In the backdrop of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Uzbekistan next week, troops of India and China have started disengaging at Patrolling Pillar (15) in the Gogra-Hot Spring region of Eastern Ladakh.

Though this is the last disengagement of the forces of India and China that was to take place from the locations since the standoff between the two sides since May 2020, disengagement in Depsang Plains and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh, has yet to be restored. This predates May 2020.

Ministry of External Affairs responds to media query on September 9

In response to the queries of the media related to disengagement at Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15), official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “The two sides had maintained regular contact since the 16th Corp Commander Level talks to build on the progress achieved during the talks to resolve the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector of India-China border areas. As a result, both sides have now agreed on disengagement in the area of Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15).”

The MEA spokesperson has said that as per the agreement between the two sides, the disengagement process in the area started on September 8, in the morning around 0830 hrs. And this process will be completed by September 12.  

What does this mean?

It means that the two forces agreed to cease forward deployments in this area in a coordinated, phased, and verified manner.  Around 50 troops of both sides will now return to their respective areas.

The MEA spokesperson has also stated that the two sides have agreed to dismantle and mutually verify that all temporary structures and other allied infrastructure which have been created by both sides are removed.

At the end of this, “the landforms in the area will be restored to pre-stand-off period by both sides,” Arindam Bagchi has said.

In response to the media query, the spokesperson has said that the agreement between the two ensures the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in this area will be respected and observed by both sides and also there will be no unilateral change in status quo.

Now, with the resolution of stand-off at PP-15, India and China have agreed to take talks forward and to restore tranquility in the border areas and to resolve the remaining issues along LAC.

On September 8, 2022, according to a joint statement issued by the Ministry of External affairs and Ministry of Defence on Sept 8, 2022, stated: “According to the consensus reached in the 16th round of India China Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Indian and Chinese troops in the area of Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15) have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way, which is conducive to the peace and tranquility in the border areas.”

As has been reported several times in Financial Express Online, the forces of India and China remain locked in standoff since April 2020. Soon after the Galwan Valley clashes, in July 2020, disengagement in Hot Springs was first agreed upon by both sides.

Disengagement at PP 15

Indian and Chinese troops have now disengaged at all friction points in and this includes the North and South banks of the Pangong Tso, PP 14, PP 15 and PP 17A.

However, according to experts, there are contentious issues which are related to the boundary issues which still remain on the table to be resolved, as China continues to block access to traditional patrolling areas of Indian Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Depsang Plains and Charding Nala regions.

Disengagement and new development

Following the 12th round of Corp Commander Level talks in August 2021, the two armies agreed to disengage at PP 17. There have been several rounds of talks between the two sides at military and diplomatic levels and there was no breakthrough, before the 16th round of talks.

What does this mean?

Sharing his views with Financial Express Online, Maj Gen Ashok Kumar, VSM (Retd) says, “There has been some progress over a period of time by negotiations from both sides, through Corp Commander level meetings and some kind of stalemate had reached, however, in the 15th round of Corp Commander conference after which some kind of agreement not publicly announced (though not publicly announced) was reached for withdrawal from Gogra and Hot Spring –that is PP 15.”

“But it was hoped that it would be politically announced by the Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi, when he landed suddenly in New Delhi after a Pakistan trip. He was hoping that India will be agreeing to this announcement that all the border incursions have been settled. And in that the withdrawal from Hot Spring and Gogra will also be announced. However, India has stuck to its position and stated that unless the Depsang and Demchok issues are also resolved, it will not agree to such overtures being made by China. So nothing happened thereafter. But it resulted in the 16th round of the corps commander level meeting. And it was very obvious that at least this withdrawal from PP 15 will be agreed by both sides. However, as per the joint statement, nothing moved on that as well. It is good that in a sudden move, Chinese troops have decided to withdraw to April- May 2020 positions in Hot Spring, and Gogra PP 15 area.”

So far …

 Earlier this year, in April, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India; the eastern neighbour also sent a proposal to India about disengagement of troops from PP 15 in the Hot Spring area of Galwan in eastern Ladakh. However, this proposal was rejected by India after due consideration.

What was the issue?

That the Indian troops which are in eyeball-to-eyeball with troops of Chinese PLA PP15 for almost two years should move back to their Karam Singh Post which is located between PP 16 & PP 17. And China on its part had proposed that its troops will move just behind the LAC as claimed by India in that region.

However, India had not accepted this. Why? According to sources “This meant that the Chinese troops would just move behind PP 15, and the Indian troops would have to move from PP16 which is not even in contention. After several rounds of negotiations between the two sides at various levels, now, a mutually agreeable disengagement formula has been reached.”

As has been reported earlier, at PP 17 A, troops of the Indian Army have already pulled back to their permanent post at PP 17. This is right behind the Chinese claim line of LAC and the Chinese troops have pulled back two kilometers north east of PP 17 A and have put a condition that there would be no patrolling in the demilitarized zone.

 Significance of the disengagement process

Next week there is an expected meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit starting Sept 15-16 in Uzbekistan.

Following the disengagement, the focus is going to be on de-escalation and this would entail pulling back over 50,000 additional troops and equipment deployed in the forward areas along the LAC following the tensions which broke out between the two sides.

Will the patrolling start following the disengagement?

No, said sources in the defence and security establishment. Not until further modalities are worked out.