Ministry of Defence statement, Friday, 12 Feb 2021
Ministry of Defence has taken note of some misinformed and misleading comments being amplified in the media and on social media regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso.
At the outset, Ministry of Defence reiterates that the factual position has already been clearly communicated by the Raksha Mantri in his statements to both Houses of the Parliament.
However, it is necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information being amplified in media and social media.
The assertion that Indian territory is upto Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962.
Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China.
Permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8. The current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts.
India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo.
Raksha Mantri’s statement also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hrs of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement.
The effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the Government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them.
***** When Pak said: "Lets demilitarise Siachen now, we can keep discussing Kashmir later", India rightly said no! Siachen is a part of the Kashmir dispute
ReplyDeleteBut when China said: "Lets demilitarise Pangong now, we can discuss Depsang & Gogra later", India has blundered in accepting! 1/2 *****
Revisionist history....
Mauna Vratham PM MMS floated the idea of demilitarization after meeting terroristan pakistani PM...
Indian Army vehemently opposed it as it the base is so high and it will be impossible to retake it if it is lost to pakistanis...
Karakoram will be gone...
He is a very generous towards Indian enemies like terroristan pakistan and criminal china...
After Sharm-el-Sheikh summit, he released a joint statement with pakistan which accepts Indian involvement in Balochistan and that he will look into it...
His bosslady SG and Bacche RG were so horrified that they took away his remaining authority to deal with it...
This is the correct and recorded history...
Time to tell the truth is very important...
# pangong tso was merely a stratagem, firstly to open other sectors, second as a red herring, third as a future bargaining chip without compromising the real thrust. which is the depsang sector to interdict the darbuk, shyok, daulet-beg-oldi axis, and neutralise any adventurism [there was some jhumla on these lines in a lok sabha debate] with DBO as the forward base, launch pad towards the karakoram pass, compromise security of the aksai chin highway [G219]. by moving forward to its present positions the beijing simply checkmated us. "Strategically, the PLA’s advances into the Galwan River Valley provide a superior vantage point for observing a supply route used by the Indian Army to reach its northernmost base, and the world’s most elevated airfield, Daulat Beg Oldi.
ReplyDeleteFrom ridgeline positions, PLA forces would be able to monitor all traffic on the recently completed Darbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie road, a strategic route that abuts the LAC through much of Ladakh and has taken nearly 20 years to build."