Updated: September 13, 2020 11:30:21 am
Indian army soldiers seen on top of a vehicle on a road leading to Ladakh, in Gagangeer, in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir, on September 2, 2020 (Reuters Photo: Danish Ismail).
The Chushul subsector has focused on the clash between Indian and PLA troops following the movement that took place on the middle night of August 29 and 30. What is the Chushul subsector and why is it important?
What is the Chushul subsector?
The Chushul subsector is located south of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh. It comprises high mountains and gullies and the heights of Thatung, Black Top, Helmet Top, Gurung Hill and Magger Hill, as well as passes such as Rezang La and Rechin La, Spanggur Gap and the Chushul Valley.
Situated at an elevation of more than 13,000 feet near LAC, the Chushul Valley has a vital airstrip that played an important role even during the 1962 War with China.
Thanks to its location, Chushul is one of the five meeting points for border personnel between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. It is here that the representatives of the two armies meet for regular interactions. Recent brigade-level meetings between the two sides were also held here.
What is its strategic importance for India?
Chushul is of tremendous strategic and tactical importance for its location and terrain, which make it a logistics deployment center.
This sector has plains a couple of kilometers wide, where mechanized forces, including tanks, can be deployed. Its airstrip and road connectivity to Leh add to its operational advantages.
Indian troops have now secured the ridge line in this subsector which allows them to dominate the Chushul basin on the Indian side and the Moldo sector on the Chinese side.
They also have a clear view of the nearly 2 km wide Spanggur Gap, which the Chinese used in the past to launch attacks against this sector in the 1962 war.
A map of eastern Ladakh. (Quick)
Maj Gen (retd) GG Dwivedi, co-author of the book, ‘1962: A View from the Other Side of the Hill’, says: “Securing this ridge has given us a military and strategic advantage. Once you secure this ridge line, you are fully deployed with all your gear. “
General Dwivedi says India’s move has neutralized the advantage that China gained when it secured areas between Finger 4 and Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Tso.
“Our dominance of the ridge in the Chushul subsector gives us a bargaining chip in our negotiations for the delinking process,” he said.
How important is Chushul to China?
Simply put, Chushul is the gateway to Leh. If China enters Chushul, it can launch its operations for Leh.
Did the Chinese try to capture Chushul in the 1962 war?
After initial attacks, including in the Galwan Valley by the Chinese in October 1962, PLA troops prepared to attack the Chushul airfield and the valley to gain direct access to Leh.
However, just before the attacks were launched, the area was reinforced by the 114th Brigade in November 1962, which also had two armored troops and some artillery under its command.
It is important to note that the heights secured by the Indian soldiers in the middle night of August 29-30 were also occupied by them in 1962. These included Lukung, Spanggur Gap, Gurung Hill, Rezang La, Magger Hill, and Thatung Heights.
Units holding these areas included the 5 Jat, 1 Jat, 1/8 Gorkha Rifles, and 13 Kumaon. Indian soldiers gave an outstanding account of themselves in the battles, where at Rezang La, the Charlie Company of 13 Kumaon lost 114 soldiers out of a total of 120. The Company Commander, Maj Shaitan Singh, received the Param Vir Chakra for his bravery after death.
After Gurung Hill and Rezang La fell to the Chinese, the brigade drove the troops back to the heights to give a better response to the enemy. However, the next planned attacks never came, as a ceasefire was declared. The brigade accomplished its main task after suffering 140 casualties, while the Chinese lost more than 1,000 soldiers.
What are the future challenges in this area?
An immediate challenge is an outburst when troops from the two countries are deployed at a distance of 800 to 1000 meters from each other at Black Top and Rechin La.
Logistics also poses a great challenge. As General Dwivedi says, “Porters are needed to carry food and water to the top. You don’t want the troops to do that, because then you lose combat strength. “
At this point, the people of Chushul are being of great help. Chushul village in Durbuk tehsil is home to some 170 families, most of whom are of Tibetan descent. According to social media posts by Konchok Stanzin, executive adviser for education at the Ladakh Autonomous Development Council, villagers have been transporting water and basic goods to the Indian troops deployed in Black Top.
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The harsh winter that lasts eight months a year poses a great challenge. It is very difficult to dig and build shelters on the ridge line. Mercury plummets to minus 30 degrees Celsius and there are frequent snow storms.
“It is not possible to carry out major operations in winter. The Pangong Tso also freezes over, which makes movement between its northern and southern shores possible, ”General Dwivedi said.
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