New Delhi: In what came as a breakthrough after a plethora of talks between India and China to resolve the months-long border conflict along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the two sides have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South bank of Pangong Lake.
Commenting on the development, Rahul Bhonsle, former Indian Army Brigadier and Director, Security Risks Asia said that the de-escalation and disengagement on the LAC in Eastern Ladakh at the North and South of Pangong Tso Lake is a positive development.
"The present situation and the agreements which have been made, are the first steps for management of the LAC and if the status quo, as it is believed is being attained as it was in April 2020, thereafter, the Indian side should see things in a very cautious manner, because for the first time, China has displayed scant regard for the number of agreements which say that the peace and tranquillity, status quo will be maintained at the LAC, until the special representatives resolve the border issue.
There is a breakdown of confidence and trust. Restoration of trust and confidence will take time. I hope that the two countries will take forward the issues in the right direction," Bhonsle told ETV Bharat in an interview.
Bhonsle pointed out that presently, trust is low and confidence can be built up if both sides stick to the agreements which they have made now of pulling back simultaneously, and they continue to ensure that they do not violate the status quo.
Further, Strategic Affairs expert, Sushant Sareen said that it is not a breakthrough but it is a first step in stabilising the border conflict because the tension and the outstanding issues remain.
Read: Chinese pull back from Pangong was a necessity for them: Retd Brigadier
"While we should welcome what has happened, I don't think we need to be in a celebratory mood because we don't know how this will turn out going forward," he added.
"The deal itself is nothing objectionable about what is the understanding that has been reached, given that both sides were moving their troops forward and engaged in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation. If both sides are stepping back from one of the sectors, where there is a trouble that is to be welcomed.
Both sides move back to their permanent bases, they even will not be patrolling in areas where both the troops were patrolling earlier. The first courses of disengagement start and then once it works in this particular area of Pangong Lake, they will take into account all the other areas of friction along the LAC," Sareen pointed out.
Earlier today, sharing details of the agreement to defuse the tense military standoff in Eastern Ladakh that resulted in a strained relationship between the two Asian giants, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajyasabha that after sustained talks with China, disengagement at north and south banks of Pangong Lake has been decided by both sides.
"We aim to maintain peace and tranquillity at LAC. Last year, what China did, impacted peace at the border. We clarified the importance of disengagement at LAC. We also have an adequate and effective counter deployment at the border," Singh said.
"The question is going forward, will the understanding reached between both the sides as highlighted by Raksha Mantri be followed by both India and China? For example, the Chinese have built structures in some areas of Pangong Lake that will be dismantled and removed as per the understanding. If all that happens and both sides start tackling some of the other outstanding issues along the LAC, I think that is a sensible thing to do," Sareen said.
Read: The masterly move in south Pangong that got PLA’s goat
"The only point is that the tension will remain until the forces of both sides withdraw to where they were about a year back. Until that happens, nothing can be said. Secondly, whether the pullback will eventually lead to some kind of stability along the LAC, for what India has been saying that we need to delineate and if that happens, it's even better. But until that happens, I think we need to take one step at a time.
We should welcome the positive step that has been taken but I don't see any reason why this step should be 'extrapolated' to imagine that it has resolved all the problems erupted between India and China," Sushant Sareen underlined.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also pointed out that India had communicated to China that trying to unilaterally change status quo is not acceptable, reiterating that "not an inch of land" had been ceded.
Minister Singh also maintained that the agreement that has been reached by both the sides for disengagement in the Pangong lake area envisages that both sides will cease their forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner.
"The Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the North Bank area to the east of Finger 8. Reciprocally, the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. Similar action would be taken in the South Bank area by both sides," Singh added.
Both sides have also agreed to convene the next meeting of the senior commanders within 48 hours after the complete disengagement in the Pangong Lake area to address other remaining issues.
Read: Watch: First visuals of Indo-China disengagement process
"When troops of major powers are on the eyeball to eyeball confrontation with each other, it is a dangerous situation. There is always scope for escalation, which we already had including one major incident and number of firings.
This sends a wrong message to the world at large that two big powers are not able to manage their relationship. Now that disengagement has taken place, it will also send a message that India and China can manage border escalation effectively," expert Rahul Bhonsle further explained.
In June last year, 20 Indian soldiers were killed when the two sides clashed with iron rods and stones in the Galwan Valley, the first combat losses on the border in 45 years. China also suffered an unspecified number of casualties.
