bank was one of two points in eastern Ladakh that experienced friction in early May that led to the clash that is now nearly four months old. On the night of May 5-6, troops engaged in violent hand-to-hand fighting, although the Chinese soldiers were armed with rods and studs with nails.
There was a similar fight in the Galwan Valley on May 6. However, these violent clashes did not result in fatalities, unlike the June 15 clash in the Galwan Valley in which India lost 20 soldiers and an undeclared number of Chinese troops were also killed. .
Since then, China changed the status quo and its troops had occupied the region between Finger 8 and Finger 4, which was patrolled by both but not previously occupied by either side. Chinese troops continue to occupy the ridge of Finger 4, although they have retreated from the base of Finger 4 to the base of Finger 5. But China has strengthened its positions in the area.
The slight backward movement was part of the initial disengagement process after the June 15 clashes. However, there has been no improvement in the situation since mid-July and talks are stalled.
How are the two banks different?
Until this weekend, the south bank had been quiet during the confrontation. Army sources said that India has traditionally had a stronger presence on the southern shore compared to the north shore, due to its proximity to areas such as Chushul and Rezang La.
The former brigade commander explained that the north bank has become the center of attention only in recent years, due to clashes between patrol units. Traditionally, the south bank has been in the center of attention, because it is just north of the access to Chushul. This is also the reason why the southern shore has traditionally had a stronger presence of Indian forces.
The region south of the lake is also of strategic importance for both countries.
The area, known as the Chushul Port, is one of the few sectors that can be used as launch pads for an offensive, due to the plains. During the conflict in 1962, both banks witnessed a Chinese offensive, and India lost territory in both: first Sirijiap, then the entire north bank on October 22; on the south bank, India had to abandon its post complex at Yula and move to a high area north of Gurung Hill.
Over the weekend, the Army mentioned that Indian troops “anticipated this PLA activity on the southern shore of Pangong Tso Lake, took steps to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change the facts on the ground.” . India has taken a more advantageous position, although still on its LAC side, to prevent China from intervening in the area.
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