How India outsmarted China despite being on the brink of war
In the midst of ongoing disengagement process in Pangong Tso areas, Indian Army's Northern Command chief Lt Gen YK Joshi said Indian troops occupied the entire dominating heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso to gain high ground on the negotiating table with China.
FollowSo far, India and China have held nine round of military talks. Till the fifth meeting, the dialogue between the two sides was making no progress.
In an interview with an English news channel, Lt Gen Joshi said that the disengagement was taking place because India had taken control of the dominating heights on the Kailash range.
Giving details of how the standoff precipitated, the Northern Command chief said that the Indian Army had occupied the dominating heights of Rezang La by August 30, giving it an advantage over the PLA.
He added that since the mission purpose had been achieved, India decided to go back to the status quo as of April 2020.
Reacting to the revelation, former Indian Army officer and defence expert Lt Gen (Retd) Yash Mor told Asianet Newsable, "It's a very deliberate and thought-out process. It is admirable that they worked out detailed procedures with an enemy we almost went to war with last summer. Only professional military organisations could have worked out withdrawal and dismantling of forces in a verified time plan."
"There's no loss of any territory and it is a win-win for Indian Army and China's PLA too. Detailed lessons must be learned and published by the Army without hiding failure of leadership in last summer," he said.
In order to avoid a situation like eastern Ladakh, Lt Gen Mor advised for enhanced investment in Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR). "Never be surprised again," he said.
Another former Indian Army officer and defence analyst Col Danvir Singh Chauhan (Retd) told Asianet Newsable: "Excellent manoeuvre on the night of August 29-30 led to a tactical upper hand with a manifold strategic advantage. Coupled with this were the diplomatic mobilisation of world opinion and common understandings which led to this amazing victory in the silent war with China in the 9-month long confrontation."
"India has won this round. We need to exercise extra caution and a high degree of preparedness in the days ahead," Col Chauhan added.
In the 9th senior commanders-level meeting, it has been assured that the areas which are now being vacated, will not be reoccupied.
After the Chinese occupied territory till Finger 4 in the north of Pangong Tso and the negotiations were not going anywhere, the Indian Army had instructed field commanders to gain some leverage. It was then that the Indian soldiers outsmarted Chinese troops in South of Pangong Tso.
On August 31, after Indian Army deployed their troops and tanks at commanding positions on the peaks of the Kailash ranges, Chinese tanks had also started rolling up the slopes of the same mountains.
Asserting that it was a no-brainer to fire on the oncoming Chinese tanks, Lt Gen Joshi said that was the time when the two sides were absolutely on the brink of war.
The Northern Army commander also gave a rough estimate of the Chinese casualties during the Galwan Valley clash, stating that the Chinese troops had ferried over 60 of their men on stretchers. He, however, clarified that he could not say whether they were injured or dead Chinese personnel.
Last week, the Russian news agency TASS had reported that the Chinese had suffered 45 casualties in the Galwan Valley clash with India. China has yet not revealed the numbers.
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