India not to leave forward LAC positions till China withdraws

As China shows no sign of working towards de-escalation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army has decided to hold on to forward positions to thwart any intrusions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

While Chinese activity along the LAC has subsided after the Galwan clash on the night of June 15, there is still a sizeable presence of the PLA, Indian officials said.

“While we can see the Chinese intent to turn transgressions into intrusions in both the friction spots, the Indian Army has been directed to foil this PLA design even if it means sitting on the forward positions for time to come,” a senior military commander was quoted as saying in media reports.

India is holding on to its positions in the Kugrang ridgeline, even as PLA extends its optical fibre network till Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hot Springs.

The Indian Army has experience in holding positions at such heights. An Indian brigade has been posted at the Siachen glacier since 1984 to thwart any Pakistani intrusion.

India has been trying to get China to disengage from the LAC through talks and return to the situation that existed before the Galwan clash. However, the demand from China like vacating the Kugrang ridgeline positions are not acceptable to India, officials said. The latest round of talks was held on Friday between  Indian ambassador Vikram Misri and Major General Ci Guowei, Director of the Office of International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Officials said Indian and Chinese troops clashed on multiple occasions in May and June along the LAC before the Galwan intrusion, which was widely reported in the media.

A couple of days ago, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said its troops had thwarted many incursions of the Chinese military in May and June. There were many clashes PLA personnel, some of which lasted for up to 20 hours, the ITBP said on Friday. It has recommended 21 for gallantry awards for standing up to the Chinese aggression.

On Saturday, during his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will give a fitting reply to any expansionist intentions of its neighbours.