Indian and Chinese troops physically clashed once again in the high-altitude area of Naku La in north Sikkim last week, with several soldiers being injured on both sides after Indian troops repelled an attempt by Chinese troops to enter Indian territory. The Chinese actions served as a grim reminder of the assertiveness shown by the People’s Liberation Army all along the Line of Actual Control even as Indian Army remains in a state of high alertness to respond to aggressive actions.
The Indian Army said it was a “minor faceoff ” at Naku La on January 20, which was “resolved by local commanders as per established protocols”. The action was, however, denied by Chinese government media mouthpiece Global Times which said no clash had occurred, claiming this was fake news.
The brawl took place after Indian troops challenged a bid by the PLA to once again intrude into Indian territory, which saw both sides rush reinforcements to the area. “Though no weapons were used during the incident, injuries were sustained on both sides. It was bigger than a routine scuffle. The situation is tense but under control,” a source said.
LAC talks hit dead end
India on Sunday once again asked China for “complete disengagement and de-escalation” at all the face-off sites in eastern Ladakh, amid a deepening trust deficit due to the continuing consolidation of military positions by the Chinese Army all along the frontier. Sources said India pushed for finalisation of a “workable and sequential” roadmap for disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction, with a joint verification mechanism, while restoring status quo ante at the ‘friction points’ in Pangong Tso, Chushul and Gogra-Hotsprings areas as the first step.
There was, however, no official word on the outcome of the ninth round of military talks, led by 14 Corps commander Lt-General P G K Menon and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, which lasted for over 10 hours on the Chinese side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Sunday.
“With hardened positions on both sides, any tangible breakthrough seems unlikely at this stage. The two delegations will now go to their respective political hierarchies for further directions on the proposals and counter-proposals exchanged during the talks,” a source said.
The Indian defence establishment is wary that China has no real intentions of a pullback of troops, tanks and howitzers from the frontlines, given the way it has consolidated its military positions and upgraded its infrastructure all along the LAC after the Ladakh confrontation erupted in early May.
