Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 14

A month after the deadly clash at the Galwan valley, India and China on Tuesday commenced the process of setting a timeline for both sides to de-escalate from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

Lieutenant General-level commanders of both sides had a marathon meeting which commenced at 11.30 am at Chushul and was on till 9 pm.

Details of what was agreed upon at the meeting were not known immediately. The meeting point, Chushul, is some 200 km south-east of Leh, the headquarters of the Army’s 14 Corps.

Sources said there was no quick-fix remedy for this proposed de-escalation. The meeting today is the second stage of the three-step process that has been agreed to both sides for restoring peace along the 826 km LAC in Ladakh. There could be multiple meetings before a consensus is reached on a timeline. This was the fourth such meeting. The Indian Army was represented by Leh-based 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh. His Chinese counterpart was Maj Gen Lin Liu, Commander of the South Xinjiang Military Division of the People’s Liberation Army.

The de-escalation timeline will draw up a graded, gradual and mutual withdrawal from the present positions. The two commanders will send back a report to their respective headquarters, which will study the timeline and okay it for implementation.