Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Feb. 11 that India and China have agreed to complete disengagement at Bangong Lake, east of Ladakh on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He added that military commanders from both sides will meet within 48 hours of the completion of the disengagement.
Earlier, Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Chinese Communist Party‘s Ministry of Defense, said in a release on Feb. 10 that “according to the consensus reached at the ninth round of military commander-level talks between China and India, the troops of the two armies on the southern and northern shores of the Bangong Lake began synchronized and planned disengagement on Feb. 10.” Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house on Thursday, Singh said China has agreed to shift their troops to the 8-finger area, while India will move them back to the 3-finger Dhan Singh Thapa permanent base ( Dhan Singh Thapa ).
Singh said, “Our ongoing talks with China have resulted in an agreement on the disengagement of the northern and southern shores of Lake Bangong. Following this agreement, Indo-China will withdraw its forward deployment in a phased and coordinated manner.” He also assured the Indian nation that “the Indian side will not compromise even an inch of territory with anyone.” Singh said, “We are committed to maintaining a peaceful situation on the Line of Actual Control. India has always emphasized the maintenance of bilateral relations.”
Singh said, “First, both sides must agree on the Line of Actual Control and respect it. Secondly, there should be no attempt by either side to change the status unilaterally. Third, all compromises should be fully agreed upon by both sides.” Singh’s statement came against the backdrop of the disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, where the modalities of disengagement were discussed at the ninth round of military chief-level talks between the two armies on Jan. 24.
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