May resume in a ‘day or two’ | Plateau along Aksai Chin crucial for both India & China

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

More than 10 days after India announced a ‘patrolling arrangement’ with China at two spots along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the resumption of patrolling at crucial routes on the Depsang plateau in eastern Ladakh will take “some more time”.

Sources told The Tribune that meetings regarding this have taken place between Brigade-Commander level officers of the two countries. The modalities for patrol are still being finalised. It could take a day or two more for the patrols to re-commence, said a source.

For both sides, the Depsang plateau is militarily crucial. East of it lies the Aksai Chin — the northwestern dge of Ladakh illegally occupied by China since the 1950s.After mod

alities were decided at the Brigade-commander level, the first patrol at Demchok was done yesterday. Patrolling re-commenced after troops of either side physically verified that structures and man-made blockages on patrolling routes have been removed at Depsang and Demchok. All temporary structures, tents, vehicles, cameras, sensors and weapons, were removed, sources said. The ‘patrolling arrangement’ does not mention the resumption of patrolling at any other contentious spot in eastern Ladakh, where disengagement has been done — those are at Gogra , Hot Springs, Pangong Tso, and Galwan.

Separately, the two sides exchanged sweets at five locations along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh to mark Diwali. There was no ceremonial military ceremony. At each location, a very small team (of 8-10) from the Indian side and a matching contingent from China met. The two saluted each other and exchanged sweets.