SCO meet throws up expected outcomes
There were more accusations than acceptance between them. Rajnath Singh, as the host, held bilateral discussions with all his counterparts. All were productive except the one with China.
India and China will soon hold the 12th round of Corps Commander level talks at Chushul to reach an agreement towards the next stage of disengagement by the army of both countries.
Sources said the Indian delegates are scheduled to hold the disengagement talks at the friction areas such as Hot Springs, Gogra and the 900 sq km Depsang plains. The build-up in Depsang was not being considered part of the current standoff that started in May last year as escalations here took place in 2013. It is learnt that India, however, is insistent on resolving all the issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The initial attempt will be to resolve Gogra and Hot Springs. Finding a solution to Depsang might be tricky and take a longer time,” confirmed an army officer who is acquainted with the present developments.
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Sources claimed that China had confirmed their availability for the talks on July 26 but India has asked for new dates since the Indian forces are preoccupied with Kargil Vijay Diwas events. It’s been three months since the 11th round of talks between the two countries where the focus too was on disengagement in the friction points – Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang.
It may be recalled that China, meanwhile, has been building upon their defence infrastructure across the LAC. This has further caused an apparent change in India’s stance which has turned from defensive to reactive, a defence expert remarked. This has led the country to consider military options when necessary to defend against any incursions.
India has reoriented around 50,000 troops focused on the LAC with China. This reorientation of the troops, it is believed, will lessen the number of soldiers dedicated solely to defend India’s border with Pakistan.
At the same time, many acclimatised troops who can be relocated from the northern to the western border with Pakistan will be available to Indian military planners. This could give the Indian defence establishment a higher level of manoeuvrability and flexibility vis-a-vis its neighbours.
…With IANS inputs
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