Chinese troops violate border in Chumar, Demchok in ladakh
Just two days before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India, yet another face-off between the Chinese and Indian Army has taken place in Chumar and Demchok in ladakh. While the Chinese claim that the Indian patrol transgressed into Chinese territory across the line of Actual Control (lAC), India says Chinese troops intruded into its territory to protest construction of roads in that region.
The stand-off came about on Sunday and continued till Monday evening even though Brigadier-level officers of both the armies held a flag meeting in Spangur in Chushul in ladakh on Monday to sort out the issue. Another round of talks between commanders is likely to take place on Tuesday to disengage the troops.
Reacting to the news, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “Brave sentinels on the border will address any issue that takes place on the border. Whatever happens there, they will handle it.” However, he added: “These are unresolved issues, including boundary. They are to be addressed,” indicating that India looks to addressing all such issues during the bilateral talks with Jinping this week.
BJP MP from ladakh Thupstan Chewang said the Chinese army was threatening people living along the Indo-China border, and was encroaching into the Indian territory, “building permanent structures” on the Indian side of the lAC. Chewang said he hoped Modi raises the issue with the Chinese President.
Significantly, China has intruded into India more than 335 times this year despite both the countries signing a Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) last year to prevent transgressions.
As regards the Chumar stand-off, China claims that Indian troops entered more than six km inside their perceived territory on Sunday to protest against construction of a road by the Chinese Army.
Accompanied by light vehicles and a bulldozer, the Indian troops asked China to stop construction as the road was inside Indian territory. The Chinese Army in turn blocked the Indian contingent with bulldozers and troops and the stand-off continues.
The Indian Army has an advantage in this region of the lAC as troops are located on high ground and can easily detect any movement by the Chinese Army. Moreover, Chumar region is well connected by roads and helicopters unlike other regions in ladakh where China has better road and air connectivity.
Incidentally, this is the second face-off between India and China in the last few days with another incident reported from Demchok in ladakh. Chinese civilians in Government vehicles entered India last week and were preventing locals from working on an irrigation project there.
"It is true that for the last one week, China is objecting and protesting against the work on an irrigation project in Demchok Village which is close to the lAC," leh Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh said on Monday, according to PTI.
He made these comments in the wake of reports that the Chinese Army had entered Indian territory and stopped the villagers from working on an irrigation project under the NREGA scheme.
Singh said Chinese civilians from a village across the lAC called Toshigang were brought in Government vehicles in large numbers to prevent the locals from working on the project.
Sources in Delhi gave a different version and said shepherds of both the countries use a common grazing ground for sheep in Demchok. The grass on that patch withers away by September-end due to intense cold and shepherds pitch their tents for about a week or ten days till grazing is over.
last Thursday, some Chinese troops came close to this patch and the Indian troops rushed there to protest. After a brief face off, both the sides disengaged and returned to their respective posts on either side of lAC, officials said.