Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint on the highway leading to Ladakh, June 17, 2020
India’s Northern Military Region Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi said in an interview with India Today on Feb. 17 that the military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in August last year was “extremely, extremely tense” and that the two countries’ armies were on the brink of war.
India and China recently began disengaging to end the military standoff that lasted more than eight months. According to satellite images and other sources, Chinese PLA troops have withdrawn from the buffer zone along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Speaking to the media on the withdrawal of troops from both sides, Joshi said the disengagement is going well. He said, “We mutually agreed that the disengagement will take place in four steps. The first step will be the disengagement of armored units and mechs (mechanical regiments) on the R2 (RR) complex.”
Joshi added, “The second step will be the disengagement of the north and south shores (of Lake Bangong), the infantry there, and the fourth step will be the disengagement at Mt. Gangnambozi (Kailash ranges).” He noted that China and India “have agreed that when each step of disengagement is completed, there will be verification on the ground. We will confirm to each other that both armies are satisfied with each other’s activities, and only then will we proceed to the next step.” He added, “The disengagement process has gone absolutely smoothly since Feb. 10.”
According to Joshi, “The PLA has made their intentions very clear that they want to disengage in a manner and sort of in a smooth manner.” Summing up the standoff between the Indians and the PLA, he said, “The biggest lesson is that we need to refocus on the northern border issue.” Asked by reporters about the current status of eastern Ladakh, Joshi replied, “The 8-finger area (of Bangong Lake) is our claim line. The PLA is moving all its forces behind the 8 Finger area. The entire infrastructure has emerged and the 4 finger is the Chinese claim line until the 8 finger area where we will restore the entire terrain. There is a big infrastructure that has emerged since last May (when the PLA) came to occupy it.” He said the bunkers, bomb shelters, tents and helipads erected by the PLA here will be completely removed.
Joshi said, “China will not conduct any activities in our claimed areas, whether it’s military or civilian activities will not happen on this side of the 8 Finger area, which is our claimed area, their claimed area is up to the 4 Finger and will not come up to their claimed line.” He said, “All of those areas that are being vacated will not be occupied.” Joshi said, “As far as I am concerned, this is definitely a win-win situation for the country and for the Indian Army.” Commenting on how the previous five rounds of meetings at the chiefs level had not yielded any results, Joshi said the “chiefs” had asked him to “create some leverage so that we can put pressure on the PLA to bring the negotiations into a favorable situation.
Joshi also recalled that the standoff between the two armies on Aug. 30 last year had been “extremely, extremely tense” when Indian troops outsmarted Chinese troops trying to secure the heights of Mount Gang Rinpoche on the southern shore of Lake Bangong. He said that on Aug. 30 last year, as Indian troops and tanks gained superior ground on the crest of Mount Gang Rinpoche, Chinese tanks also began climbing the slopes of the same peak. Firing at oncoming Chinese tanks was a “no-brainer,” Joshi said, adding, “That’s when war was averted, we were absolutely on the edge, we were absolutely on the brink of war.” He recalled that Indian and Chinese troops were barely meters away from each other at the Time.
According to Joshi, “The Garvan incident had happened, the red line had been drawn, and we were absolutely free to operate as we wished.” He was referring to the bloody clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Garvan Valley last June, in which 20 Indian soldiers were confirmed dead. The Indian government later allowed Indian troops to fire in self-defense if necessary. Prior to that, Indian troops were carrying weapons, but under an agreement reached in negotiations with China, both sides were not allowed to fire to avoid casualties.
In the interview, Joshi praised the Indian Army for its performance in avoiding war and said, “It’s the maturity of the Indian Army, the soldier sitting on the ground with a rocket launcher, the tanker with the Gunner, when he sees the other tank approaching him, the easiest thing he can do is to pull the trigger and fire, it’s a pure thing, that’s what we are trained (to react). ” But he added, “It takes courage and maturity and grit and determination not to pull the trigger. That was the time we stopped them without firing.”
Asked about the number of Chinese military casualties in the Garvan Valley clashes last June, Joshi said, “I don’t want to make an estimate.” But he added that Indian troops saw Chinese troops transporting more than 60 soldiers on stretchers. He clarified, however, that it could not be confirmed whether these were wounded or dead Chinese soldiers. Chinese officials have so far not disclosed the Chinese side of the incident. Asked separately what he thought the way forward would be for both sides, Joshi said, “We conveyed that to (the PLA) and they were absolutely clear that we will not allow the status quo along the Line of Actual Control to be changed in the way that the Chinese side wants. That’s not going to happen. They’ve understood that.”
According to Josh, “Ideally, the PLA should not try any more of these misguided adventures. They have understood that this was a strategic miscalculation on their part.” He said, “Whatever we have accomplished in the last ten months, the country should be proud of the armed forces.”
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