India to look for long-term solution to border issues in eastern Ladakh

The security brass of the government feels that India should move to sort out the long pending issues on the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh before deescalating, sources said.

The armies of India and China today completed the disengagement process in the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area near Patrolling Point-15 in the eastern Ladakh sector. The two sides have also completed the verification of the others’ positions after pulling back troops from the friction point, government sources told India Today TV.

However, the security brass of the government feels that India should move towards sorting out the long pending issues on the Line of Actual Control, or LAC, in eastern Ladakh before deescalating the situation and deployment there, the sources said.

The withdrawal of the Chinese troops from the PP-15 area has been made possible after long discussions led by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval with his Chinese counterpart, along with the military talks that were held regularly by the two sides.

Also Read: | Indian, Chinese troops begin disengagement at Gogra-Hot Springs in eastern Ladakh

According to the sources, the NSA was very clear in his directions to the security forces that Indian interests should not be compromised at all when it comes to implementation on the ground.

India has deployed over 50,000 troops in the eastern Ladakh sector to counter any possible Chinese aggression the way it did in May 2020 and tried to alter the status quo along the LAC.

The aggression led to the creation of friction points and of them, frictions in three areas were resolved last year when Indian troops occupied heights for which the NSA had given his input. After a tactical victory overlooking Chinese areas of the southern and northern banks of Pangong Lake, the Indian side arranged disengagement on the north and south banks of the lake.