Patrolling at the traditional points of Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh resumed on Thursday. Indian troops are resuming patrols, which had been suspended for a long time, following the disengagement and verification process.
The two sides also exchanged sweets at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the occasion of Diwali. However, the cultural programmes that were previously conducted will remain suspended. “We are moving towards normalcy of relations but we haven’t achieved it. Everything will happen as and when the time comes. This time it is just sweets exchange and patrolling at some points to start with,” said a senior defence official.
There are five patrolling points in Depsang and two at Demchok where Indian troops will begin patrolling. After the 2020 Galwan clash, Chinese troops blocked the patrol of Indian soldiers, and in response, Indian soldiers blocked their movement. After extensive diplomatic and military efforts, both countries reached an agreement for disengagement and patrolling. The final verification took place on Wednesday, following a week-long process.
“Strength varies from location to location and cannot be the same for every patrol point. It depends on the specific task and the distance involved. Both sides have agreed to notify each other before conducting patrols to prevent any confrontations. This will be coordinated at the local commander level,” stated the officer in response to a question about strength.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri earlier this month had announced that the agreement was finalised following negotiations over the past several weeks and that it would lead to a resolution of the issues that arose in 2020. Since the announcement ending over four years of military standoff at eastern Ladakh, China released fewer details except acknowledging that the process of disengagement is going on smoothly.
Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India and China have continued talks to resolve conflicts in some areas of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. He made these remarks during an event in Tezpur, Assam. Underlining that the agreement was reached based on “equal and mutual security,” Singh said that the consensus includes rights for traditional patrolling and grazing.