Did not lose any land on LAC in Ladakh, Indian Defence Ministry assures

New Delhi: – The defence ministry clarified that although India and China have concurred on military withdrawal from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, India has not lost any piece of land. Simultaneously, the defence ministry also clarified that the region up to finger 8 is under Indian control on the LAC. Moreover, India has reserved its rights to patrol the region. Some people had objected that India has given up its right and handed over the region to China to withdraw the military from this region. This is the explanation given by the defence ministry regarding that.

Indian and Chinese militaries are deployed to the north and south of the Pangong Tso lake. The dispute could not be resolved in the multiple rounds of negotiations. But now, China has initiated movements to withdraw military from the region. Chinese tanks have started returning from the LAC in Ladakh. The Chinese army has also prepared to withdraw beyond finger 8, as demanded by the Indian Army. Whereas, the Indian Army has expressed willingness to return to its bases at finger 3. Both the countries have agreed not to carry out any patrolling in the region, until they resolve the issue via military or political dialogues. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave this information in the Parliament.

Some people objected to this and criticised the Indian government of surrendering the territory ahead of finger 3 to China. Thereafter, the defence ministry clarified the issue saying that Indian border is till finger 8 and India has retained its rights to patrol till that point. The defence ministry pointed out that the 43,000 square kilometres of Indian territory acquired by China during the 1962 war, is also shown on the Indian map.

Meanwhile, the former military officials are expressing satisfaction that China had to withdraw from the region because of India’s aggressive policy. China never thought that India would react with so much intensity to its intrusion. China prepared to deploy soldiers for some time to increase pressure on India; then quietly withdraw them. The Chinese plot was to carry out the Galwan valley attack and then show that it was withdrawing for peace. But the Indian soldiers foiled the Chinese plot. 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in the conflict and as per a Russian media, 45 Chinese soldiers were killed in the conflict.

In the following period, furious reactions were received from India and former military officials are claiming that the big question in front of China was how to withdraw from the LAC without denting its reputation. The former officials are pointing out that therefore, after reaching a consensus, the Chinese soldiers are rapidly withdrawing from their positions in the region. Meanwhile, although the Pangong Tso lake’s withdrawal issue has been solved, there is no agreement on withdrawal from the hot spring, Gogra and Depsang regions. The foreign ministry informed that discussions regarding this would be held in the next 48 hours.