NEW DELHI: Eight months after the wild clash in the Galwan valleyChina finally admitted on Friday that soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army had been killed in hand-to-hand combat that resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers.
The Chinese Cusp Central Military Commission (CMC) awarded a posthumous honorary degree and a First Class Mention of Merit to four PLA soldiers, acknowledging the casualties that various reports have put as much higher. Estimates, based on observing movements on the Chinese side, have raised the number of victims to 45.
A colonel, who was leading the troops and was seriously injured, also received an honorary title, according to the CMC, headed by President Xi Jinping. There was no confirmation of China’s casualty toll for months after the June 15 clash, even as India promptly declared its casualties, and large numbers attended the last rites of the dead. Social media was also full of a video, allegedly from the Galwan area, which was posted by the Chinese authorities.
It was not possible to establish whether these were the events of the Galwan confrontation in June, which was sparked by PLA troops attacking Indian soldiers led by Colonel Santosh Babu with clubs studded with nails and stones. An expert in Chinese state media claimed that the video showed Indian troops entering Chinese territory.
Interestingly, the quotes were made public at a time when the withdrawal of Indian and Chinese troops is underway in the Finger 4-8 area in eastern Ladakh and the announcements were quickly followed by the Defense and Foreign ministries. from China, reiterating that the responsibility for the Galwan Valley confrontation lay entirely with India. While China has now admitted victims, Pakistan it did not do so during and after the Kargil war, claiming that the mujahideen were involved.
The Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said that while China had exercised a high degree of restraint, the Indian side repeatedly “exaggerated the casualties, distorted the truth, misled international public opinion and slandered the Chinese border troops.” India had claimed that PLA troops had also suffered casualties in the June 15 clash. PM Modi had said in a speech that the Indian soldiers “maarte maarte marein hain (soldiers died while killing the enemy)”.
When asked why China had released the casualty figures now, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said: “The report has been released to give the truth to the public because the truth is long awaited and people need to know the real story. ” Three PLA soldiers were killed in combat while another soldier was killed while crossing the river, according to a Xinhua report.
.
