Formal Patrolling Yet to Begin at Depsang Plains

New Delhi: The formal patrolling is yet to commence in the Depsang plains in Ladakh after disengagement was completed there a few days back.

“No. Not yet,” said army sources on Sunday when asked if formal patrolling had commenced in the Depsang plains. The patrolling modalities are being worked by ground commanders (Brigadier and below).

India and Chinese troops had completed disengagement from Depsang and Demchok in Ladakh last Wednesday. Indian Army on Friday started patrolling in the Demchok sector. Demchok is considered as less contentious of the two flash points where disengagement was completed on Wednesday.

Chinese see Depsang and the adjacent Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) as areas from which India could launch a ground attack on its key roads and infrastructure project in the Aksai Chin.

As per the agreement co-ordinated patrolling would be carried out in Demchok and Depsang where both sides will know about the schedules of the patrols to avoid any kind of face-off.

The disengagement at Demchok and Depsang ended four and a half year of direct face-off between India and China in the Ladakh sector. The Chinese troops were blocking Indian soldiers to patrol to their traditional patrolling points upto India’s perceived line in these two friction points since April-May 2020. Earlier two sides had disengaged from Galwan, Pangong Tso, and Hot-Springs in Ladakh where no-patrolling buffer zones have been created. India and China are holding talks on starting patrolling in the buffer zones too.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on October 21 had said in New Delhi 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.

After that troops from the two sides started the process of dismantling semi-permanent structures and tents at Depsang and Demchok and moving back troops.