India-China Disengagement Plan for Ladakh Ready: Reports

A three-phase plan for disengagement in eastern Ladakh has been devised by India and China, media channels have reported.

However, the two sides have not agreed upon the plan's implementation, senior government sources told NDTV. The plan involved both the Chinese and Indian forces pulling back armoured tanks and armoured personnel carriers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), within a day.

In the second step, both sides were supposed to withdraw around 30 percent of troops every day for three days. The Chinese should vacate their existing positions and return to the Finger 8 region on the North Bank of the Pangong Lake India and India, too, would return to its position prior to when the tensions began, that is coming close to its administrative Dhan Singh Thapa post.

Then, the two sides were to withdraw from their respective positions from the frontline along the southern bank of Pangong Lake area, including the Chushul and Rezang La areas, reported ANI.

“This is still a proposal under discussion and will be taken up at the next round of Corps Commander talks soon. Once agreed upon, it will be done in multiple phases, with on-ground verification after each step,” one official source told The Hindu.

After the North Bank, disengagement on the South Bank of Pangong Tso is expected to be taken up, The Hindu reported quoting sources.

The Hindu further said that verification on the ground at each step, in addition to aerial monitoring using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, will be key to ensuring the Chinese fully honour the understanding on the ground.

The disengagement plan was discussed during the 8th Corps Commander-level talks which were held on 6 November.

There has been heightened tensions between the two countries since the Galwan valley clash in June this year, in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. While China mobilised its troops in a massive deployment along the LAC, India moved close to 60,000 troops for forward deployments, besides bringing in reserve divisions.