On Monday, the face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh, India, resulted in 20 Indian soldiers attaining martyrdom, including the commanding officer of 16 Bihar battalion.

The incident marks bilateral tensions of an intensity not seen since the 1962 war. This is the first time in 45 years that a soldier on either side has died along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which remains undefined in the region.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, the Indian Army said: “Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020. 17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at the stand off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries, taking the total that were killed in action to 20. Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation.”

Later, the Chinese Army or PLA blamed India for the face-off, while the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) accused Beijing of trying to unilaterally change the status quo in the area.

MEA in a statement said: “India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the de-escalation of the situation in the border area in Eastern Ladakh. Senior Commanders had a productive meeting on 6th June 2020 and agreed on a process for such de-escalation. Subsequently, ground commanders had a series of meetings to implement the consensus reached at a higher level.

While it was our expectation that this would unfold smoothly, the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley.

On the late-evening and night of 15th June, 2020 a violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there. Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side. We remain firmly convinced of the need for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. At the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

– TIN Bureau (picture courtesy: Google Maps)