NEW DELHI: China clearly violated its own unilaterally defined Royal Line of Control (LAC) in 1959, an irregular demarcation spanning rivers and valleys never accepted by India, during the bloody clashes in the Galwan Valley on June 15, a senior defense official said Tuesday.
Given current developments, India has no choice but to remain prepared for a ‘no war, no peace’ situation throughout LAC with permanent troop deployments, similar operating scenario along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. “China cannot be trusted. It will not back down from its strategy of continuing to push LAC westward, ”said another official.
Hardened positions and prolonged deployments in eastern Ladakh, where rival armies are bracing for the harsh winter when temperatures drop below 30 degrees Celsius, were also evident in a speech by Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria at a webinar on Tuesday. “The current security scenario along our northern borders (with China) is in an uncomfortable state of ‘no war, no peace.’ Our armed forces are prepared for any eventuality. The IAF has responded quickly and resolutely to counter any setbacks, ”he said.
There are reasons for the huge deficit of confidence in the Indian defense establishment. An earlier troop withdrawal plan went awry on June 15 after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) breached an agreement to dismantle an observation post in Indian territory near the ‘Y-junction’ of the Shyok and Galwan rivers. in the Galwan Valley.
This led to violent clashes overnight at the site, in which 20 Indians and an unknown number of PLA soldiers were killed. “The Y-junction is about 800 meters west of our Patrol Point-14 (PP-14),” said a superior officer. “We do not recognize China’s 1959 complaint line, which runs close to PP-14. But even so, the PLA clearly violated its own claim line and transgressed around 800 meters in Indian territory to barbarously attack our soldiers with rods and stones nailed down, ”he added.
Similarly, the PLA is convinced that LAC runs north-south on ‘Finger-4’ (mountain spur) on the north shore of Pangong Tso after occupying the 8 km stretch from ‘Finger-8’ to there from Begginings of may. This definitely alters the status quo there as LAC, according to India, is in ‘Finger-8’.
Officials said there were no signs that the PLA was ready to withdraw, leaving the de-escalation and eventual withdrawal alone, despite several rounds of military and diplomatic talks.
“There is no change in the position of the ground. We have to be careful, ”said an officer. There are seemingly incompatible differences between India and China over the ground situation in eastern Ladakh, where rival armies have amassed more than 50,000 soldiers each, along with tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers, surface-to-air missile systems, throughout of the entire border. .
At the webinar, ACM Bhadauria said that “air power” would be a crucial enabler in “our victory in any future conflict,” and it was imperative that the IAF gain and maintain a technological advantage over our adversaries.
“The recent additions of the Rafale fighters, along with the C-17 aircraft, Chinook and Apache helicopters have provided the IAF with substantial strategic and tactical capability,” he added.
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